Chap. I. lying round N O R T H P O L E. 381 
i 
Weft, and the Storm is fucceeded by fair W eather, as over the Skyj as quick as Lightening, efpet:ial]y if k be 
foon as the Wind fliifts to the Weft and North. The a clear Night, with fuch a Brightnefs, that you may read 
Country would be exceeding pleafant and healthful in by it as by Day-lighr. The Air is not at all unhealthyj 
Summer-time, if it was not for the heavy Fogs, efpeci- for if you except the Scurvy, and Diftempersin the Breaftg 
ally near the Sea Coaft, for it is as warm here as any they know nothing here of many other Difeafes ; and 
where, when the Air is clear, which kappens when the thefe pectoral Infirmities are the Effedts of that nafty 
Wind blows Eafterly ; and fometimes it is fo hot, that foggifti Weather, which this Country is fubjedt to which 
the Sea- Water, which, after the Ebbing, has remained we may impute to the vaft. Quantities of Ice that cover 
in the hollow Places in the Rocks, before Night, by the the Land, and drive in the Sea, from the Beginning of 
bare Heat of the Sun, is coagulated into a fine white Aprils to the End of July^ which is therefore called the 
Salt. ' foggy Seafon, and from that Time the Fog decreafes. 
Sometimes for three Months together they have fair But as in the Summer-time they are troubled with the 
fettled Weather, and warm fun-fhiny Days, without any P'og, fo in the Winter-feafon they are* like\vife plagued 
Rain ; the Length of the Summer is, from the latter End with, the Vapour, called Froft-fmoak, which, v/ hen the Cold 
of to the Midft Septemher ; all the remaining Part is excefilve, rifes out of the Sea, as the Smoak out of a 
of the Year is Winter, which is tolerable in the Latitude Chimney, and is as thick as the thickeft Mift, efpeciai- 
of 64 Degrees; but to the Northward of 68 Degrees, and ly in Bays where there is any Opening in the Ice ; Tis 
even there, the Cold is fo excefilve, that the rnoff fpi- very remarkable, that this Froft Damp, or Smoak, if 
rituous Liquors, as Fre?ich Brandy, will freeze near the you come near it, will finge the very Skin off your Face 
Fire-fide. At the End of Auguji the Sea is all covered and Hands ; but when you are in it, you find no fuch 
with Ice, which does not thaw before April or May\ and piercing or finging Sharpnefs, but warm and foft, only it 
fometimes not till the latter End of June. It is remark- leaves a white Froft upon your Hair and Cloaths. There 
able, that on the Weftern Coafts of different Countries, is a wonderful Correfpondence obferved in Greenland.) be- 
lying in one and the fame Latitude, it is much colder tween Fountains and the main Sea, wz. That at Spring- 
than on the Eaftern, as in fome Parts of Greenland and tides, in new and full Moon, when the ftrongeft Ebbing , 
Nerway. And though Greenland is much colder than PAor- is at Sea, the hidden Fountains or Springs of frefh Wa- 
way.) yet the Snow never lies fo high, efpecially in the ter break out on Shore, and difcover themfelves often 
Bays, where it is feldom above half a Yard higher than in Places where one could fcarce expedt to meet with any 
the Ground ; whereas the Inland Parts, and the Moun- fuch, efpecially in Winter, when the Ground is covered 
tains, are perpetually covered with Ice and Snow, which with Ice and Snow. Yet at other Times there are no 
never melt, and not a Spot is bare, but near the Shore, Water-fprings at all in thofe Places, 
and in the Bays ; where, in the Summer, you are delight- 6. There are no venomous Serpents, or ravenous wild 
cd with a charming Verdure, caufed by the Heat of the Beafts, in Greenland.) if you except the Bear, which fome 
Sun ; reverberated from Side to Side, and concentred will have to be an amphibious Animal, as he lives chief- 
in thofe lower Parts of the Valleys, furrounded by high ly upon the Ice, in the moft Northern Parts, and feeds 
Rocks and Mountains, for many Hours together, with- upon Seals and Fifh. He very feldom appears near the 
cut Intermifiion. But at Sun-fet the Airis changed, at Colony in which our Author lived. He is of a very 
once, and the cold Ice Mountains make you foon feel large Size, and of a hideous and frightful Afped, with 
the Nearnefs of their Neighbourhood, and oblige you to white long Hair, greedy of human Blood. Rain-Deer 
put on your Furs. are, in fome Places, in fo great Numbers, that you will 
Befides the Ice that covers the whole Face of the Land, fee whole Herds of them ; and when they go and feed in 
the Sea is almoft choaked with it : Some large and flat Herds, they are dangerous to come at. The Natives 
Fields of Ice, and fome prodigious Mountains of an fpend the whole Summer-feafon in hunting them, going 
aftonilhing Bignefs, lying as deep under Water as they up to the innermoft Parts of the Bays, and carrying, for 
foar high in the Air. Thefe are Pieces of the Ice Moun- the moft part, their Wives and Children along with 
tains on Land, which lie near the Sea, and, burfting, them, where they remain till the Harveft Seafon comes 
tumble down into the Sea, and are carried off. They on. In that Space, they, with fo much Eagernefs, pur- 
reprefent to the Beholders, afar off, many odd and fue and deftroy thofe poor Deer, that they have no Place 
ftrange Figures, fome of Churches, Caftles with Spires of Safety but what the Greenlanders know •, and where 
and Turrets ; others you would take to be Ships under they are in any Number, there they chafe them by Clap- 
fail, and many have been deluded by them, thinking hunting, rulhing upon them on all Sides, and furrounding 
they were real Ships, and going to board them. Nor them with all their Women and Children, to force thern 
do their Figures and Shape alone furprize, but alfo their into Defiles and narrow PafiTages, where the Men lie in 
Diverfity of Colours pleafes the Sight *, for fome are like wait for them and kill them. And when they have not 
white Chryftal, others as blue as Saphires, and others People enough to furround them, then they put up white 
again green as Emeralds. One would attribute the Caufe Poles with Pieces of Turf to head them, which frightens 
of thefe Colours to Metals or Minerals, in Places where the Deer and hinders them from efcaping. 
this Ice was formed, or of Waters of which it was coa- There are alfo vaft Numbers of Hares which, are white, 
gulated ; but Experience teaches, that the blue Ice is the Summer and Winter, very fat, and of a good Tafte, 
Concretion ot frefli Water, which at firft is white, and at There are Foxes of different Colours, white, grey, and 
length hardens and turns blue. But the greenifii Colour blewifh ; they are of a lelfer Size than thofe of Denmark 
comes from Salt-water. For it is obferved, that if you and Norway^ and not fo hairy, but more like Martens, 
put the blue Ice near the Fire, and let it melt, and after- The Natives commonly catch them alive in Traps built 
wards remove it to a colder Place to freeze again, it does of Stones, like little Huts ; the reft of four-footed Ani- 
not recover its former blue Colour, but becomes white ; mals, which ancient Hiftorians tell us are found in Green- 
froiTi wnence it Lems that the volatile Sulphur which land^ are Sables, Martens, Wolves, Loffes, Ermins, 
the Ice^had attracted from the Air, by its Refolution and feveral others, but none on the Weftern Side-, 
into V'ater exhales and vaniflies. domeftic Animals there are none, but Dogs in great Num- 
Though the Summer-feafon is very hot in Greenland, bers, and of a large Size, with white Hairs, or white 
it leldom caufes any Thunder and Lightening ; the Rea- and black, and Landing Ears. They are, in their Kind, 
fon of which may be the Coldnefs of the Night, which as timorous as their Mafters, for they never bark, but 
allays , the Heat of the Day, and caules the fuiphiirous Ex- howl only. In the Northern Parts they ufe them inftead 
halations to fall again, with the heavy Dew, to the of Horfes to drag their Sledges, yoaking four or fix, and 
Ground ; as tor the ordinary Meteors, frequently feen fometimes eight or ten, to a Sledge, loaden with five or 
in other Countries, they are common in Greenland, as the fix of the largeft Seals, with the Matter fetting upon 
Rainbow, flying and Ihooting Stars, and the like but what them himfelf, who drives as fall with them as we can 
is more peculiar to the Climate, is the Northern Light, or do v/ith good Horfes, for they often travel fifteen Ger~ 
Aurora Borealis, which, in the Spring of the Year, about man Miles with them, in a Winter Day, upon the Ice % 
the Time of the new Moon, darts Streams of Light all and though the poor Dogs are of fo great Service *t© 
VoL. II. Numb. 95. , ' \ ^ ^ them. 
