146 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
known, being rendered inaccessible by the great 
quantity of floating ice which, probably forming a 
compact body to the land, prevents all communi- 
cation with it : the distance was too far and the 
weather not sufficiently clear to enable me to ascer- 
tain the precise nature of the coast ; but by the 
aid of a good glass and much attention, I succeeded 
in making a correct resemblance of its character, 
so as to distinguish its features, determine the great 
evenness of the surface of its mountains, the singular 
point of one, and the ruggedness of another : I 
could also plainly see that the snow was confined 
only to its valleys, that there was none upon its 
loftier lands, and that the face of these last did 
’ not wear the appearance of sterile rock, but was 
veined with variegated colours, as if spread over 
with a little earth, turf, or a scanty covering of 
vegetation. A prospect like this greatly interested 
me, being persuaded that many valuable objects 
of natural history would consequently be furnished 
by these regions. The range of country which I 
could distinguish extended from north-west, to 
north-north-west, and uniformly bore the same cha- 
racter. 
The only history of this almost unknown land, 
and particularly of the eastern side, is, that it was 
first peopled by Icelanders in the tenth century, but 
