INTRODUCTION. ' X>fiX 
by a storm, on his return from Norway, so near 
the coast of Greenland, by Herjolf’s Noss, that he 
could see the people driving their cattle. But 
he did not land, because just then a good wind 
arose, which carried the ship the same night to 
Iceland. The Icelander Biorn von Skardsa, 
whom Crantz here quotes, gives other evidence 
on this subject. He relates, that Tom Greenlan¬ 
der, a Hamburgh sailor, was driven three times 
upon the coast of Greenland, where lie saw fishers’ 
huts, similar to what they have in Iceland. And 
he further mentions, that an oar, marked with 
a sentence in Runic characters,—pieces of the 
wreck of boats,—and, in the year 1625, an entire 
boat, fastened together with sinews and wooden 
pegs, were from time to time driven on shore at 
Iceland. 
The modern accounts of the state of the east 
coast of Greenland entirely rest on oral testimony. 
One relation of this kind was communicated per¬ 
sonally, it appears, to the missionary Crantz, by 
a party of Greenlanders, from the east coast, who 
visited some of their relations at Ncwherrnhuth, 
in the summer of 1752. 
