INTRODUCTION. 
XIX 
a company of tlieir adherents, about the year 
878. These persons, who were induced to emi¬ 
grate to Iceland from political oppression, were 
joined, in the course of a few years, by a number 
of Norwegian families, who resorted thither from 
a similar cause; so that they soon constituted a 
considerable colony. 
About the middle, or towards the end of the 
tenth century, an extensive country to the west¬ 
ward of Iceland, was discovered by one of the 
colonists, of the name of Gunbiorn. This new 
coast was visited, in the year 982, by one Eric 
llauda, a Norwegian, who had been banished his 
country for various crimes of which he had been 
guilty. Eric wintered on the southern part of 
the coast, near an inlet, which he named Eric’s 
Sound ; and, after spending part of three years in 
exploring it, he returned to Iceland. For tho 
purpose of encouraging persons to become settlers 
in this country, he denominated it Greenland, 
and gave a most exaggerated account of its pro¬ 
ducts and appearance. In consequence of his re¬ 
presentations, a licet of twenty-five sail was short¬ 
ly afterwards equipped, which, laden with people 
b 2 
