where nature, who always mingles fome allay with the rigour of her feverities, affords a tolerable afylum for men who know no better, and a moft plentiful and delicate nourishment for cattle.
I ought to beftow a word or two upon another northern country dependent on the kingdom of Norway, as well as Iceland, but much more extenfive, more unknown, and more favage: I mean GREENLAND, a vaft country, which one knows not whether to call an ifland or continent. It extends from the 60th to the 80th degree of latitude; farther than that men have not penetrated. All that we can know for certain of it is, that this country, little known to geographers, ftretches away from its fouthern point, named Cape Farewel, continually widening both towards the eaft and weft. The eaſtern coaft in fome places is not diftant more than 40 miles from Iceland, but the ice, which furrounds it, or other unknown caufes, make it now pafs for inacceffable. Yet it was chiefly on this coaft, that the Norwegians formerly eftablifhed a colony, as we fhall fhow hereafter: a colony which at this time is either deftroyed, or perhaps only neglected, and cut off from all communication with the reft of the world. With regard to the western coaft, which alone is frequented by
