Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-05-29
G. r E E n L A N D.
THE 10 ST ONY

Greenland is country situated In a
high northern latitude, and noted for
the GOODNESS efits climate and the ster-
ility of its SOIL Cape Farewell, the
southern part Of Greenland, is in north
latitude 80 deg. IS min. From this
point the land widens, stretching on
one side in the direction of northwest,
On the other ofnortheast. This country
was once regarded as vast peninsula,
closely united 10 America; but modem
discoveries have shown that it is sepa-
rated from the American continent by a
wide and continuous channel, called
Davis's Straits, after its discover, and
that il extends to the north a distance
which is unknown, but certainly beyond
the 18th degree of latitude.
This country, although now consis-
ting of little else than barren rocks,
mountains covered with SHOW and ice,
and valleys covered with glacierts--al-
though lis coasts are now lined with
floods of ice, and checkered with ice
bergs of immense size, was once easily
accessible, and its soil was fruitful, and
well repaid the cultivator of the earth.
This country was discovered by the
Scandinayians, toward the close Of the
10th century, and settlement was eff
fected on the eastern coast in the year
9S2, by a company of adventures
from Iceland, under the command of
Eric the Red. Emigrants focked Thu
ther from Iceland andN orway, and the
germ of European enterprise and civil
ization appeared on different parts Of
the coast A colony was established
in Greenland, and il bid fair to go on
and prosper.
Voyages of exploration were projec-
,ed in Greenland, and carried into eff
feet by the hardy mariners of those
days. Papers have been published
within q few years by the Danish Anti
quarian Society, which go far to show
that those bold navigators discovered
the coast of Labrador, and proceeding
to the south, fell in with the island Of
Newfoundland, and continuing their
arse, beheld the sandy shores of Cape
Cod, centuries before the American
continent was discovered by Christie
pher Columbus 1t is even believed
that these scandinavian adventures ef-
fecte9. settlement on the shores OF
what is now known as Naraganset Bay,
in Rhode Island, and in consequence
of the grapes which abounded in the
woods, they called the new and fruitful
country Vinland Owing, however, to
the great number Of fierce savages who
inhabited these regions, the colonists,
after some sanguinary skirlnishes, for
sock the coast and returned to Green
land.
The colony of Greenland, however,
continued to flourish, and the inter-
course between the colony and the mo-
Their country was constant and regular.
In 400, this colony is said to have
numbered 100 villages, a bishopric, IL
parishes, and 2 monasteries. During
this period of 400 years, vessels were
passing, at regular intervals, between
the Danish provinces in Europe and
Greenland. But in the year 1406, this
intercourse was interrupted in fatal
mapner. A mighty wall arose, as if BY
magic, along the coast, and the nayiga-
Tors who sought the shores Of Green
land, could behold the mountains in the
distance, but could not effec: a landing.
During The greater part ofthe 18th, the
whole of The 10Th And 18th centuries,
i Greenland was inaccessible to Europe
IS navigators. The whole coast was