The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1845-05-24

| was eEecleu on me eastern coast IN the
year 9S2, by company of adve nturers
from Iceland, under command of Eric the
Red Emigrants focked thilher from
Iceland and Norway, and the germs OF
European enterprise and civilization ap-
peared on different parts Of the coast. A
colony was established in Greenland, and
it bid fair to go on and prosper.
Voyages Of exploration were projected
in Greenland, and carried into effect by
the hardy marines of those days. Pa
pers have been published within a few
years by the DANISH Antiquarian Society,
which 60 far to snow that those bold ma
visators discovered the coast of Labrador,
and proceeding to the south, fell in with
the island Newfoundland, and continuing
their course, beheld the sandy shores OF
Cape Cod, centuries before the American
continent was discovered by Christopher
Columbus II It's even believed that these
Scandinavian adventures effected settle
ment on the shores of what is now known
as Narraganset Bay, in Rhode Island, and
in consequence of the multitude Of grapes
which abounded in the woods, they call
ed the new and fruitful country Vinland
Owing, however, TO the great number of
fierce savages who inhabited these re-
glons, the colonists, after some sanguina.
ry skrmishes, lorsook the coast and re-
turned 10 Greenland
The colony of Greenland, however,
continued to flourish, and the intercourse
between the colony and the mother coun-
try was constant and regular. In the year
400, this colony is said to have mum
bered 100 villages, a bishopric, IL par
lshes, and 9 monasteries. During this
period of 400 years, vessels were pass
ing, at regular intervals, between the Dan
ish provinces in Europe and Greenland.
But in the year 1905, this intercourse
was interrupted in fatal manner. A
mighty wall arose, as if by magic, along
the coast, and the navigators who sought
the shores of Greenland, could behold
the mountains in the distance, but could
not effect landing. During the greater
part of the 18Th, the whole of the 10Th
and l7lh centuries, Greenland was mac
cessble TO European navigators. The
whole coast was blockaded by large mass
es and islands Of ice, which had been drift
ling from the north for years, and which
had at length chilled the waters of the
coast, and changed the temperature of the
atmosphere, and presented an impossible
barrier TO the entrance in their ports, of
friend or foe. The sea, at The distance of
miles from the land, was frozen TO grea;
depth, vegetation was destroyed, and the
very rocks were rent with cold. And
this intensely rigid weather continued for
ages.
The colony of Greenland, after this
unexpected event took place, never had
any intercourse with their friends in the
mother country They were cut off
from all the rest Of the world And by
this sudden and ananlicipaled change of
climate, they were also doubtless depriv-
ed of all resources within themselves
Their fate, however, is mystery. His
tory is silent on the subject. All which is
known OF this unfortunate people is, that
they no longer exist The ruins of their
habllatons and their churches have since
been discovered along the coast; by ad-
venlurous mer, who have taken advan-
lage of an amelioration in the climate to
explore that irclement and sterile coun-
try. and establish settlements again on
various parts of the coast; and also by
missionaries who have braved hardships
and perils TO introduce among the aborgi-
nal inhabitants the blessings Of civliza.
ton and Christianity. No other traces
of those early European settlers have been
discovered, and we can only speculate u
pom their fate
1t would require no very vivid imagi-
nation 10 imagine the appalling sense of
deslltnllon which blanched the features
and chilled the hearts of those unhappy
colonlsts, when they began to realize
| their forlorn condition, when the cold
rapidly increased, and their harbors be-
came permanently blocked with enormous
icebergs, and the genial rays of the sun
were obscured by fogs--when the win
tiers fol the first time became intensely
rigid, cheeress and dreary-when the
summers were also cold, and ihe soil I'M
productve-when the mountains, no lon
ger crowned with forests, were covered
with snow and ice throughout the year,
and the valleys filled with glaciers when
the won!ed inhabitants of the woods and
waters were destroyed or exiled by the
severity of the weather, and their places
perhaps supplied by monsters of a huge
and frigh,lul character.
1t were easy to follow this people in
fancy TO their dwellings-to see them
sad, sprilless, and despairing, while con-
scious of their imprisoned and cheerless
condition and impending fate-to watch
them as their numbers gradually dimin-
ish through the combined influence of
want and continual sufiering-to behold
them struggling for exislence;and striving,
nobly striving, to adapt their constitutions