Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-05-30
MLSTO RIG AL.
GREENLAND-THE LOST COLONY.

its climate and the Sterility of its soil. Cape
north latitude SO deg. 48 min. From this point
the land widens, stretching on one side in the
direction Of northwest, on the other Of northeast.
This country was once regarded as vast PENN
sula, closely united to America; but modern
discoveries have shown that it is separated from
the American continent by wide and contnu-
Gus channel, called Davis's Straits, after its dis
coverer, and that it extends to the north dis
tanee which is unknown, but certainly beyond
the 18th degree Of latitude.
This country, although now consisting Of lit
tie else than barren rocks, mountains covered
with snow and ice, and vallies covered with
gIaciers--although its coasts are now lined with
floods af ice, and checkered with icebergs of i'm
mense size, was once easily accessible, and its
soil was fruitful, and we'll repaid the cultvator
of the earth. This country was discovered by
the Scandnavians, toward the close of the 10th
century, and settlement was effected on the
eastern coast in the year 9S2, by a company Of
adventures from Iceland, under command of
Eric the Red Emigrants focked thither from
Iceland and Norway, and the germs Of European
enterprise and civilization appeared 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
mariners of those days. Papers have been pub
lished within few years by the Danish Antigua
rian 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
course, beheld the sandy shores Of Cape Cod,
centuries before the American continent was
discovered by Christopher Columbus 1t is
even believed that these Scandinavian adventure
ers effected a settlement on the shores of what
is now known as Naraganset Bay, in Rhode Is
land and in consequence of the multitude Of
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 skirmishes, iorsook the coast
and returned to Greenland.
The colony OF Greenland however, continued
to flourish, and the intercourse between the col
ony and the mother country was constant and
regular. In the year l4O0, this colony is said
to have numbered 100 villages, bishoprc, IL
parishes, and 2 monasteries During this peri
cd of 400 years, vessels were passing, at regular
intervals, between the Danish provinces in Eu-
rope and Greenland. But in the year l406,
this intercourse was interrupted in fatal man
ner A mighty wall arose, as if by magic,
along the coast, and the navigators who sought
the shores Of Greenland, could behold the noun
tains in the distance but could not effect Ian
ding During the greater part of the 18th, and
the whole of the 10Th and 18th centuries, Green
land was inaccessible to European navigators,
The whole coast was blockaded by large masses
and islands of ice which had been drifting from
the north for years, and which had at length
chilled the waters of the coast, and changed
the temperature of the atmosphere, and presen
ted an impossible barrier to the entrance in theil
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 we're rent with the cold. And this in
tensely rigid weather continued for ages.
The colony of Greenland, after this unexpec'
ted 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. Anc
by this sudden and unanticipated change of eli
mate, they were also doubtless deprived of al
resources within themselves Their fate, how
ever, is a mystery. History is sllent. on the sub
iect All which is known of this unfortunate
people is, that they no longer exist. The ruin
of their habitations and their churches have since
been discovered along the coast, by adventurous
men, who have taken advantage of an amellora
ton in the climate to explore that inclement ant
sterile country and establish settlements agar
on various parts Of the coast; and also by mis-
sionaries who have braved hardships and peril
to introduce among the aboriginal inhabltant
the blessings of civilization and Christianity
No other traces Of those early European settler
have been discovered, and we can only speculat
on their fate
It would require no very vivid imagination t
imagine the appalling sense of restitution whlc
blanched the features and chilled the hearts c
those unhappy coonists, when they began to re
.alize their forlorn condition, when the cold raF
Oily increased, and their harbors became perm'
nently blocked with enormous icebergs, and tn
genial rays of the sun were obscured by logs
when the winters for the first time became II
tensely rigid, cheerless and dreary-when tn
summers were also cold, and the soil unproduC
tive--when the mountains, no longer crowne
with forests, we're covered with snow and &c
throuphout the year. and the valleys filled wit
glaciers-when the wonted inhabitants Of tn
woods and waters were destroyed or exiled
the severity Of the weather, and their places pc
haps supplied by monsters of huge and frigh
full character.
1t were easy to follow this people in fancy
their dwellings--to see them sad, spirltless, an
despairing, while conscious Of their imprlsone
and cherries condition and impending fate
watch them as their numbers gradually dlmni'