America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld / Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, Besides Several Other Considerable Additions, a Brief Survey of What Hath Been Discover'd of the Unknown South-land and the Arctick Region.

by John Ogilby

Temperature of Groenland.

Groenland, notwithstanding its Northerly Situation, is reported to be a Countrey not unfertile of Corn, and other Productions of the Earth; and in respect of its verdant Aspect at some Seasons of the Year, above the rest of those Septentrional Regions, it is concluded to have merited the Name of Groenland, i.e. Greenland; nay, so great is the Heat that is said to be there during the Moneths of June, July, and August, by reason of the reverberation of the Sun-beams from the Rocks, that many times there is but six Weeks space betwixt Seed-time and Harvest.

What sort of Animals breed there.

The Beasts, which are said to breed here in great numbers, are Horses, Deer, Foxes, Hares, Bears, both black and white, common Wolves, and a sort of Beast between a Deer and a Wolf, besides great store of Beavers and Martins, as the Iseland Chronicle testifies, whose Furr in fineness may compare with the Sables of Russia. There are also Gerfalcons in abundance, both white and grey, of so delicate a kind, that they were in ancient times sent to the Kings of Denmark as Presents of great rarity.

The Seas about Greenland abound in very many sorts of Fish, as Sea-Wolves, Sea-Dogs, Sea-Calves, and above all, incredible numbers of Whales of a vast bigness.

Strange kind of Horn found there.

But the most remarkable Commodity of this Countrey, is a kind of Horn, commonly call’d the Licornes, or Unicorns-Horn, which is found there in great quantities, and great store of it is to be seen in Denmark, some whole, some in great pieces, sometimes onely the Ends or Stumps; but since it appears very different from all other kind of Horn, there is great Question made amongst Naturalists, whether it be Horn or Tooth? and if Horn, whether the Horn of a Beast or Fish? but it is discover’d of late to be the Horn, or rather Tusk of a certain Fish, which the Islanders call Narhual, being indeed a kind of Whale, as the Name seems to imply; signifying a Whale which feeds upon Carcases.

The chief Voyagers thither.

This Countrey is call’d by the Natives, Secanunga; who was the first Discoverer thereof is not certainly known, but the first chief Voyagers thither were, of the Dutch, William Barents, or Barentson, of Amsterdam, who set forth towards those Parts in the Year 1594. and before him, Dithmar Blefkens, in the Year 1563. of the English, Mr. James Hall, who set out from Copenhagen in Denmark, Anno 1605. and in a second Voyage was slain by a Salvage of the Countrey.

The Coastings, Havens, and Creeks of Groenland.