A Plantation setled in Ise by Ingulphus and Hiorleifus.
The last and most considerable Adventurer was Ingulfus, the Son of Orn, Duke of Fyrdafilace in Norway, who, together with his Cousin Hiorleifus, that Marry’d his Sister Helca, being adjudg’d to Banishment by Halsten (to the Award of whose Judgment they had submitted themselves) upon the slaughter of his two Brethren, Holmsten and Hersten, (these three Brethren were the Sons of Atlas, one of the prime Noblemen of Norway) in a Quarrel, wherein Halsten was chosen Umpire; and also detesting the Tyranny of Haraldus Pulchricomus, King of Norway, went over Gonfaloniere, or chief Leader of a great Colony of People, whom he rais’d for the setling of a Plantation in some foreign Countrey: Accompany’d with his Cousin Hiorleifus, he took Shipping for Iseland in the Year of our Lord 854. having been over to visit it about four years before; he Landed at a Promontory on the South Shore, which from him took the Name of Ingulfholde, and at Reicharwick setled his Habitation, while Hiorleifus seated himself at the Promontory by him call’d Hiorleifholda, where he built two very large Houses, each being about a hundred and thirty Foot long; then he set himself to Manure and Till the Ground, employing in that Work ten Slaves, whom he brought with him for that purpose out of Norway; but it was not long ere they traiterously set upon him and slew him by an Ambuscade which they had laid for him; after which they betook themselves to certain little Isles, which were nam’d Westmafyar, where before they had well nestled themselves, the whole Race of them were rooted out by Ingulphus, in revenge of his Kinsman’s Death. After this the Island grew daily more and more populous by the coming over of new Families from Norway; so that at this day it is a Place not the least considerable belonging to the Kings of Denmark.
The ancient Inhabitants of this Place (for it is to be suppos’d that there were People here before the coming over of Ingulfus) were call’d Papæ or Pappæ, and the East side of the Island, Papey, which agrees very well with the Names of two little Islands on the Coast of Scotland, Pappa and Westrepappa, from which many conjecture, as also from several Crosses and Bells found upon the Place, that there hath been in former Ages a resort of the Irish, and of the People of the North-West parts of Scotland.
The Division of Iseland.
The Eastern Bound of Iseland is call’d Austurhorn; the Western, Randesandur; the Northern, Langanes; and the Southern, Reicranes. The Island being divided according to the four Quarters of the World, North-Island is sever’d from East-Island by the aforesaid Promontory of Langanes; from West-Island by Rutafiordur Bay; from South-Island, by vast and unpassable Desarts. Between South-Island and East-Island runneth the River Jocolsu, through the Desarts of Solseimasande. Between South-Island and West-Island a famous River nam’d Albis, which emptieth it self into the Bay of Bargarfiord.
Schetland the Thule of the Ancients.
’Tis a vulgar Opinion, that this Island is the same which the Ancients call’d Thule; but upon consideration it will appear, that by the Ultima Thule taken notice of by Virgil, Claudian, Statius, Pythias Massiliensis, Pliny, Seneca, Solinus, Tacitus, and others, is meant one of the British Isles, amongst which were comprehended the Isles on the North of Scotland, as the Orcades, and some others, the utmost of which we call Schetland, and is very probable to be this Ultima Thule of the Ancients.
Nova Zembla, when first discover’d.
Nova Zembla, lying under seventy six Degrees of Northern Latitude, and a hundred and twelve Degrees and twenty five Minutes of Longitude, and being reckon’d above two hundred Miles in length, was, together with the River Puora, and Straights of Weygats, discover’d, (and, as it is thought, first of all) by Stephen Burrough, who was sent out by the Muscovia Company in the Year 1556. to find out a Way to Cathay by the North-East.
Afterwards one Oliver Bunel, a Dutch-man, mov’d with the hope of Gain, went from Enkhuissen to Pecora; where (having first discover’d Costinfarca in Nova Zembla) he lost all by Shipwrack.