and among these the reior (Balæna physalus). In the modern descriptions of this region it is stated that "all the rivers are full of fish ;" and of the waters in that neighbourhood it is said "il y a une grande abondance de poissons de presque toutes les espèces." Salmon may be mentioned as one of these. Not long ago, the whale fishery was, in that very region, an important branch of industry, especially for the inhabitants of the adjacent islands. Very possibly the adjacent Whale Rock has its name from the same circumstances. IV. Astronomical Evidence. Besides the nautical and geographical statements, one of the most ancient writings has preserved an astronomical notice, where it was said that here the days were of more equal length than in Iceland or Greenland; that on the shortest day the sun rose at half past seven o'clock, and set at half past four, which makes the shortest day nine hours. This astronomical observation gives for the place latitude 41° 24' 10". The latitude of Seaconnet Point, and of the southernmost promontory of the Island of Conannicut, is 41° 26′ north, and that of Point Judith 41° 23. These three headlands form the entrance boundaries of the modern Mount Hope Bay, which the ancients, according to the analogy of their language, no doubt, called HOPSVATN. We thus see that this statement corresponds exactly with the other data, and indicates precisely the same region. DISCOVERIES OF MORE SOUTHERN REGIONS. The party sent by Thorwald Ericson, in the year 1003, from Leifsbooths, to explore the southern coasts, employed from four to five months in the expedition; they therefore most likely examined the coasts of Connecticut and New-York, probably also those of New-Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. The description of this range of coast is ac curate. ARE MARSON'S SOJOURN IN GREAT IRELAND. In those times the Esquimaux inhabited more southerly regions than they do at present. This is both evident from the ancient accounts, and seems, besides, to gain corroboration from ancient skeletons which have been dug up in regions even more southerly than those in question; a circumstance which, however, merits a more accurate examina tion. In the neighbourhood of Vineland, opposite the country inhabited by the Esquimaux, there dwelled, according to their reports, people who wore white dresses, and had poles borne before them, on which were fastened lappets, and who shouted with a loud voice. This country was supposed to be HVITRA-MANN-A-LAND, as it was called (the Land of the White Men), otherwise called IR-LAND IT MIKLA (Great Ireland), being probably that part of the coast of North America which extends southward from Chesapeake Bay, including North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Among the Shawanese Indians, who some years ago emigrated from Florida, and are now settled in Ohio, there is preserved a tradition which seems of importance here, viz., that Florida was once inhabited by white people, who were in possession of iron implements. Judging from the ancient accounts, this must have been an Irish Christian people, who, previous to the year 1000, were settled in this region. The powerful chieftain ARE MARSON, of Reikianes, in Iceland, was, in the year 903, driven thither by storms, and there received baptism. The first author of this account was his contemporary Rafa, surnamed the Lim erick-trader, he having long resided at Limerick, in Ireland. The illustrious Icelandic sage Are Frode, the first compiler of the Landnama, who was himself a descendant in the fourth degree from Are Marson, states on this subject, that his uncle, Thorkell Gellerson (whose testimony he on another occasion declares to be worthy of all credit), had been informed by Icelanders, who had their information from Thorfinn Sigurdson, earl of Orkney, that Are had been recognised in Hvitramannaland, and could not get away from thence, but was there held in high respect. This statement therefore shows that in those times there was an occasional intercourse between the western European countries (the Orkneys and Ireland) and this part of America. VOYAGES OF BIERN ASBRANDSON AND GUDLEIF GUDLAUGSON. It must have been in this same country that BIERN AS-BRANDSON, surnamed BREID-VIKINGA-KAPPI, spent the latter part of his life. He had been adopted into the celebrated band of Jomsburg warriors, under Palnatoke, and took part with them in the battle of Fyrisval, in Sweden. His illicit amatory con nexion with Thurida of Frodo, in Iceland, a sister of the powerful Snorre Gode, drew upon him the enmity and persecution of the latter; in consequence of which, he found himself obliged to quit the country forever, and in the year 999 he set sail from Hraunhöfn, in Sniofelsnes, with a N.E. wind. GUDLEIF GUDLAUGSON, brother of Thorfinn, the ancestor of the celebrated historian Snorre Sturluson, had made a trading voyage to Dublin; but when he left that place again, with the intention of sailing round Ireland and returning to Iceland, he met with longcontinued northeasterly winds, which drove him far out of his course to the southwest, and late in the season he, along with his company, at last made land; the country was very extensive, but they knew not what country it was. On their landing, a crowd of the natives, amounting to several hundreds in number, came against them, overpowered, and bound them. They did not know anybody in the crowd, but it seemed to them that their language resembled Irish. The natives now took counsel whether they should kill the strangers or make slaves of them. While they were deliberating, a large company approached, displaying a banner, close to |