Page:Journal of a Voyage to Greenland, in the Year 1821.djvu/22

8 to the dominion of Denmark; they are twenty-five in number, extending from latitude 61° 15′ to 62° 10′ north. When the day is at the greatest length in them, the sun rises at seven minutes past two, and sets at fifty-three minutes past nine o'clock; on the shortest day, the sun rises at fifty-three minutes past nine, and sets at seven minutes past two. These islands were discovered and peopled in the reign of Harold Haarfager, king of Norway, and Griener Camban was the first inhabitant of one of them. The Christian religion being fully established in Denmark, about the year 1000, the Gospel was propagated, a bishop appointed to these islands, and Stromoe fixed as his place of residence; the diocese consists of seven parishes and thirty-nine churches. The islands are, together with Iceland, under one governor; but different subordinate officers superintend the trade carried on between them and Copenhagen.

In passing the latitude in which Iceland lies, I observed several Solan geese, (Pelicanus Bassanus, .,) singly passing, and each pursuing the same direct course, from that island to the Ferroes. The setting of the sun this evening, was attended with the richest tinted clouds I had ever beheld, and when the great luminary had sunken below the surface of the deep, it left its reflected representation, (though of an oblong form,) for a considerable time hanging in the curtain of heaven.

The wind, which had hitherto be favourable, changed to north-east; blew