Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/61

40 to the west, and, on returning, made a report of what he had seen. Soon afterward, in the year 983, a person known as "Eric the Red," was sentenced by the Icelanders to banishment for the crime of manslaughter, and he determined to visit the country Gunbiörn had discovered. Sailing westward in a small vessel, he arrived at the new land, and coasted it toward the south; then turning a point now known as Cape Farewell, he came to an island, where he passed his first winter. He then remained three years exploring the coasts, and finally returned to Iceland, where he gave such a report of "Greenland," as he termed the new country, that it induced many of the colonists of both sexes to go back with him. Only some of these reached their destination, the rest turning back or perishing by the way. A colony was now formed, and communication kept up with Iceland, and even with Norway. Leif, the son of Eric, went to the latter place, and, by command of the king, was instructed in the Christian religion, whence he was afterward sent back, attended by a priest, who baptized Eric and all his followers.

In the year 1001, one of the colonists, named Bjorn, was accidentally driven in his ship to the southwest of Greenland, and discovered a new country covered with wood. On his return, Leif fitted out a vessel, and, with Bjorn as pilot, went in search of this new land. He found it as described, and termed it Vinland, which there can be no doubt must have been part of North America, about the latitude of 45°.

Meanwhile the colonists of Greenland increased in number and prosperity. In 1121 Arnold was elected the first bishop, and several churches were built. After this no less than seventeen bishops are known to have been elected from first to last, and the two settlements of East and West Greenland (into which the colonists had divided) numbered about three hundred villages. They had their little barques going from place to place along the western coast so high up as lat. 73°, and even, as is supposed from ancient records and from Runic inscriptions seen there, to the entrance of the present-named Wellington Channel.