Northern Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 1 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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There Be Others Also, Who Either In Their Maps, Or Writings Haue Noted The
Situation Of Island:
Notwithstanding it is to no purpose to set downe any
more of their opinions, because the more you haue, the more contrary shall
you finde them.
For my part, albeit I haue probable coniectures perswading
me not to beleeue any of the former opinions, concerning the situation of
Island, but to dissent from them all: yet had I rather leaue the matter in
suspense then affirme an vncerteinty, vntill (as I haue sayd) I may be able
perhappes one day not to gesse at the matter, but to bring forth mine owne
obseruation, and experience.
[Sidenote: Seuen dayes sailing from Island to Hamburg Island but two dayes
sailing distant from Faar-Islands & from the desert shores of Norway.]
A certeine writer hath put downe the distance betweene the mouth of Elbe &
Batzende in the South part of Island to be 400 leagues: from whence if you
shall account the difference of longitude to the meridian of Hamburgh,
Island must haue none of the forenamed longitudes in that place. I am able
to proue by three sundry voyages of certaine Hamburgers, that it is but
seuen dayes sailing from Island to Hamburgh. Besides all those Islands,
which by reason of the abundance of sheepe, are called Fareyiar or more
rightly Faareyiar,[Footnote: Faroe Islands.] as likewise the desert shores
of Norway, are distant from vs but two dayes sailing. We haue foure dayes
sailing into habitable Gronland; and almost in the same quantitie of time
we passe ouer to the prouince of Norway, called Stad, lying betweene the
townes of Nidrosia or Trondon, [Footnote: Trondheim.] and Bergen, as we
finde in the ancient records of these nations.
SECTIO SECUNDA.
[Sidenote: Munsterus, Olaus magnus & reliqui.] In hac, astiuo solstitio,
sole signum Cancri transeunte, nox nulla, brumali Solstitio proinde
nullus dies. Item, Vadianus. In ea autem Insula qua longe Supra Arcticum
circulum in amplissimo Oceano sita est, Islandia hodie dicta, & terris
congelati maris proxima, quas Entgronlandt vocant, menses sunt plures
sine noctibus.
Nullum esse hyemali solstitio diem, id est, tempus quo sol supra horizontem
conspicitur in illo tantum Islandia angulo, si modo quis est, fatemur, vbi
polus ad integros 67. gradus attollitur. Holis autem, qua est sedes
Episcopalis Borealis Islandia, sita etiam in angustissima & profundissima
conualle, latitudo est circiter grad. 65. 44. min. vt a Domino Gudbrando
eiusdem loci Episcopo accepimus, & illic diem breuissimum habemus ad
minimum duarum horarum, in meridionali autem Islandia longiorem, vt ex
artificum tabulis videre est. Vnde constat nec Islandiam vltra Arcticum
circulum positam esse, nec menses plures noctibus in astiuo, vel diebus in
brumali solstitio carere.
The same in English.
THE SECOND SECTION.
[Sidenote: Munsterus, Olaus Magnus and others.] In this Iland, at the
Summer solstitium, the Sun passing thorow the signe of Cancer, there is
no night, and therefore at the Winter solstitium there is no day. Also:
Vadianus. But in that Iland, which farre within the artic circle is
seated in the maine Ocean, at this day called Island, and next vnto the
lands of the frozen sea, which they call Engrontland, there be many
moneths in the yere without nights.
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