be depressed. He employed the time in learning Russian, and in the summer, when the uncle bent his course southward again, his nephew did not accompany him. He preferred to stay behind and learn more. He travelled alone through several districts of Russia to the town of Kuwantz.' Kuwantz he took ship in September for Copenhagen. 1

From

His character came early to maturity, and his powers could not brook inaction. He had not completed his twentyfirst year when King Christian IV. placed him at the head of an expedition to the rich fur regions about the Petschora. But the ice was too much for him. He had to make up his mind to winter at Kola. Here he received a commission from the Czar of Russia, and undertook, by imperial order, an exploration of the coast of the White Sea. Not until he reached Archangel did he rejoin his ship.

After that he held a command for eighteen seasons in the service of the Iceland Company. He was by nature a keen observer and a born leader of men, full of alert practicality, and yet with a strong literary bent. And he was eminently

disposed to share with others the fruits of his reading. When I had nothing else to do,' he writes, I copied out extracts from the Bible, and from various cosmographical and geographical works, to serve as an index and commonplace-book for future reference. . . And when, a little while ago, I read it through again, I thought that perhaps there might be others who would be glad to know these things, but who, on account of other occupations and so forth, had neither time nor opportunity to study the great works on cosmography. For the benefit of such persons I have given to the press this brief digest.' The title ran: Compendium Cosmographicum; being a short description

1 Possibly Kowno, at the confluence of the Wilna with the Niemen.

of

the entire earth-including, in particular, matters relating to the heavens, the sun and moon, and the other planets and stars, their movements and their courses, as well as the four elements and their differences, and the world with its divers kingdoms and countries, and its principal cities. Treating, furthermore, of the sea and of navigation, with certain

serviceable directions thereto appertaining. Collected from various books, and transcribed by Hans Nansen. Printed in Kiöbenhaffn (Copenhagen), by Andrea Koch, 1633, at the expense of Peder Andersen, bookseller, and sold by him.' Here are astronomy and physics, geography and chronology, directions for taking the altitude, tables of exchange, tide

be depressed. He employed the time in learning Russian, and in the summer, when the uncle bent his course southward again, his nephew did not accompany him. He preferred to stay behind and learn more. He travelled alone through several districts of Russia to the town of Kuwantz.' Kuwantz he took ship in September for Copenhagen.

From

His character came early to maturity, and his powers could not brook inaction. He had not completed his twentyfirst year when King Christian IV. placed him at the head of an expedition to the rich fur regions about the Petschora. But the ice was too much for him. He had to make up his mind to winter at Kola. Here he received a commission from the Czar of Russia, and undertook, by imperial order, an exploration of the coast of the White Sea. Not until he reached Archangel did he rejoin his ship.

After that he held a command for eighteen seasons in the service of the Iceland Company. He was by nature a keen observer and a born leader of men, full of alert practicality, and yet with a strong literary bent. And he was eminently disposed to share with others the fruits of his reading. When I had nothing else to do,' he writes, I copied out extracts from the Bible, and from various cosmographical and geographical works, to serve as an index and commonplace-book for future reference. . . And when, a little while ago, I read it through again, I thought that perhaps there might be others who would be glad to know these things, but who, on account of other occupations and so forth, had neither time nor opportunity to study the great works on cosmography. For the benefit of such persons I have given to the press this brief digest.' The title ran: Compendium Cosmographicum; being a short description of

1

Possibly Kowno, at the confluence of the Wilna with the Niemen.

the entire earth-including, in particular, matters relating to the heavens, the sun and moon, and the other planets and stars, their movements and their courses, as well as the four elements and their differences, and the world with its divers kingdoms and countries, and its principal cities. Treating, furthermore, of the sea and of navigation, with certain

serviceable directions thereto appertaining. Collected from various books, and transcribed by Hans Nansen. Printed in Kiöbenhaff (Copenhagen), by Andrea Koch, 1633, at the expense of Peder Andersen, bookseller, and sold by him.' Here are astronomy and physics, geography and chronology, directions for taking the altitude, tables of exchange, tide

tables, the declination of the sun and stars, etc. Some of the information is certainly rather surprising to the modern reader, who is no longer satisfied with the theory that 'thunder has its source and origin in a sulphurous humour in the earth, which, being drawn upwards by the sun into. mid air, becomes mixed with watery vapours and clouds, and then, by perpetual movement, and by the action of the sun's rays, at last becomes heated, whereupon a terrific strife. ensues between the hot vapours and the cold; and since the dense chill clouds afford no outlet for this energy, it violently bursts its way through them, with the noise and reverberation which we call thunder.'

.

It is also impressive to learn, under Chronology,' that on Good Friday, 1276, a Dutchwoman, in her fortysecond year, gave birth to 346 children, half of them boys, and half of them girls, who all lived long enough to be baptised. The boys were called John and the girls Elizabeth. All died immediately after baptism.'

These and other marvels, however, belonged to the age. What particularly interests us is to hear what he thought of the northernmost regions, Borealia.'

Borealia,' he says, is the common name of all the countries lying northward of Europe, Asia and America, right up to the North Pole, some of which are little known to us, and some not at all, on account of the intense cold and ice which reign there. The most famous among these countries are Greenland, Grenland, Bear Island, Jan Mayen Island, Nova Zembla and Friszland, all of which are cold and barren lands, whereof little need be said.

'Greenland is a country of very great extent, belonging to the Kingdom of Norway. Its coasts were explored in former years by the Norwegians, and were settled by them,