A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 1 - Robert Kerr
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In the buildings of their monastery they use no more materials than are
presented to them by the before mentioned volcano. Taking the burning
stones which are thrown from the crater, they throw them, while hot, into
water, by which they are dissolved into excellent lime; which, when used in
building, lasts forever. The same stones, when cold, serve to make their
walls and vaults, as they cannot be broken or cut except with an iron
instrument. The vaults which they build with these stones are so light as
to require no props for supporting them[15]. On account of these great
conveniences, the monks have constructed so many walls and buildings of
different kinds, as is really wonderful to see. The coverings or roofs of
their houses are constructed for the most part in the following manner:
Having carried the wall to its full height, they make it to incline or bend
in gradually till it form a regular vault. They are little incommoded with
rain in this country; as the climate is so extremely cold, that the first
snow that falls does not thaw for nine months.
The monks live mostly on fish and wild fowl; for, in consequence of the
boiling hot water running into a large and wide haven of the sea, that bay
is kept from freezing, and there is so great a concourse of sea fowl and
fish in that place, that they easily take as many of them as they can
possibly have occasion for, with which they maintain a great number of
people round about, whom they keep constantly employed either in building
or in catching fish and fowls, and in a thousand other necessary
occupations relative to the monastery. The houses of these natives are
built on the hill near the monastery, of a round form, about twenty-five
feet wide at the bottom, and growing gradually narrower as they go up, in a
conical form, ending in a small hole at top, to admit light and air; and
the floor of the house is so hot, that the inhabitants feel no cold within
doors at any season. To this place many barks resort in summer from the
neighbouring islands, from the cape above Norway, and from _Trondon_ or
Drontheim, which bring to the fathers all kind of commodities and
merchandize that they have occasion for; taking fish in exchange, dried
either in the sun or by means of cold, and the furs of various animals. The
commodities brought here for sale are, wood for fuel, wooden utensils, very
ingeniously carved, corn, and cloth for making into garments. By these
means the monks are plentifully supplied with every thing they need, in
exchange for their furs and fish, which are in great request by all the
neighbouring nations. Monks resort to this monastery from Norway and
Sweden, and other countries; but principally from Iceland. It often happens
that many barks are detained here ail the winter, by the sea becoming
frozen over.
The fishermens boats of this country are made in the form of a weavers
shuttle, long and narrow, and pointed at each end; constructed of a light
frame of fish bones, cased all over with the skins of fishes, sewed
together in many doubles, and so tight and strong, that it is wonderful to
see the people bind themselves fast within them during storms, and allow
the winds and waves to drive them about, without fear of their boats
splitting or of themselves being drowned. Even when they are driven against
a rock, they remain sound and without hurt or damage. In the bottom of each
boat there is a kind of sleeve or nose, tied fast in the middle by a
string; and when any water gets into the boat, they let it run into the
upper half, of the sleeve, which they then fasten with two pieces of wood,
after which they loosen the under band, and squeeze the water out; and they
repeat this operation as often as may be necessary with great facility, and
without danger.
The water, of the boiling spring, being sulphureous, is conveyed into the
monastery, and the cells of the principal friars, by means of pipes made of
copper, tin, or stone; and is so hot that it heats the apartments like a
stove, without communicating any disagreeable or unwholesome stench. Their
sweet water for drinking is conveyed in a subterraneous canal of masonry,
into a great copper reservoir in the middle of the court of the convent;
and this reservoir being contained within a larger bason supplied from the
boiling, spring, is continually kept of a proper temperature, and prevented
from freezing. This they use in the preparation of their victuals, for
drinking, and for watering their gardens. Thus they derive much convenience
and comfort from the adjoining volcano, and these good friars make it their
chief study to keep their gardens in order, and to erect commodious and
even elegant buildings. For this latter purpose they are in no want of good
workmen and ingenious artizans, as they give good wages, so that there is a
great resort of workmen and artizans of every denomination; they are
likewise very bountiful to those who carry them fruits, and seeds, and
other articles; and as great profits are to be made, and provisions are
very cheap, there is a great resort of workmen and artists of every
denomination, and of traders to this place. Most of these monks speak
Latin, particularly the superiors and principals of the monastery.
This is all that is known of _Engroveland_ or Greenland, from the relation
of Nicolo Zeno, who gives likewise a particular description of a river that
he discovered, as is to be seen in the map which I, Antonio Zeno, have
drawn of all these countries. Not being able to bear the cold of these
northern and inhospitable regions, Nicolo Zeno fell sick, and soon
afterwards returned to Frisland, where he died. He left two sons behind
him, John and Thomas; the latter of whom had likewise two sons, Nicolo, the
father of the celebrated Cardinal Zeno, and Peter, from whom was descended
the rest of the Zenos who are now living. After the death of Nicolo, his
fortune, honours, and dignity, devolved upon his brother Antonio; and,
though he made great supplications and entreaties for the purpose, he was
not permitted to return to his native country; as Zichmni, who was a man of
a high spirit and great valour, had resolved to make himself master of the
sea, and for this purpose made use of the talents and advice of Antonio,
and ordered him to go with a few barks to the westwards, because in the
summer several islands had been discovered by some of the fishermen. Of
this voyage and the discoveries which were made in consequence of it,
Antonio gives an account in a letter to his brother Carlo, which we here
give exactly as it was written, having only altered a few antiquated
words[16].
[1] Faira, or Fara, in the Orkneys, called Farras-land, and corrupted into
Feislanda or Frisland.--Forst.
[2] Mr Forster is not happy in his explanation of this word, Porlanda or
Porland, which he endeavours to derive from Fara-land; precisely the
same with Fris-land from Faras-land, only dropping the genitive _s_.
Porland seems used as a general name of the earldom, perhaps connected
with the strange name Pomona, still used for mainland, the largest of
the Orkney islands. Frisland the particular Fara islands, or one of
them.--E.
[3] Sorany or Sorani, of which Sinclair is said to have been duke or lord,
Mr Forster considers to have been the Sodor-oe, or southern islands of
the Norwegians, or those now called the Western Islands; and traces
the corruption from the Norwegian plural _Suder-oer_ contracted
_Soroer_, varied _Soroen_ and transmuted to _Sorani_. All this may be
possible; but it does not appear in Scots history that the Sinclairs
ever held the Western Islands, and certainly not at this period:
Sorani ought therefore to be looked for in Caithness; or it may
possibly refer to _Roslin_ near Edinburgh, which belonged to the
family of Sinclair.--E.
[4] By this latter distinction, Zeno probably means a decked vessel.--E.
[5] It is hardly possible to mention all the little islands, and the places
situated on the largest of the Orcadian Islands, which by the ancients
was called Pomona, and on account of its size, is likewise called
Mainland, also _Hross-ey_, i.e. _Gross-ey_, or large island. The town
was called _Kirkiu-og_ or the harbour near the church, now called by
the Scots, Kirkwall.--Forst.
In this note Mr Forster wanders from the subject in hand, and his
observations have no reference to the present expedition. _Ledovo_ is
probably the Island of Lewis, and _Ilofe_ may possibly be Hay, though
that conjecture would lead them too far to the south.--E.
[6] _Sudero_, or _Suder-oe_, might mean the Western Islands so called by
the Norwegians; but certainly here means some bay of Sutherland, as
they here met the troops of Sinclair, who had marched by land. The
town of _Sanestol_ is quite inexplicable. Though Mr Forster supposes
it to have been the cluster of islands called Schant, or Shanti-oer,
which he thinks is here corrupted into Sanestol: But, if correct in
our opinion, that they must have been on the main land of Scotland,
his conjecture must be erroneous. These conquests could be nothing
more than predatory, incursions, strangely exaggerated.--E.
[7] This is a very early mention of salted fish, yet within the lifetime of
William Beukels, the supposed inventor of the art of pickling herrings
who died in 1397. Professor Sprengel has shewn that herrings were
caught at _Gernemue_, or Yarmouth, so early as 1283. In Leland's
Collectanea we meet with a proof that pickled herrings were sold in
1273; and there are German records which speak of them so early as
1236. Vide Gerken, Cod. Diplom. Brandenb. I. 45. and II. 45l.--Forst.
[8] This is certainly a place in the isle of Sky called Pondontown.--Forst.
[9] Britannia in this place is assuredly put for Britany in France.--E.
[10] Estland is probably meant for Shetland, formerly called Yaltaland or
Hitland, and afterwards changed into Zet-land and Shetland. This will
appear more distinctly in the sequel, when the names given by Zeno to
the particular islands of the group, come to be compared with, the
modern names.--Forst.
[11] Grisland seems to be the island which lies to the eastward of Iceland,
called Enkhuyzen; perhaps the island of Grims-ey to the north, of
Iceland.--Forst.
[12] Probably Hamer, a place on the north of Mainland.--Forst.
[13] Engrgroneland, Groenland, or Greenland.--Forst.
[14] The poultry here mentioned in the text; must have been ptarmagans and
the flesh that of the reindeer.--Forst.
[15] The lime or mortar here described, appears to be the terra puzzuolana
or terras, a compound of lime and oxid of iron, which forms an
indestructible cement, even under water; and the remarkably light
stones ejected from the volcano, and used in the construction of their
vault, were probably of pumice.--E.
[16] The greater part of this concluding paragraph must necessarily be in
the language of the editor; perhaps of Ramusio. It contains, however,
some palpable contradictions, since Nicolo Zeno could hardly be
supposed to mention the _rest_ of the Zenos, descendants of his
grand-nephew, while still living himself; neither does it appear how
the sons of Nicolo got back to Venice; and there is no account of
Antonio ever being allowed to return at all.--E
SECTION II.
_Sequel of the Narrative by Antonio Zeno_.
Twenty-six years ago, four fishing boats, which had been overtaken by a
violent storm, were driven out to sea for a great many days; and on the
cessation of the tempest, they discovered an island called _Estoitland_,
which lay above a thousand miles to the westward of _Frisland_. One of the
boats, containing six men, was cast away upon this island; and the men,
being made prisoners by the inhabitants, were conducted to a fine and
populous city where the king resided, who sent for various interpreters,
but none could be found except one who spoke Latin. This man, who, in like
manner, had been cast by accident on the same island, asked them, by order
of the king, from what country they had come; and being made acquainted
with their case, the king ordered that the should stay in the country.
These orders they obeyed, as indeed they could not do otherwise, and they
remained five years on the island, during which time they learned the
language of the people. One of them was in various parts of the island, and
affirms that it is a very rich country, abounding in every commodity and
convenience in life, being little less than Iceland, but much more fertile,
having a very high mountain in the centre, from whence four great rivers
take their source, and traverse the whole country.
The inhabitants are a very ingenious and sensible people, and have arts and
handicrafts of every kind as we have; and it is highly probable that they
formerly carried on some traffic with Europe, as this man says he saw Latin
books in the kings library, but which at present they do not understand;
for they have a language of their own, and peculiar letters or characters
in which it is written. They trade with _Engroveland_ or Greenland, and get
from thence furs, brimstone, and pitch. To the south of _Estoitland_ there
is a very large and populous country, which abounds with gold. The people
sow corn, and make the liquor called beer, which is drank by the people of
the north as wine is among us in Italy. They have large and extensive
woods; make their buildings with walls; and have a great number of towns
and castles. They build ships and navigate the sea; but they have not the
loadstone, and know nothing about the use of the compass; on which account
these fishermen were held in high estimation, insomuch that the king sent
them with twelve ships to the southward to a country called Drogio. In
their voyage thither, they had such contrary winds and stormy weather that
they thought to have foundered at sea; but escaping that death, they met
with a fate still more dreadful, as they were made prisoners by the
savages, who are cannibals, and most of them were devoured. But the
Frisland fisherman and his companions, by teaching these barbarians the way
to catch fish with nets, saved their lives. This man used to go every day
to the sea or the rivers, in which he caught vast quantities of fish, which
he gave away among the principal people of the country; by which means he
got into such high favour that he was beloved and respected by every body.
The fame of this man spread abroad through the whole country; and one of
the lords, being very desirous to have him, that he might see and learn
this new and wonderful art of catching fish, made war against the lord with
whom he lived, and prevailing in consequence of his superior power and
greater skill in war, the fisherman and his companions were given up to him
as the price of peace. During thirteen years that he resided in these
parts, he says that he was transferred in this manner to twenty-five
different lords, as they were continually at war with each other to procure
possession of him; so that by wandering about the country in this manner he
became perfectly well acquainted with every part of it, He says that it is
a very extensive country, and as it were a new world; but that the
inhabitants are a rude unpolished people, without the enjoyment of any
convenience of life; for, although they take or kill many wild animals in
hunting, they have not the sense to make their skins into garments, but all
go naked, and are miserably pinched with cold. They are besides extremely
uncivilized and savage, continually engaged in wars against each other, in
which they commit horrible ravages, and devour their prisoners. They know
not the use of any metal, and live by the chase, being armed with spears of
wood made sharp at the point, and use bows, the strings of which are made
of slips of hide. They are divided into small tribes, each of which has its
lord or governor, and the laws or customs of the several tribes differ much
from each other. Farther to the southwest, however, the manners are more
civilized in proportion to the increasing mildness of the climate; and
there the people are not without some degree of knowledge, making use of
gold and silver, and having cities and temples dedicated to idols, in which
they offer up human sacrifices.
After residing many years among this savage people, the principal fisherman
became desirous of returning into his own country, but his companions being
without hope of ever seeing it again, wished him prosperity in his attempt,
and resolved to remain where they were. Bidding them farewell, he fled
through the woods, in the direction which led towards _Drogio_, and was
received with great kindness by one of the lords of that country who knew,
him, and who was a determined enemy to the lord from whence he had escaped.
Thus passing from one lord to another, with all of whom he was well
acquainted, as he had formerly resided with them all, he at length, and
with great difficulty, arrived in Drogio, where he stayed three years. Then
fortunately hearing that some small vessel had arrived on the coast, he
went thither, and learned, to his unspeakable satisfaction, that they were
from _Estoitland_. Upon this, he earnestly requested to be taken on board,
which they did very willingly; and as he understood the language of the
country, which the others did not, he became their interpreter. He
afterwards made repeated voyages from _Estoitland_ to _Drogio_ and acquired
great riches. After which, he equipped a bark of his own, in which he
returned to _Frisland_ where he made a report to his lord of all that had
befallen him, and of the discovery he had made of an extensive and wealthy
country.
As this strange and marvellous story was confirmed by the testimony of the
sailors he had brought along with him, it gained full credit; and
accordingly Zichmni determined to send me, Antonio Zeno, with a fleet into
these parts; and so great was the desire among the people to embark in this
expedition, that our fleet was well manned and equipped without expence to
the public. I accordingly set sail with a great number of ships and men,
but not commander in chief as I expected, for Zichmni went in person on the
expedition. Our great preparation for the voyage to _Estoitland_ began in
an unlucky hour as, three days before our departure, the fisherman died who
was to have been our guide; yet Zichmni would not give up the enterprise,
but took for, his guides several of the sailors who had returned with the
fisherman from _Estoitland_. Shaping our course to the westwards, we passed
several islands subject to _Frisland_, and arrived at _Ledovo_, or the
Lewis, where we staid a week to refresh ourselves, and to provide the fleet
with necessaries. Departing thence, we arrived on the first of July off the
island of _Ilofe_, or Islay; and the wind being favourable, did not stop
there but stood on our voyage. Not long afterwards, being in the main sea,
we were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, which tossed us to and fro, at the
mercy of the winds and waves for eight days, so that we knew not
whereabouts we were. By the violence of this tempest, we lost many of our
vessels, but after the return of good weather, we collected the remains of
our shattered fleet, and having a fair wind, we stood on to the westwards,
and at length descried the coast of _Estoitland_, and arrived in a good and
safe harbour. Here we saw an infinite number of armed men running furiously
towards the shore, apparently for the purpose of defending the island. Upon
this, Zichmni commanded signs of peace to be made, and the islanders sent
ten men to us who could speak ten different languages; but we could
understand none of these, excepting one man who happened to be an
Icelander. This man was brought to our prince, and gave the following
account of the country; and people.
The land was called _Icarta_, and all its kings were named _Icarus_, after
the name, of its first king, who was the son of _Daedalus_ king of
Scotland. This _Daedalus_ had discovered and conquered the island, and
after instituting the body of laws by which they are still governed, had
left them his son to be their king. After this, _Daedalus_[1] sailed in
quest of farther discoveries, but was overtaken by a violent storm and
drowned. In memory of which, they named their island Icaria, the sea
surrounding it the _Icarian_ sea, and all their successive kings _Icarus_.
He stated, moreover, that they were perfectly contented with the state in
which they had been placed by Providence, and not choosing to make the
smallest change in their manners and customs, would admit no strangers into
their land; and therefore requested the prince not to attempt violating the
laws of their king, of glorious memory, as any such attempt would turn to
his manifest destruction, since they were resolved to sacrifice their lives
in defence of their laws. They were willing, however, to receive _one_ of
our men, who should be advanced to the rank of a chief, on purpose to learn
our language; having already received _ten_ different men with that view
from ten different nations.
Upon this _Zichmni_ sailed from the harbour, as if meaning to go away from
the island; but being in want of wood and water, he skirted along the coast
at some distance, and put into another harbour on the eastern side of the
island with all his fleet. Here the mariners went on shore, and procured
the necessary supplies with all possible speed, lest they might be attacked
by the natives. This precaution was by no means unnecessary, for the
inhabitants near this harbour made signals by fire and smoke to the rest of
the country; and taking to their arms, were soon joined by others, and came
down upon our men with bows and arrows, and other weapons, and in the
conflict, many of them were killed, and others dangerously wounded[2]. We
were therefore obliged to depart, and made a large circuit round the
island, always accompanied on the shore and on the hills by a vast number
of armed men to oppose our landing. Seeing that nothing could be done here,
Zichmni set sail to the eastwards with a fair wind; and after six days
sail, we came in sight of land, which we found to be a very good country,
with an excellent harbour. We descried a mountain at a considerable
distance, which emitted smoke, and Zichmni sent an hundred soldiers to
explore the country, and to inquire if it were inhabited. In the meantime,
we took in wood and water, and caught vast quantities of fish and sea-fowl,
and procured immense numbers of eggs; so that our people, before almost
famished, had now more provisions than they could eat. To this harbour, we
gave the name of port _Trin_, and the point that stretched out into the sea
was named Cape _Trin_. The soldiers who had been sent out to examine the
country, returned at the end of eight days, and reported they had been all
through the island, quite to the smoking mountain, and that the smoke we
saw proceeded from a fire at its bottom, where there was a spring of liquid
pitch which ran into the sea. They said likewise, that the interior of the
island was inhabited by a wild people, who were very short in stature, and
timid, and hid themselves in, caves.
On receiving this piece of intelligence, and considering that the island
was blest with a pure and wholesome air, good soil, fine rivers, and many
other advantages, Ziehmni resolved to people it and to build a town at Port
Trin, and took, great pains to discover the whole of it, and to explore the
seas on both sides of _Engroveland_, or Greenland. But many of his people
began to murmur, being quite wearied with so tedious a voyage, alleging,
that as the winter was fast approaching, they should not be able to return
home before the ensuing summer, if they made any longer delay. On this
account, retaining only the row-boats, and as many men as were willing to
stay with him. Zichmni sent away all the rest of the people with the ships,
giving the command to me, Antonio Zeno, much against my will. Taking
therefore our departure, we sailed twenty days to the eastwards, without
seeing any land; on which we shifted our course to the south-east, and
after five days, we came in sight of the island of Neome[3], so that we
passed Iceland without seeing it. We here procured refreshments from the
inhabitants, who were subject to Zichmni, and sailed thence in three days
to _Frisland_, where we were received with great joy, as the people
thought, in consequence of our long absence, that their prince and the
whole armament had been lost.
As to the particulars concerning the people and their customs, the animate,
and the productions of these countries, I have written all these in a
separate book, in which I have described the country, and the wonderful
fishes of _Frisland, Estland_, Norway, _Estoitland, Drogio, Icaria_, and
_Engroveland_, on both its sides. I have composed likewise, the life of my
brother Nicolo Zeno, with an account of his discoveries; and a history of
the life and acts of _Zichmni_, a prince as worthy of immortal fame as any
that ever lived, having been famous for his valour, enterprising spirit,
and humanity.