Whether or not this island was the Thule
of any of the ancient writers, who have
spoken of a country by that name, is a question
which has been often discussed, and by
in his Brevis Commentarius de Islandia, after having,
with great pains, collected many of the various opinions
that existed, in his time, respecting the situation
of Iceland, observes, to use the words of his
translator, “ There be others, also, who either in their
maps or writings have noted the situation of Iceland j
notwithstanding it is to no purpose to set down any
more of their opinions, because the more you have the
more contrary shall you find them.” M. de Verdun
took a very accurate observation in the middle of the
Westmann’s Isles, which lie very near to, and correspond
with, the southern point of the main land, and
the position given was 63° 20' 30'-' of north latitude,
and 22° 47' 50" longitude, west of Paris. From another
observation made by the same officer at Cap
Nord, the most northern point of the island, its situation
was ascertained to be in 66° 44' north longitude,
and 25° 4' latitude, west of Paris.—With regard
to the maps which accompany the present publication,
Mr. Arrowsmith has, with great oare and assiduity,
collected information from the best authorities,
in order to render them the most correct of any that
have yet appeared; and he has not only made ample
use of the volumes of M. Verdun, but also of manuscript
maps and charts which have been, constructed
by Danish officers, who have been employed in Iceland
at the expence of his Danish Majesty.
none perhaps more ably than by Arngrim
Jonas, in his Tractatus de Islandià ; but it
nevertheless remains undecided. Still more
to be doubted are the accounts that have
been handed down to us, principally by
Geoffrey, of Monrnouth, of the subjugation*
of the island by King Arthur, and of
the subsequent arrival in England of a
King'|~ of Iceland to do homage to that
prince. Were these particulars substantiated,
the relation of the discovery and colo-
* “ Anno Christi 517, Arthurus, secundo regni
sui anno, subjugatis totius Hibernise part ib us, classem
suam direxit in Islandiam, eamque, debellato populo,
su b ju g a v it— Galfrid. Monumet. Hist. Briton, lib. 9.
c. 10.
f Missis deinde in diversa regna legatis, invitan-
tur tàm ex Galliis, quàm ex eollateralibus autern in-
sulis oceani, qui ad curiam venire deberent ; ex colla-
teralibus autem, insulis, Guillaumurius rex Hibernise,
Maluasius rex Islandice, Doldavius reX Gotlandiae, Gun-
nasius rex Orcadum, Lot rex Norvegise, Aschilius rex
Danorum.” — Galfrid. Monum. lib. 9. c. 12. — It is
further mentioned, in the nineteenth chapter o f the
ninth book of thè same author, that Prince Arthur
had six score thousand soldiers sent him from these
six countries !