“There has formerly been a convent in Iceland, called Helgafield, or Holy Mountain, in which, though it was decayed, lived a certain friar, native of Greenland, with a broad and tawny face. This friar was sent for by the King’s lieutenant, in the presence of Jacob Hall, who wanted to be informed of the state of Greenland. The friar accordingly told him, that being very young, he was entered into this convent by his parents; and that he afterwards was commanded by the same bishop, of whom he had received the holy orders, to go along with him from thence to Norway, where he submitted himself to the bishop of Drontheim, to whose authority and jurisdiction all the priests of Iceland were subject; and being returned to his native home, he again retired and shut himself up in his former convent. This is said to have happened in the year 1546. He said moreover, that in the convent of St. Thomas, where he also had passed some time, there was a well of burning hot water, which, through pipes, was conveyed into all the rooms and cells of the convent to warm them.” But I think there is as much reason to question the authenticity of this relation as of the former, inasmuch as there is no such thing to be found in our Danish archives or annals. Notwithstanding which, what concerns St. Thomas’s convent in particular is confessed, and confirmed by the old histories of Greenland. Nicolas Zenetur, a Venetian by birth, who served the King of Denmark in the quality of a sea captain, is said by chance to have been driven upon the coast of Greenland in the year 1380; and to have seen that same Dominican convent. His relation is alledged by Kircherus in the following words:-- “Here is also a Dominican convent to be seen, dedicated to St. Thomas, in whose neighbourhood there is a volcano of a mountain that vomits fire, and at the foot thereof a well of burning hot water. This hot water is not only conveyed by pipes into the convent, and through all the cells of the friars to keep them warm, as with us the rooms are heated by stoves of wood fire or other fuel; but here they also boil and bake their meat and bread with the same. This volcano, or fiery mountain, throws out such a quantity of pumice stone, that it hath furnished materials for the construction of the whole convent. There are also fine gardens, which reap great benefit from this hot water, adorned with all sorts of flowers, and full of fruit. And after the river has watered these gardens, it empties itself into the adjoining bay, which causes it never to freeze, and great numbers of fish and sea fowl flock thither, which yields plentiful provision for the nourishment of the inhabitants.”