Book contents
- Frontmatter
- INTRODUCTION
- PART THE FIRST VOYAGE INTO SPITZBERGEN AND GREENLAND
- PART THE SECOND CONTAINING THE DESCRIPTION OF SPITZBERGEN
- PART THE THIRD
- CHAP. I Of the Plants of Spitzbergen
- CHAP. II Of a Plant with Aloe-Leaves
- CHAP. III Of small House-Leek
- CHAPTER IV Of Crow's-Foot
- CHAP. V Of Scurvy-grass
- CHAP. VI Of an Herb like Stone-Crap
- CHAPTER VII Of a Snake-weed
- CHAP. VIII Of an Herb like unto Mouse-ear
- CHAP. IX Of a plant like unto Periwinkle
- CHAP. X Of an Herb like a Strawberry
- CHAP. XI Of the Rock Plant
- PART THE FOURTH OF THE ANIMALS OF SPITZBERGEN
- LIST OF THE ANIMALS OF SPITZBERGEN
- DESCRIPTION OF GREENLAND
- INDEX
- Plate section
CHAP. I - Of the Plants of Spitzbergen
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2011
- Frontmatter
- INTRODUCTION
- PART THE FIRST VOYAGE INTO SPITZBERGEN AND GREENLAND
- PART THE SECOND CONTAINING THE DESCRIPTION OF SPITZBERGEN
- PART THE THIRD
- CHAP. I Of the Plants of Spitzbergen
- CHAP. II Of a Plant with Aloe-Leaves
- CHAP. III Of small House-Leek
- CHAPTER IV Of Crow's-Foot
- CHAP. V Of Scurvy-grass
- CHAP. VI Of an Herb like Stone-Crap
- CHAPTER VII Of a Snake-weed
- CHAP. VIII Of an Herb like unto Mouse-ear
- CHAP. IX Of a plant like unto Periwinkle
- CHAP. X Of an Herb like a Strawberry
- CHAP. XI Of the Rock Plant
- PART THE FOURTH OF THE ANIMALS OF SPITZBERGEN
- LIST OF THE ANIMALS OF SPITZBERGEN
- DESCRIPTION OF GREENLAND
- INDEX
- Plate section
Summary
Generally the figures of the plants I here present you with were all drawn by the life, upon the place, when they were fresh and of their natural size, except the rock-plant with but one leaf, and the plant like horse-tail, that stands by it, which, because of their largeness, could not be well drawn so big as the life. All the herbs and mosses grow upon the grit and sand of the stones, where the water falleth down, and on that side of the hill which the east and north winds cannot easily come at. The plants owe much of their growth to the dung of the birds.
There were a great many small herbs, which for want of time I could not delineate, but I propose to do it hereafter, if God blesseth me with life and health when I make my second voyage thither.
I omitted the white poppy, whereof we stuck the flowers in our hats; the whole plant was about a span long.
Besides I have not mentioned the red sorrel, I mean that which was shewed to me at Bremen by the Dutch gardener, which was of the same size, but the leaves of that of Spitzbergen are red.
I desire the courteous reader to accept at present of these for a sample, to show him that on these rough, barren, and cold mountains, there yet grow some plants for the nourishment both of man and beast.
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- Information
- A Collection of Documents on Spitzbergen and GreenlandComprising a Translation from F. Martens' Voyage to Spitzbergen, a Translation from Isaac de La Peyrère's Histoire du Groenland, and God's Power and Providence in the Preservation of Eight Men, pp. 45 - 46Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010