the utmost difficulty; on landing "almost perpendicular rocks" have to be scaled. Nor is it clear how "Zichmni," having been put ashore at "Sanestol" or Sandöe, managed to meet the fleet at "Bondendon" or Norderdahl, seeing that the latter place is situated on another island. Sandöe is described as a small, barren, and thinly populated island, and the bay of Sand, where the fleet apparently landed him, is exposed to the south wind, and is therefore a dangerous anchorage for sailing ships. Nor is the navigation from "Sanestol to "Bondendon" perilous in actual fact, as Zeno describes it. There are only three rocky islands on the way, and these are steep-to, with deep water round.
For these and other reasons the Danish Admiral Irminger has argued that Iceland is the "Frislanda" of the Zeni. He considers that the progress of "Zichmni," as described in the story, must have taken place in an island greater and more populous than any of the Faröes. The English and the Scotch, as we have seen already, from quite an early date resorted to Iceland, whilst we hear nothing of their traffic with the Faröes.[1] In 1394, moreover, a fight between the Icelanders and the foreigners took place at Budarhófdi, in Iceland, which may he the war described by Nicolo Zeno. In that case "Zichmni" would be some unknown and obscure piratical chief. Of the names in the narrative and map many suit Iceland better than the Faröes. Thus "Sudero Gulf" is identified with Faxe Bught; "Sanestol" with Buden Stad or Hval Fiord; "Monaco" with Westmanö; "Porlanda" with Portland; "Bondendon" with Budardalr. "Frislanda" is also described in the narrative as larger than Ireland,[2] a which Major supposes is a mistake of the younger Zeno for "Islande" or Shetland. Iceland, it need scarcely be said, is larger than Ireland, and the description fits it well. On the one hand, "Frislanda" is marked on the Zeno map quite separate from Iceland, and considerably to the south-west of that island:[3] on the other, there is a somewhat close correspondence in size and outline with Iceland. This has been explained by the believers in the Zeni as due to the
- ↑ On the other hand the Faröes lie on the voyage from England to Iceland, and would naturally be visited.
- ↑ Ireland, Iceland, and "Islande" or "Estland," or Shetland, appear to be constantly confused.
- ↑ Early maps often repeat a country, e.g., Greenland appears twice on the Ortelius map of 1570 (Nordenskjö1d, 'Facsimile Atlas,' Stockholm, pl. xlvi., Groeland and Groenlant), so pl. xlvii., etc.
