Days of the Discoverers | Page 6

sun nor stars. They sailed many days they knew not where, but
suddenly the fog lifted and the sun revealed to them a coast of low hills
covered with forest. By this Bjarni thought that it was not Greenland
but some southerly coast. Therefore turned he northward and sailed
many days before he sighted the mountains of Greenland and his
father's house.

"Years afterward returned Bjarni to Iceland, and in his telling of that
voyage it came to the ears of Leif Ericsson, who asked him many
questions about the land he had seen. There grew no trees in Iceland or
Greenland, fit for house-timber, and Leif was minded to find out this
place of great forests. Thus it came that Leif sailed from Brattahlid in
Greenland with five and thirty men in a long ship upon a journey of
discovery.
"First came they to a barren land covered with big flat stones, and this
Leif named Helluland, the slate land. Southward sailed he for many
days until he saw a coast covered with wooded hills, and there he
landed, calling it Markland, the land of woods. Then southward again
they bore and came to a place where a river flowed out of a lake and
fell into the sea. The country was pleasant, with good fishing. Leif said
that they would spend the winter there, and they built wooden cabins
well-made and warm.
"Then at the season when the leaves are blood-red and bright gold came
in from the woods Thorkel the German, smacking his lips and making
strange faces and jabbering in his own language. When they asked what
ailed him he said that he had found vines loaded with grapes, and
having seen none since he left his own country, which was a land of
vineyards, he was out of his senses with delight. Therefore was that
country named Vinland the Fair. In the spring went Leif home, well
pleased, with a cargo of timber, but his father being dead he voyaged
no more to Vinland, but remained to be head of his house.
"Next went Thorvald, Leif's brother, to Vinland and stayed two winters
in the booths that Leif built, until he was slain in a fight with the men
of that land. His men buried him there and returned sorrowfully to their
own land.
"Next went Thorestein, Leif's second brother, forth, with Gudrid his
wife, to get the body of Thorvald but he died on the voyage and his
widow returned to Brattahlid.
"Next came to Brattahlid Thorfin Karlsefne, the Viking from Iceland,
who loved and married Gudrid and from her heard the story of Vinland,

and desired it for his own. In good time went he forth in a long ship
with his wife, and there went with him three other valiant ships. They
had altogether one hundred and sixty men and five women, with cattle,
grain and all things fit for a settlement. This was seven years after Leif
Ericsson found Vinland. Among the stores for trading was scarlet cloth,
which the Skroelings greatly covet, insomuch that one small strip of
scarlet would buy many rich furs. But when they came to trade, hearing
a bull bellow, with a great squalling they all ran away and left their
packs on the ground, nor did they show their faces again for three
weeks. Snorre, the son of Thorfin Karlsefne, born in Vinland, was three
years old when the Northmen left that land. They had found the winter
hard and cold, and in a fight with the Skroelings many had been killed,
so that they took ship and returned to Iceland.
"They had gone but a little way when one of the ships, which was
commanded by Bjarni Grimulfsson, lagged so far behind that it lost
sight of the others. The men then discovered that shipworms[4] had
bored the hull so that it was about to sink. None could hope to be saved
but in the stern boat, and that would not hold half of them.
"Then stood Bjarni Grimulfsson forth, and said to his men that in this
matter there should be no advantage of rank, but they would draw lots,
who should go in the boat and who remain in the ship. When this had
been done it was Bjarni's lot to go in the boat. After all had gone down
into the boat who had the right, an Icelander who had been Bjarni's
companion made outcry dolefully saying, 'Bjarni, Bjarni, do you leave
me here to die in the sea? It was not so you promised me when I left
my father's house.' Then said Bjarni, for the lot was fairly cast, 'What
else can be done?' Then said the Icelander, 'I think that you should
come up into the ship and let me