Great Epochs in American History, Vol. I | Page 7

of islands and shallows. They found
neither dwelling of man nor lair of beast; but in one of the westerly
islands they found a wooden building for the shelter of grain. They
found no other trace of human handiwork; and they turned back, and
arrived at Liefs-booths in the autumn.
The following summer Thorvald set out toward the east with the ship,
and along the northern coast. They were met by a high wind off a
certain promontory, and were driven ashore there, and damaged the
keel of their ship, and were compelled to remain there for a long time
and repair the injury to their vessel. Then said Thorvald to his
companions, "I propose that we raise the keel upon this cape, and call it
Keelness"; and so they did. Then they sailed away to the eastward off
the land and into the mouth of the adjoining firth and to a headland,
which projected into the sea there, and which was entirely covered with
woods. They found an anchorage for their ship, and put out the
gangway to the land; and Thorvald and all of his companions went

ashore. "It is a fair region here," said he; "and here I should like to
make my home."
They then returned to the ship, and discovered on the sands, in beyond
the headland, three mounds: they went up to these, and saw that they
were three skin canoes with three men under each. They thereupon
divided their party, and succeeded in seizing all the men but one, who
escaped with his canoe. They killed the eight men, and then ascended
the headland again, and looked about them, and discovered within the
firth certain hillocks, which they concluded must be habitations. They
were then so overpowered with sleep that they could not keep awake,
and all fell into a [heavy] slumber from which they were awakened by
the sound of a cry uttered above them; and the words of the cry were
these: "Awake, Thorvald, thou and all thy company, if thou wouldst
save thy life; and board thy ship with all thy men, and sail with all
speed from the land!" A countless number of skin canoes then
advanced toward them from the inner part of the firth, whereupon
Thorvald ex-claimed, "We must put out the war-boards on both sides of
the ship, and defend ourselves to the best of our ability, but offer little
attack." This they did; and the Skrellings, after they had shot at them
for a time, fled precipitately, each as best he could. Thorvald then
inquired of his men whether any of them had been wounded, and they
informed him that no one of them had received a wound. "I have been
wounded in my arm-pit," says he. "An arrow flew in between the
gunwale and the shield, below my arm. Here is the shaft, and it will
bring me to my end. I counsel you now to retrace your way with the
utmost speed. But me ye shall convey to that headland which seemed to
me to offer so pleasant a dwelling-place: thus it may be fulfilled that
the truth sprang to my lips when I exprest the wish to abide there for a
time. Ye shall bury me there, and place a cross at my head, and another
at my feet, and call it Crossness forever after." At that time Christianity
had obtained in Greenland: Eric the Red died, however, before [the
introduction of] Christianity.
Thorvald died; and, when they had carried out his injunctions, they
took their departure, and rejoined their companions, and they told each
other of the experiences which had befallen them. They remained there

during the winter, and gathered grapes and wood with which to freight
the ship. In the following spring they returned to Greenland, and
arrived with their ship in Ericsfirth, where they were able to recount
great tidings to Lief....
There was now much talk anew about a Wineland voyage, for this was
reckoned both a profitable and an honorable enterprise. The same
summer that Karlsefni arrived from Wineland a ship from Norway
arrived in Greenland. This ship was commanded by two brothers, Helgi
and Finnbogi, who passed the winter in Greenland. They were
descended from an Icelandic family of the East-firths. It is now to be
added that Freydis, Eric's daughter, set out from her home at Gardar,
and waited upon the brothers, Helgi and Finnbogi, and invited them to
sail with their vessel to Wineland, and to share with her equally all of
the good things which they might succeed in obtaining there. To this
they agreed, and she departed thence to visit her brother Lief, and ask
him to give her the house which he had caused to be erected in
Wineland; but he made her