Page:The Finding of Wineland the Good.djvu/243

 'Om den Hvede, som Nordmændene i Aaret 1000 fandt vildtvoxende i Vinland,' in Forhandlinger i Videnskabets-Selskab, Chr'a., 1859, pp. 21–30.] The same observation as that made by the Wineland discoverers was recorded by Jacques Cartier five hundred years later, concerning parts of the Canadian territory which he explored. Of the Isle de Bryon we have this description, 'Nous la trauuames plaine de beaulx arbres, champs de blé sauuaige,' &c., and in the same narrative, with reference to another portion of the discovery, we are informed that the explorers found 'blé sauuaige, comme seille, quel il semble y abuoir esté semé et labouré.' [Relation Originale du Voyage de Jacques Cartier au Canada en 1534, ed. Michelant and Ramé, Paris, 1867, pp. 19 and 25.] It is no less true that this same explorer found grapes growing wild, in a latitude as far north as that of Nova Scotia, and, as would appear from the record, in considerable abundance: 'Apres que nous feusmes arriuez auec noz barques ausdictz nauires & retournez de la riuyere saincte Croix, le cappitaine Hinanda apprester lesdictes barques pour aller à terre à la dicte ysle veoir les arbres qui sembloient fort beaulx a veoir, & la nature de la terre d'icelle ysle. Ce que fut faict, & nous estans à ladicte ysle la trouuasmes plaine de fors beaulx arbres de la sorte des nostres. Et pareillement y trouuasmes force vignes, ce que n'auyons veu par cy deuant a toute la terre, & par ce la nommasmes l'ysle de Bacchus.' [Bref recit, &c., de la navigation faite en 1535–6 par le Capitaine Jacques Cartier aux Iles de Canada, Hochelaga, Saguenay et autres, ed. D'Avezac, Parish, 1863, p. 14 b and 15.] Again, in the following century, we have an account of an exploration of the coast of Nova Scotia, in which the following passage occurs: 'all the ground betweene the two Riuers was without Wood, and was good fat earth hauing seuerall sorts of Berries growing thereon, as Gooseberry, Straw-berry, Hyndberry, Rasberry, and a kinde of Red-wine-berry: As also some sorts of Graine, as Pease, some eares of Wheat, Barley, and Rye, growing there wild,' &c. [Purchas his Pilgrimes, London, 1625, vol. iv, Bk. x, ch. vi, p. 1873.]

(51) Helgir fiskar, lit. 'holy fish.' The origin of the name is not known. Prof. Maurer suggests that it may have been derived from some folk-tale concerning St. Peter, but adds that such a story, if it ever existed, has not been preserved.

(52) It is not clear what the exact nature of these staves may have been. Hauk's Book has for the word translated 'staves,' both 'triom' and 'trionum,' AM. 557 has 'trianum.' The word trjónum has the meaning of 'snout,' but the first form of the word, as given in Hauk's Book, 'triom,' i.e. trjóm [trjám], seems to be the correct form [from tré, tree]. These 'staves' may have had a certain likeness to the long oars of the inhabitants of Newfoundland, described in a notice of date July 29th, 1612: 'They haue two kinde of Oares, one is about foure foot long of one peece of Firre; the other is about ten foot long made of two peeces, one being as long, big and round as a halfe Pike made of Beech wood, which by likelihood they made of Biskin Oare, the other is the blade of the Oare, which is let into the end of the long one slit, and whipped very strongly. The short one they use as a Paddle, and the other as an Oare.' [Purchas his Pilgrimes, London, 1625, vol. iv. p. 1880.]

(53) The white shield, called the 'peace-shield' [friðskjǫldr], was displayed by those who wished to indicate to others with whom they desired to meet that their intentions were not