Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/178

 men, to bring home his brother's body; but after driving about all summer they returned, without making the land, to Lysnfiord in Greenland, where Thorstein died, and his wife Gudrid returned to Ericsfiord.

Next summer, viz. 1006, two ships from Iceland came to Greenland. One was commanded by Thorfinn, called Karlsefne (of manly endowment); the other by Biorne Grimulfson. A third ship was commanded by Thorward. Karlsefne had married in the course of the winter Gudrid, the widow of Thorwald, and by her advice resolved on going to Yinland in spring. Thorward had married Freydisa, a natural daughter of Eric; and the three ships set out with 160 men, and all kinds of live stock, to establish a colony in Yinland. They sailed first to the Westerbygd (within Davis's Straits), and to Biarney (Disco Isle). From thence they sailed in a southerly direction to Hellaland, where they found many foxes. From thence, sailing two days to the south, they came to Markland, a wooded country stocked with animals. Then they sailed south-west for a long time, having the land to starboard, until they came to Kialarness, where there were great deserts, and long beaches and sands. When they had passed these, the land was indented with inlets. They had two Scots with them, Hake and Hekia, whom Leif had formerly received from King Olaf Trygl gvesson, and who were very swift of foot. They were put on shore to explore the country to the south-west, and in three days they returned with some grapes, and some ears of wheat, which grew "wild in that country. They continued their course until they came to a fiord which penetrated far into the land. Off the mouth of it was an island with strong currents round it, and also up in the fiord. They found vast numbers of eyder ducks on the island, so that they could