Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/282

 274 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vn. so that they lay long in the Sol Islands*, where they heard the news from the North, through merchants, who told the king that Erling Skialgsson had collected a great force in Jederen, and that his ship lay fully rigged outside of the land, together with many other vessels belonging to the bonders ; namely, skiffs, fisher- yachts, and great row-boats. Then the king sailed with his fleet from the East, and lay a while in Eger sound. Both parties heard of each other now, and Erling assembled all the men he could. chapter On Thomasmas, before Yule, the king left the har- Of Kh>g V * bour as soon as day appeared. With a good but rather oiaf's ' strong gale he sailed northwards past Jederen. The weather was rainy, with dark flying clouds in the sky. The spies went immediately in through the Jederen country when the king sailed past it ; and as soon as Erling heard that the king was sailing past from the East, he let the war-horn call all the people on board, and the whole force hastened to the ships, and prepared for battle. The king's ship passed by Jederen at a great rate ; but thereafter turned in towards the land, intending to run up the fiords to gather men and money. Erling Skialgsson perceived this, and sailed after him with a great force and many ships. Swiftly their vessels flew, for they had nothing on board but men and arms : but Erling' s ship went much faster than the others; therefore he took in a reef in the sails, and waited for the other vessels. Then the king saw that Erling with his fleet gained upon him fast ; for the king's ships were heavily laden, and were besides water-soaked, having been in the sea the whole summer, autumn, and winter, up to this time. He saw also that there would be a great want of men, if he should go against the whole of Erling' s fleet when it was assembled. He hailed from ship to ship the Sol Isles are a little north of the Naze.