Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/363

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 351 summer. They thought the country beautiful and well appendix. wooded, the distance small between the forest and the sea, and the strand full of white sand. There were also many islands, and very shallow water. They found no abode for man or beast ; but upon an island far towards the west they found a corn-barn constructed of wood. They found no other trace of human work, and came back in autumn to Leif's booths. The following spring Thorvald with his merchant ship proceeded eastwards, and towards the north along the land. Opposite to a cape they met bad weather, and drove upon the land and broke their keel, and remained there a long time to repair the vessel. Thorvald said to his comrades, " We will stick up the keel here upon the ness, and call the place Keelness * ; " which they did. Then they sailed away eastward along the country, which was every where covered with wood. They moored the vessel to the land, laid out gangways to the shore, and Thorvald with all his ship's company landed. He said, " Here it is beautiful, and I would willingly set up my ftirm here." They afterwards went on board, and saw three specks upon the sand within the point, and went to them, and found these were three skin-boats, with three men under each boat. They divided their men, and took all of them prisoners except one man, who escaped with his boat. They killed eight of them, and then went to the point and looked about them. Within this fiord they saw several eminences, which they took to be habitations. Then a heavy drowsiness came upon them, and they could not keep themselves awake, but all of them fell asleep. A sudden scream came to them, and they all awoke ; and mixed with the scream they thought they heard the words, " Awake, Thorvald, with all thy comrades, if ye will save your lives. Go on board your ship as fast as you can, and leave this land without delay." In the same moment an innumerable multitude from the interior of the fiord came in skin-boats, and laid themselves alongside. Then said Thorvald, " We shall put up our war-screens along the gunwales, and defend ourselves as well as we can ; but not use our weapons much against them." They did so accordingly. The Skrajlingers Cod.
 * Kiolrness is supposed by the antiquaries to be the present Cape