Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/372

 360 CHRONICLE OF THE APPENDIX. Chapter VIII. Of Thor- finn Karl- sefne and his descen- dants. out to sea, and had a good voyage ; and the ship came early in summer to Ericsfiord. Karlsefne was there still, and had his ship ready for sea, but waited a wind ; and it was a common saying, that never had a richer ship sailed from Greenland than that which he steered. Freydis went home now to her house, which had stood without damage in the mean time. She bestowed many gifts on her followers that they might conceal her wickedness ; and she remained now on her farm. All were not so silent about their misdeed and wickedness, that something did not come up about it. This came at last' to the ears of Leif her brother, and he thought this report was very bad. Leif took three men of Freydis's followers, and tortured them to speak, and they acknowledged the whole affair, and their tales agreed together. " I do not care," says Leif, " to treat my sister Freydis as she deserves ; but this I will foretell of them, that their posterity will never thrive." And it went so that nobody thought any thing of them but evil from that time. Now we have to say that Karlsefne got ready his ship and sailed out to sea. He came on well, and reached Norway safely, and remained there all winter and sold his wares ; and he and his wife were held in esteem by the most considerable people in Norway. Now in the following spring he fitted out his ship for Iceland ; and when he was quite ready, and his ship lay outside the pier waiting a wind, there came to him a South-country man from Bremen in Saxonland, who would deal with him for his house-besom.* " I will not sell it," said he. " I will give thee a half mark of gold for it," said the South- country man. Karlsefne thought it was a good offer, and sold it accordingly. The South-country man went away with the house-bar, and Karlsefne did not know what the wood was. It was massur-wood from Vinland. Now Karlsefne put to sea, and his ship came to land north at Skagafiord, and there he put up his vessel for the winter. In spring he purchased Glambaeirland, where he took u]) his abode, and dwelt there as long as he lived, and was a man of word not being known. A besom shaft would be too small, however rare the wood, to be made into any thing. The bar for securing the house-door was as common and necessary in every house, and is pro- bably meant.
 * Husasnotrn is translated house-besom, the exact meaning of the