528 DISCOVERY OF GREENLAND. 



whale had been driven ashore. They went there and cut up 

 the whale, and there was no lack of food. The cattle walked 

 up on land, and the male cattle soon became wild, and caused 

 a deal of trouble. They had taken with them a bull. Karls- 

 efni had trees felled and cut for his ship, and spread them 

 on a rock to dry them. They used all the produce of the 

 land, grapes, and all kinds of fish and good things. After 

 this first winter the summer came, and they became aware of 

 the presence of the Skrcelingjar. A large host of men came 

 out of the forest, near the place where their cattle were. The 

 bull began to bellow out . . . very loudly, and the Skroelingjar 

 got scared and fled with their burdens, which consisted of grey 

 fur and sable, and all kinds of skins. They went to Karlsefni's 

 house, and wanted to get in. Karlsefni had the door guarded. 

 Neither understood the other's speech. The Skroslingjar took 

 down their burdens and untied them, and offered to exchange 

 them, chiefly for weapons. Karlsefni forbade his men to sell 

 weapons ; but tried a new way, and told the women to carry 

 the produce of the cattle out to them. As soon as they saw it 

 they wanted to buy it and nothing else. The end of the bar- 

 gaining of the Skroelingjar was that they carried the produce 

 away in their stomachs, and Karlsefni and his companions kept 

 their loads and skins. Then they went away. Karlsefni now 

 had a strong palisade-wall made round his house, and they 

 made themselves comfortable inside. About this time Gudrid, 

 his wife, bore a boy, who was called Snorri. At the beginning 

 of the second winter the Skroelingjar came to them in much 

 larger numbers than before, and with the same goods. Karl- 

 sefni said to the women : ' Now you shall carry out the same 

 food which was so abundant the last time, and nothing else.' 

 When the Skroelingjar saw this, they threw their loads in over 

 the wall. Gudrid sat in the door with the cradle of her son 

 Snorri. A shadow appeared on the wall, and a woman entered 

 in a black kirtle, rather short, with a lace round her head, with 

 light brown hair, and a pale face. Gudrid had never seen such 

 large eyes in a human head. She walked to her seat and said : 

 ' What is thy name ? ' 'I am called Gudrid, but what is thy 

 name?' said Gudrid. 'I am called Gudrid,' she answered. 

 Gudrid, housewife, stretched out her hand to seat her at her 

 side, but at the same moment she heard a loud crack, and the 

 woman disappeared, and a Skroelingi was slain by one of 

 Karlsefni's men, for he wanted to take their weapons. The 

 Skrcelingjar hurried away, leaving their clothes and weapons 

 there. No one except Gudrid had seen this woman. Karlsefni 

 said : ' Now we must make our plans, for I think they will 

 visit us a third time with war and many men. Now let ten 



