198 SEA BATTLES. 



They went up, wishing to make a shore raid if they could. 

 They happened to meet a man driving three cows and twelve 

 goats. Vagn asked for his name. He said it was Ulf. Vagn 

 said to his men : ' Take the cows and the goats and slaughter 

 them, and any other cattle you may find here, for our ship.' 

 Ulf asked : ' Who commands the men on board this ship ? ' 



/ / _ _ Jr 



; Vagn Akason,' was the answer. Ulf said : ' I think there are, 

 not very far from you, bigger cattle for slaughter than my 

 cows or goats.' Vagn said : ' If thou knowest anything about 

 the journey of Hakon jarl tell us, and, if thou canst tell us 

 with truth where he is, thy f cows and goats are safe; what 

 knowest thou about him ? ' Ulf answered : ' He lay with one 

 ship late yesterday night inside of the island Hod, in Hjoruii- 

 gavag, and you can slay him when you like, for he is waiting 

 for his men.' Vagn said : ' Then all thy cattle are safe ; come 

 on board our ship, and show us the way to the jarl.' Ulf said : 

 ' That is not right for me, and I will not fight against the jarl, 

 but if you wish I will show you the way into the bay ; and, if 

 I go on board, you must ^promise to let me go when you see 

 your way into the bay.' Ulf went on board early in the day, 

 and Vagn, as quickly as he could, went back to Hereyjar, 

 and told Sigvaldi and the Jomsvikings the Dews that Ulf 

 told. 



" The Jomsvikings made themselves ready as if they were to 

 go into a most fierce battle, though Ulf said it was not needed. 

 When they were quite ready they rowed towards the bay. It 

 is said that Ulf thought they would see more ships^here than 

 he had told of. When the ships came into sight, Ulf jumped 

 overboard and wanted to swim to the shore and not wait for 

 his reward. When Vagn saw this he wished to give him what 

 he deserved, snatched a spear and threw it after him ; it hit 

 him in the middle and killed him. All the Jomsvikings rowed 

 into the bay, and saw that it was covered all over with war- 

 ships. There were more than three hundred ships, snekkjas 

 and skeids and trading-ships. The Jomsvikings at once 

 arrayed their ships. Hakon and his sons saw the Jomsvikings 

 come, and at once unfastened their ships and said which were 

 to fight against which. It is told that the upper end of 

 Hjorungavag is to the east, and its mouth to the west; three 

 rocks, one larger than the two others, stand in the bay : they 

 are called Hjorungs, and the bay is named from them. There is 

 a reef in the middle of the bay at the same distance from the 

 shore in three directions. An island called Primsigd is north 

 of the bay, and Harund is south of it, off Harundarfjord. 



' The Jomsvikings arrayed their ships thus : Sigvaldi laid 

 bis ship in the middle, Thorkel the high, his brother, laid 







