CHAPTEE XIII. 



TRADERS AND TRADING-SHIPS. 



Wide extent of trading expeditions Commercial activity of the people- 

 Fairs Immunity of trading ships from capture Classification and name 

 of merchant vessels Trade a high calling Kings as traders Laws 

 regulating trade The earliest medium of exchange Method of 

 reckoning Weights and measures Arabic and other coins and objects 

 Insurance. 



THE people of the North were, from very early times, great 

 traders, and as such undertook long voyages, as is seen from 

 the finds of the earlier iron age, and from many accounts in 

 the Sagas ; this ancient trait in their character is still seen in 

 their descendants. 



Their trading expeditions extended far south through the 

 present Kussia, to the Black Sea, the Tigris and Euphrates, 

 and as far east as Samarcand ; while with their ships they 

 traded to the seas of Western Europe and into the Mediter- 

 ranean. 



" Thorolf had a large seagoing ship ; in every way it was 

 most carefully built, and painted nearly all over above the 

 water-line ; it had a sail with blue and red stripes, and all the 

 rigging was very elaborate. This he made ready, and ordered 

 his men-servants to go with it ; he had put on board dried 

 fish, skins, tallow, gray fur and other furs, which he had from 

 the mountains ; all this was of much value. He sent it west- 

 ward to England to buy cloth (woollen) and other goods he 

 needed. They went southward along the coast, and then out 

 to sea ; when they arrived in England they found a good 

 market, loaded the ship with wheat and honey, wine and cloth, 

 and returned in the autumn with fair winds " (Egil's Saga). 



" From England (London) Gunnlaug sailed with some 

 traders to Dublin. King Sigtrygg Silk-beard, son of Olaf 

 K varan and Queen Kormlod then ruled in Ireland " l (Gunn- 

 laug Ormstunga, c. 8). 



1 Cf. also Olaf Tryggvason, Fornmanua Sogur. i. 

 VOL. II. P 



