346 OCCUPATIONS AND XPORTS OF MEN. 



The fisheries were of great importance, and much care was 

 bestowed upon them even by great chiefs, among whom were 

 Eyvind Skaldaspillir and Erling Skjalgsson. The seal, herring, 

 and cod fisheries gave occupation to a large number of people. 



" Erling always kept at home thirty thralls, besides other 

 bond-people. He allotted to them a certain day's work, and 

 afterwards gave them leave and time to work for themselves 

 at twilight or at night ; he gave them land for tillage, to sow 

 grain for themselves and use the produce for getting property. 

 He placed on each one his value and price. Many redeemed 

 themselves in the first or second season, and all who were 

 thrifty did so in three winters. With this property Erling 

 bought himself other thralls ; and he sent some of his 

 produce to the herring fishery, and some to other kinds of 

 business; some cleared the woods and made themselves farms; 

 to all he gave some means of support " (St. Olaf, c. 22). l 



We have seen that the people of the North were great 

 shipbuilders, and the numerous discoveries of various tools as 

 well as weapons show the skill of their smiths and workers 

 in iron, some of whom were high-born men. 



"He (Thorolf) had a large long ship made with a dragon's 

 head, and had it fitted out in the best manner. He sailed 

 in it southward, and made a great sweep of the provisions 

 then found in Halogaland. He also sent men herring fishing 

 and cod fishing, and in many places seals were caught and eggs 

 taken ; all the produce of this expedition was brought to him. 

 He had never fewer free men than a hundred at his home. He 

 was open-handed and liberal, and became a good friend of the 

 chiefs and all his neighbours ; he became powerful, and paid 

 much attention to the outfitting of his ships and weapons " 

 (Egil's Saga, c. 10). 



" Skallagrim was a very hard-working man. He had always 

 many men with him, and had fetched many of the provisions 

 and means of subsistence, for at first thev had but few cattle 



t */ 



in comparison with what was needed for so many. His cattle 

 found their own food during the winter in the forests. He 

 was a great shipwright, and there was no want of drift- 

 timber 2 west of Myrar. He had a boer built at Alp-tanes, 

 and had another household there ; his men went out fish- 

 ing, seal-catching, and egg-gathering from there, as there 

 was a* quantity of these things ; he also had drift-timber 



1 Cf. also c. 21. " Forests then existed in Iceland. 



