516 THE DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT OF ICELAND. 



them better than the north. They stayed one winter there, 

 and then went back to Norway. 



" Thereafter Ingolf prepared for a voyage to Iceland, while 

 Leif went on warfare in the west. He made war in Ireland, 

 and there found a large underground house ; he went down 

 into it, and it was dark until light shone from a sword in the 

 hand of a man. Leif killed the man, and took the sword and 

 much property. Thereafter he was called Hjorleif (Sword- 

 Leif). He made war widely in Ireland, and got much pro- 

 perty. He took ten thralls ; their names were Dufthak, 

 Geirrod, Skjaldbjorn, Haldor, Drafdrit ; more names are not 

 given. Then he went to Norway and met his foster brother 

 there. He had before married Helga, Ingolf's sister. This 

 winter Ingolf made a great sacrifice, and asked what his luck 

 and fate would be, but Hjorleif was never willing to sacrifice. 

 The answer pointed out Iceland to Ingolf. After this both 

 made a ship ready for the voyage. Hjorleif had his booty on 

 board, and Ingolf their foster brotherhood property. When 

 ready they sailed out to sea. 



"In the summer when Ingolf and Leif went to settle in 

 Iceland Harald Fairhair had been twelve years king over 

 Norway; (3,073 winters had elapsed since the beginning of 

 this world, and since the incarnation of our Lord 874 years 

 They sailed together until they saw Iceland, then they and 

 their ships parted. When Tngolf saw Iceland he threw over- 

 board his high-seat pillars for luck. He said that he would 

 settle where the pillars landed. He landed at a place now 

 called Ingolfshofdi (Ingolf's cape). But Hjorleif was driven 

 westward along the land, and suffered from want of water. 

 The Irish thralls there kneaded together meal and butter, 

 saying these caused no thirst. They called the mixture minn- 

 thak, and when it had been made there came a heavy rain, 

 and they took water into their tents. When the minnthak 

 began to get mouldy they threw it overboard, and it came 

 as! 

 at 



Hjorleif 



are 18 fathoms, and those of the other 19 fathoms high. 

 Hjorleif remained there that winter. In the spring he wanted 

 to sow (corn) ; he had one ox, and let the thralls drag the 

 plough. When Hjorleif was in his house Dufthak (one of the 

 thralls) suggested that they should kill the ox, and say that a 

 bear of the forest had slain it, and then they would slay Hjor- 

 leif if he searched for the bear. Then they told Hjorleif this. 

 When they each went different ways in search of the bear in 

 the forest, the thralls attacked them singly and murdered all 



