PROGRESS OF DISCOVERY IN THE NORTH. 65 



wantonly and barbarously murdered the whole of 

 the men in tliem, excepting one who made his 

 escape. An attack was made a little while after 

 by the injured natives upon Thorwald's vessel ; and, 

 though the assailers were repulsed, Thorwald met 

 with a just retribution for his cruelty, by the wound 

 of an arrow, which occasioned his death. These 

 savages, on account of their low stature, were called 

 SkrocUingers, signifying dwarfs. They were pro- 

 bably the same race of people as are at present 

 known by the appellation of Esquimaux. Other 

 adventurers then visited Winland, and succeeded 

 in establishing a goo i understanding with the na- 

 tives, and in carrying on among them an advantageous 

 traffic for furs and other produce of the country. 

 Thorfin, one of these adventurers, attempted to 

 establish a colony in Winland, and allowed the 

 people with him a free traffic with the natives in 

 any articles excepting weapons of war, the barter- 

 ing of which he expressly forbid. One of the na- 

 tives, however, contrived to steal from the Iceland- 

 ers a battle-axe, trial of which he presently made on 

 one of his companions, and killed him on the spot. 

 The dangerous weapon was immediately seized by 

 another of his countrymen, and thrown into the 

 sea*. 



VOL. I. E 



* FoMter'a Voyages, p. 85. 



