Norsemen’s route from Greenland to Wineland. 173 
lay an island; a rapid current ran round it, therefore they called it 
Straumey (“current island”). There were such a number of eiderducks 
on the island that one could hardly move for eggs. They called this 
place Straumfjord, and here they discharged the cargo, and prepared to 
remain; they had all sorts of cattle with them. The spot was very beau- 
tiful, and they did nothing but investigate the country. They remained 
there during the winter [1003—04] without having provided provisions 
in advance. Fishing began to diminish during the summer, and it was 
diffieult to procure food.” Here ensues the story of Thorhal, the hunter, 
who invoked Thor and the malevolence of the others towards this. 
The question now is, which of the islands at the mouth of the St. 
Lawrence was Straumey ? Setting aside some very unimportant holms and 
skerries, there are only two islands of somewhat greater extent, namely 
Green Island (Isle Verte) and Hare Island (Isle aux Lievres). Decidedly 
there can only be question of one of them and that is Hare Island. 
Both the islands are formed alike. They are long, but exceedingly 
narrow and pointed at both ends; the longitudinal axis runs in the 
direction of the river. Green Island is about 11% km long and has a 
greatest breadth of 1%/,km, and lies close to the east shore opposite the 
mouth of the Saguenay. Hare Island is slightly longer, about 131% km 
long from point to point, but its breadth is on the whole less than that 
of Green Island, and hardly extends'to 114 km anywhere. 
It has been rather difficult to procure information about the ground 
and the vegetation of the islands. I have almost had to content myself with 
consulting the charts! and books on pilotage. Green Island rises to 
about 80 m; it is described as “thickly wooded,” but has, however, in 
‚certain low parts “swampy grass land.” Concerning Hare Island I shall 
quote? the following description: “it rises apparently in an inclined 
plane from both ends to a summit 323 feet high, situated 22/,, miles from 
its north-eastern end, and it is densely wooded. There are a few houses 
on the south-eastern side of the island at 11% miles from its north-eastern 
end, and a solitary house stands 2 miles south-westward of them.” 
In my opinion there can be no question of Green Island being 
Straumey. Green Island, which is separated from land by a 2 km broad 
strait, is almost connected with land at low-water. At low tide only quite 
а narrow, 1—2 m deep channel separates the island from the shore of 
the continent, the tide shingle of which consists of sand with numerous 
blocks of stone. The Norsemen could hardly have let their eattle go 
loose to take care of themselves in such a place, for fear that they might 
wander inland and lose their way in the continental forests, or lest they 
should be molested by the wild animals of the continent. To this we 
1 North America; Canada; St. Lawrence River Nr. 1490: Saguenay River to 
Orignaux Point. — North America; Dominion of Canada; River St. Law- 
rence Nr. 1112: River Saguenay to Quebec. 
2 The St. Lawrence Pilot; 7th edition [London 1906] p. 267. 
