22 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I07 



either then or later. This might be used as an argument that the 

 voyage attributed to Thorvald actually took place, or that the naming 

 of the cape belongs to a later time, that is, to Karlsefni's exploratory 

 voyage to the north during which Thorvald was killed. The first 

 supposition would, however, be open to the objection raised in the 

 case of Leif . Unless, indeed, there is some truth in the account given 

 in the Flat Island Book, I am disposed to believe that this cape was 

 named for some other reason than that given in the Saga, perhaps 

 from its appearance or from some natural feature nearby. 



The Saga now continues as follows: "Then the country became 

 indented with bays, and they steered their ships into a bay," and here 

 is inserted the account of the two Gaels, Haki and Hsekia, how on 

 being sent southward to explore the country they brought back 

 samples of self-sown wheat and grapes. It has been pointed out fre- 

 quently that this is an interpolation, and it is clearly shown to be the 

 case by the repetition contained in the last sentence, for it tells us 

 that the Gaels were taken on board again "whereupon Karlsefni and 

 his followers held on their way, until they came to where the coast 

 was indented with bays. They stood into a bay with their ships." 



To resume: 



There was an island out at the mouth of the bay, about which there were 

 strong currents, wherefore they called it Straumey (Stream Isle). There 

 were so many birds there, that it was scarcely possible to step between the eggs. 

 They sailed through the firth, and called it Straumfiord (Streamfirth), and 

 carried their cargoes ashore from the ships, and established themselves there. 

 They had brought with them all kinds of livestock. It was a fine country there. 

 There were mountains thereabouts. They occupied themselves exclusively with 

 the exploration of the country. They remained there during the winter, and 

 they had taken no thought for this during the summer. The fishing began to 

 fail, and they began to fall short of food. Then Thorhall the Huntsman disap- 

 peared. They had already prayed to God for food, but it did not come as 

 promptly as their necessities seemed to demand. They searched for Thorhall 

 for three half -days and found him on a projecting crag. 



Being still a heathen, Thorhall is calling upon Thor for help, and 

 a whale presently appears which they "capture." When they ate of 

 it, however, they became sick and, learning of its supposed origin, 

 they threw it into the sea, and again appealed to God, whereupon 

 "the weather improved, and they could now row out to fish, and 

 thenceforth they had no lack of provisions, for they could hunt 

 game on the land, gather eggs on the island, and catch fish from 

 the sea." 



In the Flat Island Book the narrative covering this part of the 



