26 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. IO7 



by the German Tyrker. An important exception is in the account of 

 Thorvald's assumed Wineland visit. According to this narrative he 

 and his companions reached Wineland in the summer and — 



remained there quietly during the winter, supplying themselves with food by 

 fishing. In the spring, however, Thorvald said that they should put their ship 

 in order, and that a few men should take the after-boat, and proceed along the 

 western coast, and explore [that region] thereabouts during the summer. They 

 found it a fair, well-wooded country ; it was but a short distance from the woods 

 to the sea, and [there were] white sands, as well as great numbers of islands 

 and shallows. They found neither dwelling of man nor lair of beast; but in 

 one of the westerly islands, they found a wooden building for the shelter of 

 grain. They found no other trace of human handiwork, and they turned back, 

 and arrived at Leif s-booths in the autumn. 



The existence of a storehouse does not prove that there was a 

 farming population in this country, since such buildings were used 

 by the Indians for other purposes than the housing of cultivated 

 cereals. 



Since the Saga speaks only of explorations about Streamfirth, it 

 has been thought by some that if there is any truth in the above 

 narrative, it concerns explorations in that region, but the topography 

 does not correspond. It rather suggests the southeastern coast of 

 JVTassachusetts or some similar region. It is incredible that they 

 expended no effort to extend their knowledge of the most delightful 

 region they came in contact with. 



The Wineland narratives concern themselves principally, however, 

 with the inhabitants of that country, the people they call Skrellings. 

 Here the two accounts show remarkable agreements and striking 

 differences. According to each there were three encounters with 

 these people, but the Saga states that the latter came by sea in skin 

 canoes and the Flat Island Book that they arrived by land, out of 

 the woods. On their first appearance, according to the Saga, the 

 Skrellings did not land, but merely gazed at these new beings and then 

 went away, on their second visit they were frightened away and 

 turned hostile on account of the bellowing of a bull, and on their 

 third appearance there was a fight. According to the Flat Island 

 Book the Skrellings were frightened by the bull on their very first 

 appearance and rushed to Karlsefni's house for shelter. He would 

 not allow them to come in and presently they overcame their terror 

 and laid down bundles of furs which they were carrying, whereupon 

 a lively trade sprang up. They came back a second time to trade but 

 fled because one of the Norsemen killed a Skrelling attempting to 

 deprive him of his weapon. The third time they came to fight. 



