NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY. 2%% 



The following fummer the Skraelingers came again to Thorfin 

 in Vinland, and one of them was killed for attempting to fteal 

 an ax from the Greenlanders. Upon this the reft went away, 

 without, reaping any great advantage from their furrs, or other 

 commodities. 



The third fummer they came again without any goods, and 

 prepared for war, but had no fuccefs, having loft a great many 

 of their men. There was one inftance happened, which difco- 

 vers thofe people to be very ignorant and ftupid ; one of them 

 laid hold of an ax which the Greenlanders had carelefly dropped, 

 and being defirous to know the ufe of it, by trying an experi- 

 ment, ftruck one of his companions on the head with it, with 

 all his might. This being obferved by one of their company, 

 who feemed to be fuperior to the reft, and was probably their 

 chief, he took the ax and examined it ; then he went down to 

 the water-fide, and threw it as far as he could into the fea. By 

 this we may judge, that they do not know how to ufe any other 

 inftrument but their arrows. 



At the expiration of three years Thorrln left Vinland, in order 

 to viiit his mother-country, and carried many valuable things 

 with him. After this expedition feveral adventurers, both from 

 Iceland, and Greenland, took a fancy to go to Vinland. Two 

 men who were called Helge, and Fimboy, failed firft eaftward 

 from Iceland to Norway, and from thence to Greenland, where a 

 woman, whofe name was Freidis, perfuaded them to go to Vin- 

 land. They accordingly failed thither in two of their own fhips, 

 with fixty men, and the aforefaid Freidis, who was fifter to Leif, 

 and had lived in his houfe whilft he was in Vinland. But when 

 they had been there but a fhort time, thirty of them were de- 

 ftroyed by the deceit and perfidy of that wicked woman. And 

 tho' flie was daughter to Erich Rode, and Leif's fifter, flie was 

 ftill far from refembling them in their virtues; for flie was envious 

 proud, and the moft abandoned of her fex. 



The above-mentioned Thorfin, went from Greenland to Nor- 

 way, and was held in great efteem and refpedf. for his Vinland- 

 expedition; and when he was going to depart for Iceland, -and 

 juft ready to fail, he met with a foreigner from Bremen, who 

 defired him to fell him a piece of timber that he had in his pof- 



PaktII. Ooo feffion, 



