CH. VI] 
The Norsemen in Greenland 
45 
found at Gokstad — sailed for the land we now call America. 
Karlsefni first steered northwards along the West Bygd 
to get clear of the southern ice, and then stood across 
the strait to the barren coast on the western side for two 
days. Karlsefni landed in his boat, and finding large flat 
stones (hellur) on the beach, called that country Helluland. 
Sailing southward they next came to a country where 
there were great woods and it was named Markland or the 
forest land (Labrador). Then they sailed for many days, 
rounding a cape where they found the keel of a ship and 
so named it Keel-ness. The long coast-line on the star- 
board side received the name of Furdtistrandir or Wonder 
Strand. At length Karlsefni anchored in a bay where 
they found berries and self-sown wheat. It was the 
Vinland of Leif. There was a strong current, so they 
called an island in the bay Straumsey and the bay Straum- 
fjord. They landed their goods, and the live-stock 
included cattle. Here Thorhall the hunter appears to 
have mutinied, and to have sailed away in one of the 
ships with nine men. The story says that he reached 
Ireland, where he and his companions were maltreated 
and enslaved. After the winter Karlsefni sailed south- 
ward and came to a small land-locked bay, called Hop. 
Here he built huts on the banks of a lake. 
Karlsefni had discovered America. His first land was 
what is now called Baffin Land, his next the coast of 
Labrador, and the Vinland of Leif is the east coast of 
Newfoundland. The Norsemen gave the name of Skrczl- 
lings to the natives they met with. They had several 
encounters with them, in one of which Thorwald, the son 
of Erik, was killed by a "one footer" (Einfcetitigr). 
The furthest southern point reached by Karlsefni is 
a question of great interest. In the Flatey book Leif is 
made to say that on the shortest day the sun was above 
the horizon from Eyktarstad to Dagmalastad. We thus 
obtain rough data for ascertaining the latitude of Vin- 
land. The Icelanders ascertained the various times of 
the day by selecting conspicuous marks round their 
houses, and noting the course of the sun with relation 
to them. Names were given to the positions the sun 
occupied at certain times of the day, and the Norsemen 
were thus, from long practice, very accurate in assigning 
