their absence[1]; and when they came again, one of them carried[2] a bunch of grapes, and the other an ear of new-sown wheat[3]. They went on board the ship, 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. 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[4]. 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 live-stock. 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[5]. Then Thorhall the Huntsman disappeared. 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[6] on a projecting crag. He was lying there, and looking up at the sky, with mouth and nostrils agape, and mumbling something[7]. They asked him why he had gone thither; he replied, that this did not concern anyone[8]. They asked him then to go home with them, and he did so. Soon after this a whale appeared there, and they captured it[9], and flensed it, and no one could tell what manner of whale it was[10]; and when the cooks had prepared
- ↑ Lit. 'for this period'
- ↑ Lit. 'had in the hand.'
- ↑ EsR: 'and when three days [sic] had passed, they ran down from the land, and one of them carried in the hand a wine-vessel' [vín-ker, doubtless a clerical error for vín-ber,' grapes], 'and the other wheat self-sown. Karlsefni said that they seemed to have found goodly indigenous products!'
- ↑ ÞsK: 'There were so many eider-ducks on the island, that it was scarcely possible to walk for the eggs.'
- ↑ EsR: 'they explored the nature of the land. There were mountains there, and the country round about was fair to look upon. They did nought but explore the country. There was tall grass there. They remained there during the winter, and they had a hard winter, for which they had not prepared, and they grew short of food, and the fishing fell off. Then they went out to the island, in the hope that something might be forthcoming in the way of fishing or flotsam. There was little food left, however, although their live-stock fared well there. Then they invoked God, that he might send them food, but they did not get response so soon as they needed. Thorhall disappeared,' &c.
- ↑ EsR: 'on the fourth half-day Karlsefni and Biarni found him.'
- ↑ EsR: 'and with eyes, mouth and nostrils wide-stretched, and was scratching himself, and muttering something.'
- ↑ EsR adds, 'he told them not to be surprised at this; adding that he had lived sufficiently long to render it unnecessary for them to take counsel for him.'
- ↑ Lit. 'they went to it.'
- ↑ EsR adds, 'Karlsefni had much knowledge of whales, but he did not know this one.'
