did not go much further [than you], and yet[1] I have something of novelty to relate. I have found vines and grapes.' 'Is this indeed true, foster-father?' said Leif. 'Of a certainty it is true,' quoth he, 'for I was born where there is no lack of either grapes or vines.' They slept the night through, and on the morrow Leif said to his shipmates: 'We will now divide our labours[2], and each day will either gather grapes or cut vines and fell trees, so as to obtain a cargo of these for my ship.' They acted upon this advice, and it is said, that their after-boat was filled with grapes. A cargo sufficient for the ship was cut, and when the spring came, they made their ship ready, and sailed away; and from its products Leif gave the land a name, and called it Wineland. They sailed out to sea, and had fair winds until they sighted Greenland, and the fells below the glaciers; then one of the men spoke up, and said, 'Why do you steer the ship so much into the wind?' Leif answers: 'I have my mind upon my steering, but on other matters as well. Do ye not see anything out of the common[3]?' They replied, that they saw nothing strange[4]. 'I do not know,' says Leif, 'whether it is a ship or a skerry that I see.' Now they saw it, and said, that it must be a skerry; but he was so much keener of sight than they, that he was able to discern men upon the skerry. 'I think it best to tack,' says Leif, 'so that we may draw near to them, that we may be able to render them assistance, if they should stand in need of it; and if they should not be peaceably disposed, we shall still have better command of the situation than they[5].' They approached the skerry, and lowering their sail, cast anchor, and launched a second small boat, which they had brought with them. Tyrker inquired who was the leader of the party. He replied that his name of Thori, and that he was a Norseman; 'but what is thy name?' Leif gave his name. 'Art thou a son of Eric the Red of Brattahlid?' says he. Leif responded that he was. 'It is now my wish,' says Leif, 'to take you all into my ship, and likewise so much of your possessions as the ship will hold.' This offer was accepted, and [with their ship] thus laden, they held away to Ericsfirth, and sailed until they arrived at Brattahlid. Having discharged the cargo, Leif invited Thori, with his wife, Gudrid, and three others, to make their home with him, and procured quarters for the other members of the crew, both for his own and Thori's men. Leif rescued fifteen persons from
- ↑ If the word in the MS. be 'þit' and not 'þó' [cf. Icelandic text, page 147, line 59], the words 'and yet' should be italicised as supplied, and the words now italicised in the translation should then stand unbracketed.
- ↑ 'hafa tvennar sýslur fram:' lit. carry on two occupations.
- ↑ 'eðr havt sjái þér til tíðinda:' lit. but what do you see of tidings.
- ↑ 'er tíðindum sætti,' which amounted to tidings.
- ↑ 'þá eigum vér allan kost undir oss, en þeir ekki undir sér:' lit. we shall have all the choice under us [in our control], but they not under themselves.
