"The town of Bereyth was taken in the year 1111 [1110] from the incarnation of our Saviour, and on the 27th of the month of April. That same year people from the isles of the west, and principally from the western country called Norway, having heard that the faithful Christians had taken possession of the holy city of Jerusalem, resolved to repair thither and pay their devotions; and they prepared a fleet accordingly. They embarked, and being favoured by the winds, they traversed the British Sea, passed the strait of Calpe and Assos, by which the Mediterranean Sea is formed, and having coasted along its whole length, they landed at Joppa. The supreme chief of this expedition was a stout, handsome young man, brother of the king of Norway. As soon as he had disembarked at Joppa, with all his followers, they proceeded to Jerusalem, the object of their wishes and vows. The king, on being informed of the arrival of the noble prince of Norway, made all haste to meet him, received him with much kindness, conversed familiarly with him, and tried to discover if the prince would be disposed to stop some time in the kingdom with his naval force, and to consecrate to Christ the fruit of his labour by giving his aid to extend the dominion of the faithful, and by taking possession of some other towns. The Norwegians, after holding a council among themselves, replied that they were come with the express intention of employing themselves usefully in the service of Christ, and that consequently they were quite disposed to proceed, without the least delay, by sea, towards any of the maritime towns which the king was disposed to attack with his army, and would demand no other pay than the victuals necessary for their support. The king accepted these terms with the greatest ardour; and immediately assembling all the forces of his kingdom, and all the knights he could collect, he began his march to Sidon. The fleet left the port of Acre, and proceeded also to Sidon, where the land and sea forces arrived simultaneously.... The people of the fleet received presents from the king, took leave of him, and returned to their country loaded with the blessings of all Christians. The town of Sidon was taken in the year of grace 1111 [1110], and on the 19th of December." This account of Sigurd the Crusader's expedition to the holy land, by a nearly contemporary historian, native of the country, corroborates Snorro Sturleson's account of it even in the minute details, but he makes him arrive at Joppa, instead of Acre, as the Norse account has it.] FOOTNOTES: [103] They reigned from about 1103 to about 1130. [104] A.D. 1108. [105] Valland, the west of France. [106] Galizo land, the province of Galicia, in the north-west of Spain.