The Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by the Northmen: Illustrated by Translations from Icelandic SagasDeCosta, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin)
History
The Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by the Northmen: Illustrated by Translations from Icelandic Sagas
DeCosta, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin)
America -- Discovery and exploration -- Norse
No snow fell,[194] and all their
cattle fed under the open sky. They decided to explore all the
mountains[195] that were in Hop; which done, they [A. D. 1009.] went and
passed the third winter in Straum bay. At this time they had much
contention among themselves, and the unmarried women vexed the married.
The first autumn, Snorre, Karlsefne's son, was born, and he [was three
years old] when they went away. They had a south wind, and came to
Markland, and found five Skrællings, of whom one was a man, and two
women, and two were boys. Karlsefne took the boys, and the others
escaped and sank down into the earth. They carried the boys away with
them, and taught them the language, and they were baptized. And the name
of their mother was Vatheldi, and their father, Uvæge. They said that
two kings ruled over the Skrællinger's land, one was named Avalldania,
and the other, Valldidia; that they had no houses, but lived in dens and
caves. In another part of the country, there was a region where the
people wore white clothes, and shouted loud, and carried poles with
flags. This they thought to be White-man's land. After this they came
into Greenland, and passed the winter with Leif, son of Eric Red. Biarne
Grimolfson was carried out into the Greenland[196] sea, and came into a
worm sea, which they did not observe, until their ship was full of worm
holes. They considered what should be done. They had a stern boat,
smeared with oil; they say that wood covered with oil, the worms will
not bore. The result of the council was, that as many should go into the
boat as it would hold. It then appeared that the boat would not hold
more than one-half of the men. Then Biarne ordered that the men should
go in the boat by lot, and not according to rank. And as it would not
hold all, they accepted the proposition, and when the lots were drawn,
the men went out of the ship into the boat. And the lot was that Biarne
should go down from the ship to the boat with one-half of the men. Then
those to whom the lot fell, went down from the ship to the boat. And
when they had come into the boat, a young Icelander, who was the
companion of Biarne, said: "Now thus do you intend to leave me, Biarne?"
Biarne replied, "That now seems necessary." He replied with these words:
"Thou art not true to the promise made when I left my father's house in
Iceland." Biarne replied: "In this thing I do not see any other way;"
continuing, "What course can you suggest?" He said, "I see this, that we
change places and thou come up here and I go there." Biarne replied:
"Let it be so, since I see that you are so anxious to live, and are
frightened by the prospect of death." Then they changed places, and he
descended into the boat with the men, and Biarne went up into the ship.
And it is related that Biarne, and the sailors with him in the ship,
perished in the worm sea. Those who went in the boat, went on their
course until they came to land, where they told all these things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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