Fair maiden, a skeid I saw Forward pushed into the river; See where lies near the shore The long side of the proud dragon. The hair of the shining serpent Glows o’er the crew, Since it was pushed from the rollers; The ornamented beaks carried gold. (Harald Hardradi’s Saga, c. 62.) [Illustration: Fig. 925.—Bronze kettle, ⅒ real size, found with Gokstad ship; wooden plates and wooden carved drinking-cups were also found. ] When the Norsemen came to a harbour, or to a coast without one, they often dragged their ships on to the shore, when rollers, which no doubt belonged to the equipment, had to be used. “Hakon Jarl, after a battle with King Ragnfred, drew his ships ashore so that his foes could not take them” (Olaf Tryggvason, c. 17). [Illustration: Fig. 926.—Iron chain, found with Gokstad ship. ⅒ real size. ] [Illustration: Fig. 927.—Bronze ornament. ] [Illustration: Fig. 928.—Bronze handles of kettle. Real size. ] [Illustration: Fig. 929.—Iron chain, with crook to hold bronze kettle; found with Gokstad ship. ⅒ real size. ] After the ship had been launched into the sea the equipment was put on board. [Illustration: Fig. 930.—On a stone-wall of the Church of Bödstrup, Island of Langeland, Denmark. ] “After Easter King Olaf had his ships launched and equipment and oars carried to them, and decks placed in them, and tents put over them, and then let them float at the bridges” (St. Olaf, c. 115). [Illustration: Fig. 931.—Iron kettle. ¼ real size—Ultuna ship find. ] “Asbjörn owned a longship which was a twenty-seated _snekkja_, which stood in a large _naust_ (ship-shed). After Candlemas he had it pushed forward, the equipments carried on board, and everything made ready. He then summoned his friends, and had nearly ninety men, all well armed” (St. Olaf, c. 24). It was not always the custom to have cooks on board ship, it being the habit of traders to dispense with their services, and to draw lots among the crew every day to decide who should prepare the food. “He (Thorleif) took passage in the summer with the traders, who prepared to go from Straumfjord, and was with the steersmen. It was then the custom of traders not to have cooks, but the messmates drew lots to see which of them should do the cooking day by day. All shipmates also had to drink together, and a tub with a lid over it stood near the mast for this purpose, but some drank from the casks which supplied the tub” (Eyrbyggja Saga, c. 39). [Illustration: Fig. 932.—Dragon.—Length, 10 to 12 feet; width between the wings, 3 feet. ]