As a rule, merchant ships were not kept in as good order as the war-ships. The Northern chief Harek saved his life, after the battle of the river Helga, by the following subterfuge. King Olaf went by land to Norway, while the fleet of Knut the Great remained in the Sound. “Harek did as he had said, waited for fair wind and then sailed westward past Skáni, till he came off the Hólar in the evening, during a strong gale. He had the sail lowered, and the mast and weather-vane taken down, and the vessel above water wrapped with grey cloth. He had a few rowers in rooms fore and aft, while most of his men sat very low in the ship. King Knut’s watchmen saw the ship, and talked among themselves about what kind of ship it might be. They thought it was loaded with salt or herrings, for they saw that the men were few and rowing badly, and the ship looked grey, and not tarred and dried in the sun. They also saw it was deep in the water. But when Harek got well forward in the Sound past the host, he raised the mast, hoisted the sail, and set up the gilt weather-vane. The sail was white as new-fallen snow, and striped with blue and red” (St. Olaf, c. 168). [Illustration: Fig. 938.—From Bayeux tapestry. Ship with dragon’s head, striped sails, and carrying horses. ] Some of the harbours built by the Northmen must have been very spacious. Pálnatóki, jarl of Fjón, who also had a jarldom in Bretland (Wales), made one summer warfare in Vindland. The king, Búrislaf, sent a message that he desired friendship and peace with him, and invited him to come and see him. [Illustration: Fig. 939.—Ship lined with shields, striped sails, and men pulling with oars. ] “Further, with this invitation he offered to give him a _fylki_ or _riki_ in his land, called Jóm, in order that he should settle there, and he would give it him on condition that he should be bound to defend the land with him. This Pálnatóki and his men accepted. He quickly had a large and strong sea-burgh made, since called Jómsburgh. He also had a harbour made within the burgh, in which 300 longships could lie at the same time, all being locked in the burgh. The entrance to the harbour was constructed with great skill. It was like a gate with a large stone arch above, and shut with iron doors locked from inside the harbour. Upon the arch was built a strong tower (kastali) in which were catapults (valslöngva). Part of the burgh stood out in the sea (water), and the burghs built thus are called sea-burghs, and thus the harbour came to be within it” (Jomsvikinga Saga, ch. 24). [Illustration: Fig. 940.—⅓ real size. ] [Illustration: Fig. 941. ] [Illustration: Fig. 942.—Shield. ⅙ real size. ] [Illustration: Fig. 943.—Shield. ⅙ real size. ] Carved pieces of wood and shield from the Gokstad ship. [Illustration: Fig. 944. ] [Illustration: Fig. 945. ] [Illustration: Fig. 946. ] [Illustration: Fig. 947. ] [Illustration: