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country to be inviting. Bearing away from this island, they stood out to sea with the same wind, and after four days' sailing with fresh gales, they reached Heriulfsnes, in Greenland:

DISCOVERIES OF LEIF ERICSON, AND FIRST SETTLEMENT OF VINELAND.

Some time after this, probably in the year 994, Biarne paid a visit to Eric, earl of Norway, and told him of his voyage, and of the unknown lands he had discovered. He was blamed by many for not having examined these countries more accurately. On his return to Greenland there was much talk about undertaking a voyage of discovery. LEIF, a son of Eric the Red, bought Biarne's ship, and equipped it with a crew of thirty-five men, among whom was a German of the name of TYRKER, who had long resided with his father, and who had been very fond of Leif in his childhood. In the In the year 1000 they commenced the projected voyage, and came first to the land which Biarne had seen last. They cast anchor and went on shore. No grass was seen; but everywhere in this country were, vast ice-mountains (glaciers), and the intermediate space between these and the shore was, as it were, one uniform

plain of slate (hella): the country appearing to them destitute of good qualities, they called it HELLU-LAND. They put out to sea, and came to another land, where they also went on shore. The country was level (slett) and covered with woods, and wheresoever they went there were cliffs of white sand (sand-ar-hvítir), and a low coast (ó-sæbratt); they called the country MARKLAND (Woodland). From thence they again stood out to sea with a N.E. wind, and continued sailing for two days, before they made land again. They then came to an island which lay to the eastward of the mainland, and entered a channel between this island and a promontory projecting in an easterly (and northerly) direction from the mainland. They sailed westward in waters where there was much ground left dry at ebb-tide. Afterward they went on shore at a place where a river, issuing from a lake, fell into the sea. They brought their ship into the river, and from thence into the lake, where they cast anchor. Here they constructed some temporary log-huts; but afterward, when they had made up their mind to winter there, they built large houses, afterward called LEIFS-BÚDIR (Leifsbooths). When the buildings were

completed, Leif divided his people into two companies, who were by turns employed in keeping watch at the houses, and in making small excursions for the purpose of exploring the country in the vicinity: his instructions to them were, that they should not go to a greater distance than that they might return in the course of the same evening, and that they should not separate from one another. Leif took his turn also, joining the exploring party the one day, and remaining at the houses the other. It so happened that one day the German Tyrker was missing. Leif accordingly went out with twelve men in search of him, but they had not gone far from their houses when they met him coming towards them. When Lief inquired why he had been so long absent, he at first answered in German, but they did not understand what he said. He then said to them in the Norse tongue, "I did not go much farther, yet I have a discovery to acquaint you with: I have found vines and grapes." He added, by way of confirmation, that he had been born in a country where there was plenty of vines. They had now two occupations, viz., to hew timber for loading the ship, and collect grapes; with these last they filled the

ship's long boat. Leif gave a name to the country, and called it VINLAND (Vineland). In the spring they sailed again from thence, and returned to Greenland.

THORWALD ERICSON'S EXPEDITION TO MORE SOUTHERN REGIONS.

Leif's Vineland voyage was now a subject of frequent conversation in Greenland, and his brother THORWALD was of opinion that the country had not been sufficiently explored. He accordingly borrowed Leif's ship, and, aided by his brother's counsel and directions, commenced a voyage in the year 1002. He arrived at Leifsbooths, in Vineland, where they spent the winter, he and his crew employing themselves in fishing. In the spring of 1003 Thorwald sent a party in the ship's long boat on a voyage of discovery southward. They found the country beautiful and well wooded, with but little space between the woods and the sea; there were likewise extensive ranges of white sand, and many islands and shallows. They found no traces of men having been there before them, excepting on an island lying to the westward, where they found a wooden shed. They did not return to Leifsbooths until the fall. In

the following summer, 1004, Thorwald sailed eastward with the large ship, and then northward past a remarkable headland enclosing a bay, and which was opposite to another headland. They called it KIAL-AR-NES (Keel Cape). From thence they sailed along to the eastern coast of the land, into the nearest friths, to a promontory which there projected, and which was everywhere overgrown with wood. There Thorwald went ashore with all his companions. He was so pleased with this place that he exclaimed, "This is beautiful! and here I should like well to fix my dwelling!" Afterward, when they were preparing to go on board, they observed on the sandy beach within the promontory three hillocks, and repairing thither, they found three canoes, under each of which were three Skrellings (Esquimaux); they came to blows with the latter, and killed eight, but the ninth escaped with his canoe. Afterward a countless number issued forth against them from the interior of the bay. They endeavoured to protect themselves by raising battle-screens on the ship's side. The Skrellings continued shooting at them for a while, and then retired. Thorwald was wounded by an arrow under the arm, and, finding that the wound was

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