The greater portion of this voyage appears to have been performed during
two summers, the expedition finally returning to Greenland on account of
the death of their leader. The narrative is taken from _Codex
Flatöiensis_, as given in _Antiquitates Americanæ_.
* * * * *
Now Thorvald [A. D. 1002.] made ready for his voyage with thirty men,
after consulting his brother Leif. They rigged their ship, and put to
sea. Nothing is related of this expedition until they came to Vinland,
to the booths put up by Leif, where they secured the ship and tackle,
and remained quietly all winter and lived by fishing. In spring [A. D.
1003.] Thorvald ordered the vessel to be rigged, and that some men
should proceed in the long-boat westward along the coast, and explore it
during the summer. They thought the country beautiful and well wooded,
the distance small between the forest and the sea, and the strand full
of white sand. There were also many islands and very shallow water. They
found no abode for man or beast, but on an island far towards the west,
they found a corn barn constructed of wood. They found no other traces
of human work, and came back in autumn to Leif's booths. The following
spring, [A. D. 1004.] Thorvald, with his merchant ship, proceeded
eastwards, and towards the north along the land.[129] Opposite to a
cape[130] they met bad weather, and drove upon the land and broke their
keel, and remained there a long time to repair the vessel. Thorvald said
to his companions: "We will stick up the keel here upon the ness, and
call the place Kialarness," which they did. Then they sailed away
eastward along the country, to a point of land,[131] which was
everywhere covered with woods. They moored the vessel to the land, laid
out gangways to the shore, and Thorvald with all his ship's company,
landed. He said, "Here it is beautiful, and I would willingly set up my
abode here." They afterwards went on board, and saw three specks upon
the sand within the point, and went to them and found there were three
skin boats with three men under each boat. They divided their men and
took all of them prisoners, except one man, who escaped with his boat.
They killed eight of them, and then went to the point and looked about
them. Within this bay they saw several eminences, which they took to be
habitations. Then a great drowsiness came upon them and they could not
keep themselves awake, but all of them fell asleep. A sudden scream came
to them, and they all awoke; and mixed with the scream they thought they
heard the words: "Awake, Thorvald, with all thy comrades, if ye will
save your lives. Go on board your ship as fast as you can, and leave
this land without delay." In the same moment an innumerable multitude,
from the interior of the bay, came in skin boats and laid themselves
alongside. Then said Thorvald, "We shall put up our war screens[132]
along the gunwales and defend ourselves as well as we can, but not use
our weapons much against them." They did so accordingly. The
Skrællings[133] shot at them for a while, and then fled away as fast as
they could. Then Thorvald asked if anyone was wounded, and they said
nobody was hurt. He said: "I have a wound under the arm.[134] An arrow
flew between the gunwale and the shield under my arm: here is the
arrow, and it will be my death wound. Now I advise you to make ready
with all speed to return; but ye shall carry me to the point which I
thought would be so convenient for a dwelling. It may be that it was
true what I said, that here would I dwell for a while. Ye shall bury me
there, and place a cross at my head and one at my feet, and call the
place Crossness." Christianity had been established in Greenland at this
time;[135] but Eric Red was dead[136] before Christianity was
introduced. Now Thorvald died, and they did everything as he had
ordered. Then they went away in search of their fellow voyagers; and
they related to each other all the news. They remained in their dwelling
all winter, and gathered vines and grapes, and put them on board their
ships. Towards spring, they prepared to return to Greenland, where they
arrived with their vessel, and landed at Ericsfiord, bringing heavy
tidings to Leif.