THE FIRST AMERICAN FUR TRADERS--STRANGE DEVICES--ANXIOUS TIMES AND
PLEASANT DISCOVERIES.
The business of the colony progressed admirably after this. A large
house was erected, with a central hall and numerous sleeping-rooms or
closets off it, where all the chief people dwelt together, and a number
of the men messed daily. Grass was found in abundance, and a large
quantity of this was cut and stacked for winter use, although there was
good reason to believe that the winter would be so mild that the cattle
might be left out to forage for themselves. Salmon were also caught in
great numbers, not only in Little River but in the main stream, and in
the lake at their very doors. What they did not consume was dried,
smoked, and stored. Besides this, a large quantity of fine timber was
felled, squared, cut into lengths, and made suitable for exportation.
Eggs were found on the islands offshore, and feathers collected, so that
early in the summer they had more than enough wherewith to load the
ship. Among other discoveries they found grain growing wild. The
Saga-writers have called it wheat, but it is open to question whether it
was not wild rice, of which large quantities grow in the uninhabited
parts of America at the present time. They also found a beautiful kind
of wood, called massurwood, of which samples were sent to Greenland and
Norway; but what this wood really was we cannot tell.
Meanwhile an extensive traffic in valuable furs was commenced with the
natives, who were more than satisfied with the scraps of bright cloth,
beads, and other trifling ornaments they received in exchange for them.
Some of the natives wanted to purchase weapons with their furs, but
Karlsefin would not allow this. At first the Norsemen gave their cloth
and other wares in exchange with liberal hand, cutting the bright cloth
into stripes of three or four inches in breadth; but they soon found
that at this rate their supplies would become exhausted too early in the
year. They therefore reduced their prices, and began to give stripes of
cloth only two inches in width, and at last reduced the measure to one
inch, for furs that had previously fetched four. But the
unsophisticated natives were quite content with the change, and appeared
to enjoy nothing so much as to twist these stripes of cloth into their
long black hair.
One day Karlsefin said to Gudrid that he had a new plan in his head.
"What is that?" said she.
"I think that our goods are going away too fast, so I mean to try if
these Skraelingers will give their furs for dairy produce. We have a
good deal of that, and can spare some."
"I don't know how Astrid will like that," she said, laughing. "You know
she has charge of the dairy, and is very proud of it."
"That is well, Gudrid, for Astrid will be all the more pleased to have
her produce turned to such good account. Milk is pleasant to the
throat, and cream delights the tongue. Methinks these fellows will be
tempted by it."
"Would they not like beer better?"
"Beer!" cried Karlsefin, with a shout of laughter. "You should have
seen the faces they made, and the way they spat it out, the only time
they were asked to taste it. Biarne was very keen to let them try it,
and I did not object, for I partly expected some such result. No, no, a
man must _learn_ to like beer. Nature teaches him to like milk. But
go, tell Astrid to fill twenty cans with milk, and twenty small cups
with good cream. Let her also set out twenty cakes, with a pat of fresh
butter and a lump of cheese on each. Let her spread all on the table in
the great hall, and see that she does it speedily. I will go and fetch
the company to this feast."
He left the room as he spoke, and in less than an hour his orders had
been executed. When he entered the hall a short time afterwards,
followed by twenty natives, he found everything prepared according to
his directions.
That he was correct in his expectation was clearly proved ere many
minutes had passed, for the twenty natives raised their forty eyes, and
looked on each other with rapturous delight when they tasted the good
things. They finished them in a twinkling, and then wished for more;
but it is only justice to their good-breeding and self-restraint to add
that they did not _ask_ for more! From that day nothing would please
them but that they should have dairy produce for their furs.
Some time after this Karlsefin was walking, one afternoon, on the shores
of the lake with Thorward. He suddenly asked him how he should like to
take a trip to Greenland.
"I should like it well," replied Thorward.
"Then if you will go in charge of the _Snake_ I should be pleased," said
the other, "for we have collected more than enough of merchandise to
fill her, and if you set sail at once you will have time to bring back a
cargo of such things as we need before autumn comes to an end."
"I will go," said Thorward, "to-morrow, if you choose."
"Nay, not quite so fast. The ship is only half loaded yet; but in a day
or two she will be ready. There are two things I am anxious you should
manage. One is to persuade Leif Ericsson to come and visit us,--if he
will not come to stay with us. The other is to tempt as many married
men as you can to come over and join us--especially those men who chance
to have a good many daughters, for we would be the better of a few more
busy little hands, fair faces, and silvery tones in this beautiful
Vinland of ours."
"I will do what I can," replied Thorward, "and I would advise that Olaf
should go with me, that his glowing descriptions may tempt his father to
come."
"Nay; that would spoil all," objected Karlsefin, "for, having had a
sight of his son he would be content to let him come back alone. No,
no; we will keep Olaf here as a bait to tempt him. But go now and make
your arrangements, for you set sail as soon as the ship is ready."
Not long after that the _Snake_ left her anchorage with a full cargo,
rowed down the river, hoisted sail, and bore away for Greenland.
While she was gone an event of deep and absorbing interest occurred in
Vinland.
One fine morning in autumn the heart of the entire hamlet was moved by
the sound of a new voice! It was not a musical voice--rather squawky,
indeed, than otherwise--and it was a feeble voice, that told of utter
helplessness. In short, a son had been born to Karlsefin and Gudrid,
and they called him Snorro. We record it with regret--for it went a
long way to prove that, in regard to sweet sounds, Karlsefin and his
wife were destitute of taste. It is our business, however, to record
facts rather than to carp at them, therefore we let Snorro pass without
further comment.
The little body that was attached to the little voice, although far from
beautiful at first, was an object of intense affection to the parents,
and of regard, almost amounting to veneration, to the rugged men by whom
it was surrounded. Bertha declared enthusiastically that it was
"perfectly lovely," although it was obvious to all unprejudiced eyes
that it resembled nothing so much as a piece of wrinkled beef of bad
colour! Astrid declared that it had "such a wise look," despite the
evident fact that its expression was little short of idiotical!
Karlsefin said nothing, but he smiled a good deal, and chucked it under
the place where its chin ought to have been with his great forefinger in
a timid way.
But when Snorro was deemed sufficiently far advanced in life to be
handed out for public exhibition, then it was that the greatest number
of falsehoods were uttered, with the quietest deliberation, although, to
say truth, the greater number of the men said nothing, but contented
themselves with taking the infant in their big rough hands as delicately
as if they thought it was a bubble, and feared that it might burst and
leave nothing to be handed back to Thora, who acted the part of nurse.
Others merely ventured to look at it silently with their hairy lips
parted and their huge eyes gazing in blank admiration.
Perhaps Krake made the most original remark in reference to the
newcomer. "Ah," said he quite seriously, touching its cheek as softly
as though he half feared it would bite, "only to think that myself was
like _that_ once!"
This was received with a shout of laughter, so loud that little Snorro
was startled.
"Ah, then," cried Krake, with a look of great alarm, "what is it going
to do?"
This question was occasioned by the sudden change on the infant's
countenance, which became, if possible, redder than before, and puckered
up into such a complicated series of wrinkles that all semblance to
humanity was well-nigh lost. Suddenly a hole opened on the surface and
a feeble squall came forth!
"Oh, you wicked men!" cried Thora, snatching the infant indignantly from
them and hurrying back into the house.
"'Tis a sweet child," observed Swend tenderly, as he and his comrades
sauntered away.
"You must have a good opinion of yourself, Krake," said Tyrker, "to
fancy that you were once like it."
"So I have," replied Krake. "It's what my father had before me. It
lies in the family, you see, and with good reason too, for we were the
best of company, not to mention fighting. It was always said that we
were uncommonly fine infants, though a trifle big and noisy for the
peace of our neighbourhood--quite like Turks in that way, I believe!"
"I doubt it not, Krake," said Biarne, who came up in time to hear the
concluding remark; "and since you are such a noisy fellow I am going to
send you on an expedition in search of these vines, that seem to me to
have rooted themselves out of the land and fled, from mere spite, since
Leif named it Vinland. There is but one quarter that I can think of now
which has not yet been explored; you may take a party of men, and let
Tyrker go too; as he discovered them on his first visit, the stupid
fellow ought to have re-discovered them long before now. You can
discuss by the way the little matter you have in hand,--only see that
you don't fall out about it."
Thus instructed, Krake organised a party, and set off to search for the
celebrated vines, which, as Biarne said, had not up to that time been
found.
That day they searched far and wide without success. Then they sat down
to rest and eat. While thus engaged, Krake and Tyrker returned to the
subject of the reported noisiness of Turks, and the former became so
caustic in his jests that the irascible little Tyrker lost temper, much
to the amusement of his comrades.
After refreshing themselves, the explorers again set out and came to a
part of the country which was broken up and beautifully diversified by
rocky eminences crowned with trees, and shady hollows carpeted with
wild-flowers. It was difficult here to decide as to which of the
innumerable valleys or hollows they should traverse; they therefore sat
down again for a little to consult, but the consultation soon became a
discussion, and Krake, whose spirit of fun had got the better of him,
gradually edged the talk round until it came again, quite in a natural
way, to the Turks. At last Tyrker became so angry that he started up,
declared he would follow the party no longer, plunged into a thicket and
disappeared.
He was followed by a shout of laughter, and then the others, rising,
resumed their search, not doubting that their irate companion would ere
long rejoin them.
But Tyrker did not join them, and when evening drew on apace they became
anxious, gave up the search for vines, and went about looking for him.
At last it became too dark for them to continue the search, and they
were obliged to return home without their comrade.
On leaving them Tyrker had no definite idea what he meant to do or where
he meant to go. He just walked straight before him in high dudgeon,
taking no notice of the route by which he journeyed, or the flight of
time. At length he awoke from his absent condition of mind and looked
up. A vast amphitheatre of wooded hills surrounded him, and there, in
the heart of a secluded dell, under a clump of trees, were the long
sought and much-desired vines!
For some time Tyrker stood gazing at them in silent admiration and
delight. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yes; there could be no
question as to their reality. There hung the rich purple clusters such
as he had seen on his first visit to Vinland, and such as he had been
wont to see in his own land in days long gone by. He pinched himself,
pulled his hair, punched his eyeballs, but no--all that failed to awaken
him; from which circumstance he naturally came to the conclusion that he
was awake already. He then uttered a wild, probably a Turkish, cheer,
and rushed upon the spoil.
Filling both hands with the fruit he crammed his mouth full. Then he
raised his eyes upwards in ecstasy and did it again. He repeated it!
After which he paused to sigh, and leaped up to cheer and sat down again
to--guzzle! Pardon the word, good reader, it is appropriate, for there
is no disguising the fact that Tyrker was a tremendous glutton, and did
not care a fig--or a grape--for appearances.
After eating for a long time he was satisfied and sat down to rest. By
that time the shades of evening were falling. They proved to be
soporific, for he gradually reclined backwards on the green turf and
fell asleep, surrounded by and partially covered with grapes, like a
drunken and disorderly Bacchus.
Now Tyrker was a man in robust health; full of energy and high spirits.
Sleep therefore was to him a process which, once begun, continued till
morning. Even the puckered little Snorro did not rest more soundly in
his kneading-trough crib than did Tyrker on the greensward under his
vinous canopy.
When next he opened his eyes, groaned, rolled over, sat up, and yawned,
the sun was beginning to peep above the eastern sea.
"Ho!" exclaimed Tyrker. "I have forgot myself." To refresh his memory
he scratched his head and shook it; then he raised his eyes, saw the
grapes, leaped up and burst into a fit of joyous laughter.
Thereafter he again sat down and breakfasted, after which he filled his
cap, his wallet, his various pockets, the breast of his coat--every
available compartment, in fact, outside as well as in--with grapes, and
hastened homeward at his utmost speed in order to communicate the joyful
news to his comrades.
Now the disappearance of Tyrker had caused no small amount of anxiety to
his friends at the hamlet, especially to Karlsefin, who was very fond of
him, and who feared that his strength might have given way, or that he
had fallen into the hands of savages or under the paws of bears. He sat
up the greater part of the night watching and hoping for his return, and
when the first grey light of dawn appeared he called up a number of the
men, and, dividing them into several bands, organised a systematic
search.
Placing himself at the head of one band he went off in the direction in
which, from Krake's account of what had taken place, it seemed most
probable that Tyrker might be found. They advanced so rapidly that when
the sun rose they had got to within a mile or so of the spot where Krake
and his party had given up their search on the previous evening. Thus
it came to pass that before the red sun had ascended the eastern sky by
much more than his own height, Karlsefin and Tyrker met face to face in
a narrow gorge.
They stopped and gazed at each other for a few moments in silence,
Karlsefin in astonishment as well--and no wonder, for the figure that
stood before him was a passing strange one. To behold Tyrker thus
dishevelled and besmeared was surprising enough, but to see him with
grapes and vine-leaves stuffed all about him and twined all round him
was absolutely astounding. His behaviour was little less so, for,
clapping his hands to his sides, he shut his eyes, opened his big mouth,
and burst into an uproarious fit of laughter.
The men who came up at that moment did so also for laughter is catching.
"Why, Tyrker, where have you been?" demanded Karlsefin.
"Grapes!" shouted Tyrker, and laughed again.
"Are these grapes?" asked Karlsefin, regarding the fruit with much
interest.
"Ay, grapes! vines! Vinland! hurrah!"
"But are you sure?"
Instead of answering, Tyrker laughed again and began to talk, as he
always did when greatly moved, in Turkish. Altogether he was so much
excited that Krake said he was certainly drunk.
"Drunk!" exclaimed Tyrker, again using the Norse language; "no, that is
not possible. A man could not get drunk on grapes if he were to eat a
ship-load of them. I am only joyful--happy, happy as I can be. It
seems as if my young days had returned again with these grapes. I am
drunk with old thoughts and memories. I am back again in Turkey!"
"Ye couldn't be in a worse place if all accounts be true," said Krake,
with a grin. "Come, don't keep all the grapes to yourself; let us taste
them."
"Ay, let us taste them," said Karlsefin, advancing and plucking a bunch
from Tyrker's shoulders.
The others did the same, tasted them, and pronounced the fruit
excellent.
"Now, lads, we will make the strong drink from the grapes," said Tyrker.
"I don't know quite how to do it, but we will soon find out."
"That you certainly shall not if I can prevent it," said Karlsefin
firmly.
Tyrker looked a little surprised, and asked why not.
"Because if the effect of eating grapes is so powerful, drinking the
strong drink of the grape must be dangerous. Why do you wish to make
it?"
"Why? because--because--it _does_ make one so happy."
"You told us just now," returned Karlsefin, "that you were _as happy as
you could be_, did you not? You cannot be happier than that--therefore,
according to your own showing, Tyrker, there is no need of strong
drink."
"That's for you," whispered Krake to Tyrker, with a wink, as he poked
him in the side. "Go to sleep upon that advice, man, and it'll do ye
good--if it don't do ye harm!"
"Ease him of part of his load, boys, and we shall go back the way we
came as fast as may be."
Each man relieved Tyrker of several bunches of grapes, so that in a few
minutes he resumed his own ordinary appearance. They then retraced
their steps, and soon afterwards presented to the women the first grapes
of Vinland. Karlsefin carried a chosen bunch to Gudrid, who, after
thanking him heartily, stuffed a grape into the hole in Snorro's
puckered visage and nearly choked him. Thus narrowly did the first
Yankee (for such one of his own countrymen has claimed him to be) escape
being killed by the first-fruits of his native land!