King Olaf steered thereafter eastwards to Svithjod, and into the Lag
(the Maelar lake), and ravaged the land on both sides. He sailed all
the way up to Sigtuna, and laid his ships close to the old Sigtuna.
The Swedes say the stone-heaps are still to be seen which Olaf had laid
under the ends of the gangways from the shore to the ships. When autumn
was advanced, Olaf Haraldson heard that Olaf the Swedish king was
assembling an army, and also that he had laid iron chains across
Stoksund (the channel between the Maelar lake and the sea), and had laid
troops there; for the Swedish king thought that Olaf Haraldson would
be kept in there till frost came, and he thought little of Olaf's force
knowing he had but few people. Now when King Olaf Haraldson came to
Stoksund he could not get through, as there was a castle west of the
sound, and men-at-arms lay on the south; and he heard that the Swedish
king was come there with a great army and many ships. He therefore dug a
canal across the flat land Agnafit out to the sea. Over all Svithjod all
the running waters fall into the Maelar lake; but the only outlet of it
to the sea is so small that many rivers are wider, and when much rain or
snow falls the water rushes in a great cataract out by Stoksund, and
the lake rises high and floods the land. It fell heavy rain just at
this time; and as the canal was dug out to the sea, the water and stream
rushed into it. Then Olaf had all the rudders unshipped and hoisted all
sail aloft. It was blowing a strong breeze astern, and they steered with
their oars, and the ships came in a rush over all the shallows, and
got into the sea without any damage. Now went the Swedes to their king,
Olaf, and told him that Olaf the Great had slipped out to sea; on which
the king was enraged against those who should have watched that Olaf did
not get away. This passage has since been called King's Sound; but large
vessels cannot pass through it, unless the waters are very high. Some
relate that the Swedes were aware that Olaf had cut across the tongue of
land, and that the water was falling out that way; and they flocked to
it with the intention to hinder Olaf from getting away, but the water
undermined the banks on each side so that they fell in with the people,
and many were drowned: but the Swedes contradict this as a false report,
and deny the loss of people. The king sailed to Gotland in harvest, and
prepared to plunder; but the Gotlanders assembled, and sent men to the
king, offering him a scat. The king found this would suit him, and
he received the scat, and remained there all winter. So says Ottar
Svarte:--
"Thou seaman-prince! thy men are paid:
The scat on Gotlanders is laid;
Young man or old
To our seamen bold
Must pay, to save his head:
The Yngling princes fled,
Eysvssel people bled;
Who can't defend the wealth they have
Must die, or share with the rover brave."