From where they sat the party on the poop could see that the men on the high forecastle were similarly engaged, for they had gathered together in a group, and their heads were laid together as if listening intently to one of their number who sat in the centre of the circle. Below, in the waist of the ship, some humorous character appeared to be holding his mates enchained, for long periods of comparative silencein which could be heard the monotonous tones of a single voice mingled with occasional soft lowing from the cattlewere suddenly broken by bursts of uproarious laughter, which, however, quickly subsided again, leaving prominent the occasional lowing and the prolonged monotone. Everything in and around the ship, that night, breathed of harmony and peacethough there was little knowledge among them of Him who is the Prince of Peace. We say little knowledge, because Christianity had only just begun to dawn among the Norsemen at that time, and there were some on board of that discovery-ship who were tinged with the first rays of that sweet light which, in the person of the Son of God, was sent to lighten the world and to shine more and more unto the perfect day.
Now, said Karlsefin, at the conclusion of one of his stories, that is the saga of Halfdan the Blackat least it is part of his saga; but, friends, it seems to me that we must begin a saga of our own, for it is evident that if we are successful in this venture we shall have something to relate when we return to Greenland, and we must all learn to tell our saga in the same words, for that is the only way in which truth can be handed down to future generations, seeing that when men are careless in learning the truth they are apt to distort it so that honest men are led into telling lies unwittingly. They say that the nations of the south have invented a process whereby with a sharp-pointed tool they fashion marks on skins to represent words, so that once put down in this way a saga never changes. Would that we Norsemen understood that process! said Karlsefin meditatively.
It seems to me, said Biarne, who reclined on the deck, leaning against the weather-bulwarks and running his fingers playfully through Olafs fair curls, It seems to me that it were better to bestow the craft of the skald on the record of our voyage, for then the measure and the rhyme would chain men to the words, and so to the truththat is, supposing they get truth to start with! Come, Karlsefin, begin our voyage for us.
All present seemed to agree to that proposal, and urged Karlsefin to begin at once.
The skipperfor such indeed was his position in the shipthough a modest man, was by no means bashful, therefore, after looking round upon the moonlit sea for a few minutes, he began as follows:
When western waves were all unknown,
And western fields were all unsown,
When Iceland was the outmost bound
That roving viking-keels had found
Gunbiorn thenUlf Krakas son
Still farther west was forced to run
By furious gales, and there saw land
Stretching abroad on either hand.
Eric of Iceland, called the Red,
Heard of the news and straightway said
This western land Ill go and see;
Three summers hence look out for me.
He went; he landed; stayed awhile,
And wintered first on Erics Isle;
Then searched the coast both far and wide,
Then back to Iceland oer the tide.
A wondrous land is this, said he,
And called it Greenland of the sea.
Twenty and five great ships sailed west
To claim this gem on Oceans breast.
With man and woman, horn and hoof,
And bigging for the homestead roof.
Some turnèd backin heart but mice
Some sank amid the Northern ice.
Half reached the land, in much distress,
At Ericsfiord and Heriulfness.
Next, BiarneHeriulfs doughty son
Sought to trace out the aged one. (His father.)
From Norway sailed, but missed his mark;
Passed snow-topped Greenland in the dark;
And came then to a new-found land
But did not touch the tempting strand;
For winter winds oppressed him sore
And kept him from his fathers shore.
Then Leif, the son of Eric, rose
And straightway off to Biarne goes,
Buys up his ship, takes all his men,
Fares forth to seek that land again.
Leif found the land; discovered more,
And spent a winter on the shore;
Cut trees and grain to load the ship,
And pay them for the lengthened trip.
Named Hella-land and Markland too,
And saw an island sweet with dew!
And grapes in great abundance found,
So named it Vinland all around.
But after that forsook the shore,
And north again for Greenland bore.
And nowwe cross the moonlit seas
To search this land of grapes and trees
Biarne, Thorward, Karlsefin
Go forth this better land to win,
With men and cattle not a few,
And household gear and weapons too;
And, best of all, with women dear,
To comfort, counsel, check, and cheer.
Thus far weve made a prosprous way,
God speed us onward every day!
They all agreed that this was a true account of the discovery of Vinland and of their own expedition as far as it had gone, though Gudrid said it was short, and Freydissa was of opinion that there was very little in it.
But hold! exclaimed Biarne, suddenly raising himself on his elbows; Karlsefin, you are but a sorry skald after all.
How so? asked the skipper.
Why, because you have made no mention of the chief part of our voyage.
And pray what may that be?
Stay, I too am a skald; I will tell you.
Biarne, whose poetical powers were not of the highest type, here stretched forth his hand and said:
When Biarne, Thorward, Karlsefin,
This famous voyage did begin,
They stood upon the deck one night,
And there beheld a moving sight.
It made the very men grow pale,
Their shudder almost rent the sail!
For lo! they saw a mighty whale!
It drew a shriek from Olaf brave,
Then plunged beneath the briny wave,
And, while the women loudly shouted,
Up came its blundering nose and spouted.
Then underneath our keel it went,
And glared with savage fury pent,
And round about the ship it swum,
Striking each man and woman dumb.
Stayone there was who found a tongue
And still retained her strength of lung.
Freydissa, beauteous matron bold,
Resolved to give that whale a scold!
But little cared that monster fish
To gratify Freydissas wish;
He shook his tail, that naughty whale,
And flourished it like any flail,
And, ho! for Vinland he made sail!
Now, friends, was not that a great omission on the part of Karlsefin?
If the whale had brought his flail down on your pate it would have served you right, Biarne, said Freydissa, flushing, yet smiling in spite of herself.
I think it is capital, cried Olaf, clapping his handsquite as good as the other poem.
Some agreed with Olaf, and some thought that it was not quite in keeping with Karlsefins composition, but, after much debate, it was finally ruled that it should be added thereto as part and parcel of the great Vinland poem. Hence it appears in this chronicle, and forms an interesting instance of the way in which men, for the sake of humorous effect, mingle little pieces of fiction with veritable history.
By the time this important matter was settled it was getting so late that even the most enthusiastic admirer among them of moonlight on a calm sea became irresistibly desirous of going to sleep. They therefore broke up for the night; the women retired to their cabin, and none were left on deck except the steersman and the watch. Long before this the saga-tellers on the forecastle had retired; the monotone and the soft lowing of the cattle had ceased; man and beast had sought and found repose, and nothing was heard save the ripple of the water on the ships sides as she glided slowly but steadily over the sleeping sea.