still before the wind for another two days or three, saw
land again, and made for it. This was a headland running far out into
the sea, which they made and passed, then ran in close to the shore and
coasted for some days without finding any haven. This was a very long
strand, great stretches of white sand with nothing to break them up.
Behind the dunes they could see the tops of great trees. It was judged
that the whole country was low-lying and probably swampy. Ferly
Strands was the name they gave to this interminable shore.

But yet it was not interminable, for it broke up at last into bays and
creeks, with many islands which had beautiful trees on them, and rich
herbage down to the sea-line, Karlsefne said that they would run in
hereabouts and live ashore for a while. "We will send out our runners,
to see what they can find out for us," he said. That was agreed upon.

[1] Believed to be Newfoundland.

XXV

They landed on the mainland on hard white sand, but beyond that there
was turf, with patches of tall waving grass, then a belt of timber, and
beyond them, as they soon made out, an infinite rolling country of
woods and clothed hills, with lakes here and there. Gudrid was
enchanted: the nimble and sweet air, trees taller than she had ever
dreamed of, space, emptiness, silence: she stood with a finger to her
lip, looking up and all about, and sometimes at her companions to see
if they were not under the same spell as she. But the men were too
busy choosing a good place for the camp, and Freydis was with them.

Karlsefne had no mind to be surprised by savages, so sent out men to
cut wood. He intended to have a stockade round his camp in which at
least the women could be defended. There were but five of them, it is
true, but they were all married, and therefore precious. The men who
were not married always hoped that they might be. Who could say what
might be the lot of any adventurer? Let a married man die by all
means--but not a wife. Tents were put up, a double stockade fixed
round them; hammocks were slung. Very soon they had a fire going, and
a pot over it. Gudrid, Freydis and the rest of the women saw to that.
Karlsefne arranged for the watch.

The ships were left well manned, and a company from the landing-party
put into each boat, and each boat at a sufficient distance from its
companion. These crews were to be relieved by watches. Sentries also
were posted about the stockade.