y had no snow whatever, and
all their cattle went out to graze without keepers. Now when spring
began, they beheld one morning early, that a fleet of hide-canoes was
rowing from the south off the headland; so many were they as if the
sea were strewn with pieces of charcoal, and there was also the
brandishing of staves as before from each boat. Then they held shields
up, and a market was formed between them; and this people in their
purchases preferred red cloth; in exchange they had furs to give, and
skins quite grey. They wished also to buy swords and lances, but
Karlsefni and Snorri forbad it. They offered for the cloth dark hides,
and took in exchange a span long of cloth, and bound it round their
heads; and so matters went on for a while. But when the stock of cloth
began to grow small, then they split it asunder, so that it was not
more than a finger's breadth. The Skroelingar (Esquimaux) gave for it
still quite as much, or more than before.

11. Now it came to pass that a bull, which belonged to Karlsefni's
people, rushed out of the wood and bellowed loudly at the same time.
The Skroelingar, frightened thereat, rushed away to their canoes, and
rowed south along the coast. There was then nothing seen of them for
three weeks together. When that time was gone by, there was seen
approaching from the south a great crowd of Skroelingar boats, coming
down upon them like a stream, the staves this time being all
brandished in the direction opposite to the sun's motion, and the
Skroelingar were all howling loudly. Then took they and bare red
shields to meet them. They encountered one another and fought, and
there was a great shower of missiles. The Skroelingar had also
war-slings, or catapults. Then Karlsefni and Snorri see that the
Skroelingar are bringing up poles, with a very large ball attached to
each, to be compared in size to a sheep's stomach, dark in colour; and
these flew over Karlsefni's company towards the land, and when they
came down they struck the ground with a hideous noise. This produced
great terror in Karlsefni and his company, so that their only impulse
was to retreat up the country along the river, because it seemed as if
crowds of Skroelingar were driving at them from all sides. And they
stopped not until they came to certain crags. There they offered them
stern resistance. Freydis came out and saw how they were retreating.
She called out, "Why run you away from such worthless creatures, stout
men th