new countries
in the Western World--Helluland, Markland, and Vinland. As two of
these must have been Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, which Cabot
discovered with his English crew in 1497, it is certain that Canada was
seen first either by Norsemen or by their descendants.

The Norse discovery of America cannot be certainly proved like the
discoveries made by Cabot and Columbus. But one proved fact telling in
favour of the Norsemen is that they were the only people who built
vessels "fit to go foreign" a thousand years ago. All other people
hugged the shore for centuries to come. The Norsemen feared not any
sea.

Some years ago a Viking (or Warrior's) ship, as old as those used by
Ericsson, was found in the "King's Mound" in Gokstad, Southern Norway.
Seated in her was the skeleton of the Viking Chief who, as the custom
used to be, was buried in his floating home. He must have stood well
over six foot three and been immensely strong, judging by his deep
chest, broad shoulders, and long arms fit to cleave a foeman at a
single stroke. This Viking vessel is so well shaped to stand the
biggest waves, and yet slip through the water with the greatest ease,
that she could be used as a model now. She has thirty-two oars and a
big square sail on a mast, which, like the one in the old Egyptian boat
we were talking of in Chapter II, could be quickly raised or lowered.
If she had only had proper sails and rigging she could have tacked
against the wind. But, as we shall soon see, the art of tacking was
not invented till five centuries later; though then it was done by an
English descendant of the Vikings.

Eighty foot long and sixteen in the beam, this Viking vessel must have
looked the real thing as she scudded before a following wind or dashed
ahead when her thirty-two oars were swept through the water by
sixty-four pairs of the strongest arms on earth. Her figure-head has
gone; but she probably had a fierce dragon over the bows, just ready to
strike. Her sides were hung with glittering shields; and when mere
landsmen saw a Viking fleet draw near, the oars go in, the swords come
out, and Vikings leap ashore--no wonder they shivered in their shoes!

It was in this way that the Normans first arrived in Normandy and made
a home there in spite of Franks and Gauls, just as the Danes made
English homes in spite of Celts and Anglo-Saxons. There was no navy to
oppose them. Neither was there any fleet to oppose William the
Conq