same autumn Olaf had his first battle at Sotasker, which lies in the
Swedish skerry circle. He fought there with some vikings, whose leader
was Sote. Olaf had much fewer men, but his ships were larger, and he
had his ships between some blind rocks, which made it difficult for the
vikings to get alongside; and Olaf's men threw grappling irons into the
ships which came nearest, drew them up to their own vessels, and cleared
them of men. The vikings took to flight after losing many men. Sigvat
the skald tells of this fight in the lay in which he reckons up King
Olaf's battles:--

"They launch his ship where waves are foaming--
To the sea shore
Both mast and oar,
And sent his o'er the seas a-roaming.
Where did the sea-king first draw blood?
In the battle shock
At Sote's rock;
The wolves howl over their fresh food."

6. FORAY IN SVITHJOD.

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 w