was a large and powerful man, and of most
imposing bearing, a man of sagacity, and a very just man in all things."

A very pretty incident is now related of the German Tyrker, who had been
one of the thralls of Eric the Red, and of whom Leif was very fond. It
was the custom in the households of Norse chiefs to give children into
the special charge of a trusted thrall, who was then styled the child's
foster-father. Sometimes the thrall was presented to the child as a
"tooth-gift," _i.e._, in commemoration of its cutting its first tooth.

"It was discovered one evening that one of their company was missing;
and this proved to be Tyrker, the German. Leif was sorely troubled by
this; for Tyrker had lived with Leif and his father for a long time, and
had been very devoted to Leif when he was a child. Leif severely
reprimanded his companions and prepared to go in search of him. They had
proceeded but a short distance from the house when they were met by
Tyrker, whom they received most cordially. Leif observed at once that
his foster-father was in lively spirits.... Leif addressed him and
asked: 'Wherefore art thou so belated, foster-father mine, and astray
from the others?'

"In the beginning Tyrker spoke for some time in German, rolling his
eyes, and grinning, and they could not understand him. But after a time
he addressed them in the Norse tongue.

"'I did not go much farther [than you]; yet I have something novel to
relate. I have found grapes and vines.'

"'Is this indeed true, foster-father?' asked Leif.

"'Of a certainty it is true' replied he; 'for I was born where there is
no lack of either grapes or vines.'

"They slept the night through, and on the morrow Leif said to his
shipmates:

"'We will now divide our labors; and each day will either gather grapes,
or cut vines, or fell trees, so as to obtain a cargo of these for my
ship.'

"They acted upon this advice, and it is said that their after-boat was
filled with grapes. A cargo sufficient for the ship was cut, and when
the spring came they made their ship ready and sailed away. And from its
products Leif gave the land a name and called it Wineland.

"They sailed out to sea and had fair winds until they sighted Greenland,
and the fells below the glacier; then one of the men spoke up and said:
'Why do you steer the ship so close to the wind?' Leif answered: 'I have
my mind upon my steering and upon other matters as well. Do you not see
anything out of th