" They rowed their best, yet the Danishships were overtaking them, when Erik the Red ordered his men to throwwood overboard and cover it with Danish plunder. This made some delay, asthe Danes stopped to pick it up, and in the same way Erik the Red droppedhis provisions, and finally his prisoners; and in the delay thus caused hegot away with his own men.But now Harald was not to go to Denmark, but to the new western world,the Wonderstrands which Leif had sought and had left without sufficientexploration. First, however, he was to call at Greenland, which his fatherhad first discovered. It was the custom of the Viking explorers, when theyreached a new country, to throw overboard their "seat posts," or_setstokka_,--the curved part of their doorways,--and then to landwhere they floated ashore. But Erik the Red had lent his to a friend andcould not get them back, so that he sailed in search of them, and came toa new land which he called Greenland, because, as he said, people would beattracted thither if it had a good name. Then he established a colonythere, and then Leif the Lucky, as he was called, sailed still farther,and came to the Wonderstrand, or Magic Shores. These he called Vinland orWine-land, and now a rich man named Karlsefne was to send a colony thitherfrom Greenland, and the young Harald was to go with it and take command ofit.
Pages:
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139