It was once believed that this wasNarragansett Bay in Rhode Island, but this is no longer believed. Herethey landed and called the place Hop, from the Icelandic word _hopa_,meaning an inlet from the ocean. Here they found grape-vines growing andfields of wild wheat; there were fish in the lake and wild animals in thewoods. Here they landed the cattle and the provisions which they hadbrought with them; and here they built their huts. They went in thespring, and during that summer the natives came in boats of skin to tradewith them--men described as black, and ill favored, with large eyes andbroad cheeks and with coarse hair on their heads. These, it is thought,may have been the Esquimaux. The first time they came, these visitors heldup a white shield as a sign of peace, and were so frightened by thebellowing of the bull that they ran away. Then returning, they broughtfurs to sell and wished to buy weapons, but Harald tried another plan: hebade the women bring out milk, butter, and cheese from their dairies, andwhen the Skraelings saw that, they wished for nothing else, and, thelegend says, "the Skraelings carried away their wares in their stomachs,but the Norsemen had the skins they had purchased." This happened yetagain, but at the second visit one of the Skraelings was accidentallykilled or injured.
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