king tried to stay the leak by fines and punishments, but in
vain.

As his ship neared the shore, the new-coming chief would leave it
to the gods as to where he settled. The hallowed pillars of the
high seat, which were carried away from his old abode, were
thrown overboard, with certain rites, and were let drive with
wind and wave until they came ashore. The piece of land which
lay next the beach they were flung upon was then viewed from the
nearest hill-summit, and place of the homestead picked out. Then
the land was hallowed by being encircled with fire, parcelled
among the band, and marked out with boundary-signs; the houses
were built, the "town" or home-field walled in, a temple put up,
and the settlement soon assumed shape. In 1100 there were 4500
franklins, making a population of about 50,000, fully three-
fourths of whom had a strong infusion of Celtic blood in them.
The mode of life was, and is, rather pastoral than aught else.
In the 39,200 square miles of the island's area there are now
about 250 acres of cultivated land, and although there has been
much more in times past, the Icelanders have always been forced
to reckon upon flocks and herds as their chief resources, grain
of all kinds, even rye, only growing in a few favoured places,
and very rarely there; the hay, self-sown, being the only certain
harvest. On the coast fishing and fowling were of help, but
nine-tenths of the folk lived by their sheep and cattle.
Potatoes, carrots, turnips, and several kinds of cabbage have,
however, been lately grown with success. They produced their own
food and clothing, and could export enough wool, cloth, horn,
dried fish, etc., as enabled them to obtain wood for building,
iron for tools, honey, wine, grain, etc, to the extent of their