They were told that change of lords over the land had befallen, in
that Earl Hakon had fallen and King Olaf Tryggvason had come in, and
all Norway had fallen under his power. King Olaf was ordering a change
of faith in Norway, and the people took to it most unequally. Kjartan
and his companions took their craft up to Nidaross. At that time many
Icelanders had come to Norway who were men of high degree. There lay
beside the landing-stage three ships, all owned by Icelanders. One of
the ships belonged to Brand the Bounteous, son of Vermund Thorgrimson.
And another ship belonged to Hallfred the Trouble-Bard. The third ship
belonged to two brothers, one named Bjarni, and the other Thorhall;
they were sons of Broad-river-Skeggi, out of Fleetlithe in the east.
All these men had wanted to go west to Iceland that summer, but the
king had forbidden all these ships to sail because the Icelanders
would not take the new faith that he was preaching. All the Icelanders
greeted Kjartan warmly, but especially Brand, as they had known each
other already before. The Icelanders now took counsel together and
came to an agreement among themselves that they would refuse this
faith that the king preached, and all the men previously named bound
themselves together to do this. Kjartan and his companions brought
their ship up to the landing-stage and unloaded it and disposed of
their goods. [Sidenote: The swimming in the river Nid] King Olaf was
then in the town. He heard of the coming of the ship and that men of
great account were on board. It happened one fair-weather day in the
autumn that the men went out of the town to swim in the river Nid.
Kjartan and his friends saw this. Then Kjartan said to his companions
that they should also go and disport themselves that day. They did so.
There was one man who was by much the best at this sport. [Sidenote:
Kjartan and the townsman] Kjartan asked Bolli if he felt willing to
try swimming against the townsman. Bolli answered, "I don't think I am
a match for him." "I cannot think where your courage can now have got