motion. Then Karlsefni said, “What will this betoken?” Snorri answered
him, “It may be that it is a token of peace; let us take a white
shield and go to meet them.” And so they did. Then did they in the
canoes row forwards, and showed surprise at them, and came to land.
They were short men, ill-looking, with their hair in disorderly
fashion on their heads; they were large-eyed, and had broad cheeks.
And they stayed there awhile in astonishment. Afterwards they rowed
away to the south, off the headland.

10. They had built their settlements up above the lake. And some of
the dwellings were well within the land, but some were near the lake.
Now they remained there that winter. They had no snow whatever, and
all their cattle went out to graze without keepers. Now when spring
began, they beheld one morning early, that a fleet of hide-canoes was
rowing from the south off the headland; so many were they as if the
sea were strewn with pieces of charcoal, and there was also the
brandishing of staves as before from each boat. Then they held shields
up, and a market was formed between them; and this people in their
purchases preferred red cloth; in exchange they had furs to give, and
skins quite grey. They wished also to buy swords and lances, but
Karlsefni and Snorri forbad it. They offered for the cloth dark hides,
and took in exchange a span long of cloth, and bound it round their
heads; and so matters went on for a while. But when the stock of cloth
began to grow small, then they split it asunder, so that it was not
more than a finger's breadth. The Skrœlingar {Esquimaux) gave for it
still quite as much, or more than before.

11. Now it came to pass that a bull, which belonged to Karlsefni's
people, rushed out of the wood and bellowed loudly at the same time.
The Skrœlingar, frightened thereat, rushed away to their canoes, and