their journey home. Now, when they sailed from Vinland, they had a
southern wind, and reached Markland, and found five Skrœlingar; one
was a bearded man, two were women, two children. Karlsefni's people
caught the children, but the others escaped and sunk down into the
earth. And they took the children with them, and taught them their
speech, and they were baptized. The children called their mother
Vœtilldi, and their father Uvœgi. They said that kings ruled over the
land of the Skrœlingar, one of whom was called Avalldamon, and the
other Valldidida. They said also that there were no houses, and the
people lived in caves or holes. They said, moreover, that there was a
land on the other side over against their land, and the people there
were dressed in white garments, uttered loud cries, bare long poles,
and wore fringes. This was supposed to be Hvitramannaland (whiteman's
land). Then came they to Greenland, and remained with Eirik the Red
during the winter.

[Footnote D: in this _lacuna_ occur the words “af stopi,” which Dr.
Vigfusson translates, in his notes, “over the stubbles.”]

14. Bjarni, Grimolf's son, and his men were carried into the Irish
Ocean, and came into a part where the sea was infested by ship-worms.
They did not find it out before the ship was eaten through under them;
then they debated what plan they should follow. They had a ship's boat
which was smeared with tar made of seal-fat. It is said that the
ship-worm will not bore into the wood which has been smeared with the
seal-tar. The counsel and advice of most of the men was to ship into
the boat as many men as it would hold. Now, when that was tried, the
boat held not more than half the men. Then Bjarni advised that it
should be decided by the casting of lots, and not by the rank of the
men, which of them should go into the boat; and inasmuch as every man