westerly gales, and were driven ashore in Ireland,[35-3] where they were
grievously maltreated and thrown into slavery. There Thorhall lost his
life, according to that which traders have related.

It is now to be told of Karlsefni, that he cruised southward off the
coast, with Snorri and Biarni, and their people. They sailed for a long
time, and until they came at last to a river, which flowed down from the
land into a lake, and so into the sea. There were great bars at the mouth
of the river, so that it could only be entered at the height of the
flood-tide. Karlsefni and his men sailed into the mouth of the river, and
called it there Hop [a small land-locked bay]. They found self-sown
wheat-fields on the land there, wherever there were hollows, and wherever
there was hilly ground, there were vines.[36-1] Every brook there was
full of fish. They dug pits, on the shore where the tide rose highest,
and when the tide fell, there were halibut in the pits. There were great
numbers of wild animals of all kinds in the woods. They remained there
half a month, and enjoyed themselves, and kept no watch. They had their
live-stock with them. Now one morning early, when they looked about them,
they saw a great number of skin-canoes,[36-2] and staves were brandished
from the boats, with a noise like flails, and they were revolved in the
same direction in which the sun moves. Then said Karlsefni: "What may
this betoken?" Snorri, Thorbrand's son, answers him: "It may be, that
this is a signal of peace, wherefore let us take a white shield and
display it." And thus they did. Thereupon the strangers rowed toward
them, and went upon the land, marvelling at those whom they saw before
them. They were swarthy men,[36-3] and ill-looking, and the hair of their
heads was ugly. They had great eyes,[36-4] and were broad of cheek. They
tarried there for a time looking curiously at the people they saw before
them, and then rowed away, and to the southward around the point.