Karlsefni and his followers had built their huts above the lake, some of
their dwellings being near the lake, and others farther away. Now they
remained there that winter. No snow came there, and all of their
live-stock lived by grazing.[37-1] And when spring opened, they
discovered, early one morning, a great number of skin-canoes, rowing from
the south past the cape, so numerous, that it looked as if coals had been
scattered broadcast out before the bay; and on every boat staves were
waved. Thereupon Karlsefni and his people displayed their shields, and
when they came together, they began to barter with each other. Especially
did the strangers wish to buy red cloth, for which they offered in
exchange peltries and quite gray skins. They also desired to buy swords
and spears, but Karlsefni and Snorri forbade this. In exchange for
perfect unsullied skins, the Skrellings would take red stuff a span in
length, which they would bind around their heads. So their trade went on
for a time, until Karlsefni and his people began to grow short of cloth,
when they divided it into such narrow pieces, that it was not more than a
finger's breadth wide, but the Skrellings still continued to give just as
much for this as before, or more.

It so happened, that a bull,[37-2] which belonged to Karlsefni and his
people, ran out from the woods, bellowing loudly. This so terrified the
Skrellings, that they sped out to their canoes, and then rowed away to
the southward along the coast. For three entire weeks nothing more was
seen of them. At the end of this time, however, a great multitude of
Skrelling boats was discovered approaching from the south, as if a stream
were pouring down, and all of their staves were waved in a direction
contrary to the course of the sun, and the Skrellings were all uttering
loud cries. Thereupon Karlsefni and his men took red shields and
displayed them. The Skrellings sprang from their boats, and they met
then, and fought together. There was a fierce shower of missiles, for the