of his companions went ashore. "It is a fair region here," said he, "and
here I should like to make my home." They then returned to the ship, and
discovered on the sands, in beyond the headland, three mounds; they went
up to these, and saw that they were three skin-canoes, with three men
under each. They thereupon divided their party, and succeeded in seizing
all of the men but one, who escaped with his canoe. They killed the eight
men, and then ascended the headland again, and looked about them, and
discovered within the firth certain hillocks, which they concluded must
be habitations. They were then so overpowered with sleep that they could
not keep awake, and all fell into a [heavy] slumber, from which they were
awakened by the sound of a cry uttered above them; and the words of the
cry were these: "Awake, Thorvald, thou and all thy company, if thou
wouldst save thy life; and board thy ship with all thy men, and sail with
all speed from the land!" A countless number of skin-canoes then advanced
toward them from the inner part of the firth, whereupon Thorvald
exclaimed: "We must put out the war-boards, on both sides of the ship,
and defend ourselves to the best of our ability, but offer little
attack." This they did, and the Skrellings, after they had shot at them
for a time, fled precipitately, each as best he could. Thorvald then
inquired of his men, whether any of them had been wounded, and they
informed him that no one of them had received a wound. "I have been
wounded in my arm-pit," says he; "an arrow flew in between the gunwale
and the shield, below my arm. Here is the shaft, and it will bring me to
my end! I counsel you now to retrace your way with the utmost speed. But
me ye shall convey to that headland which seemed to me to offer so
pleasant a dwelling-place; thus it may be fulfilled, that the truth
sprang to my lips, when I expressed the wish to abide there for a time.
Ye shall bury me there, and place a cross at my head, and another at my
feet, and call it Crossness for ever after." At that time Christianity
had obtained in Greenland; Eric the Red died, however, before [the