way to the end of the world. The wise man answered that he had asked
a vain question.

"The sea has no end, and those who go westward have found their death in
the Fire Island. Turn homeward and live," said the wise man.

The king only answered by asking the wise Lapp if he would be their
guide to the Fire Island. He consented and went aboard the ship. His
name was Varrak.

He steered the boat due north for thirty days and thirty nights. The
first danger they met was a great whirlpool, whose center was a vast
hole into which had been drawn many a brave ship. Varrak threw overboard
a small barrel wrapped in red cloth and trimmed with many red streamers,
but with a rope attached to it. A whale swallowed this bait and then
tried to escape as he felt the rope pulling him. In his flight he towed
the ship to a safe place in the open sea.

This brought them far westward and at last they came within sight of the
Island of Fire. Iceland, men call it now, but surely it has as much fire
as ice. From the middle of this Iceland they could see great pillars of
flame and vast clouds of smoke ascending into the air.

Varrak warned the king of his danger, but was commanded to run the boat
ashore. Those who explored the land found a vast mountain casting up
flames and another mountain pouring out smoke. Soon the party came
across great spouting fountains of boiling water, and they found the
ground beneath their feet to be burning lava.

The son of Sulev, who was leading this exploring party, wandered through