There are in all these narratives many details beyond this outline, and those who have sought to identify localities have made the most they could of the mention of a rock here or a bluff there, of an island where they killed a bear, of others where they found eggs, of a headland where they buried a leader who had been killed, of a cape shaped like a keel, of broadfaced natives who offered furs for red cloths, of beaches where they hauled up their ships, and of tides that were strong; but the more these details are scanned in the different sagas, the more they confuse the investigator, and the more successive relators try to enlighten us the more our doubts are strengthened, till we end with the conviction that all attempts at consistent unravelment leave nothing but a vague sense of something somewhere done.

[1] From an article by Mr. Winsor in “The Narrative and Critical History of America,” of which he was editor.  By arrangement with the publishers, Houghton, Mifflin Co., Copyright 1889.  For a long period Mr. Winsor was librarian of Harvard University.  He wrote “From Cartier to Frontenac,” “Christopher Columbus,” “The Mississippi Basin,” and made other important contributions to American history.

II

How the Norwegians came to Vinland[1]

(1000 A.D.)

Lief invited his father, Eric, to become the leader of the expedition, but Eric declined, saying that he was then stricken in years, and adding that he was less able to endure the exposure of sea life than he had been.  Lief replied that he would, nevertheless, be the one who would be most apt to bring good luck, and Eric yielded to Lief’s solicitation, and rode from home when they were ready to sail.

They put the ship in order; and, when they were ready, they sailed out to sea, and found first that land which Bjarni and his shipmates found last.  They sailed up to the land and cast anchor, and launched a boat and went ashore, and saw no grass there.  Great ice mountains lay inland back from the sea, and it was as a [table-land of] flat rock all the way from the sea to the ice mountains; and the country seemed to them to be entirely devoid of good qualities.  Then said Lief, “It has not come to pass with us in regard to this land as with Biarni, that we have not gone upon it.  To this country I will now give a name, and call it Helluland,” They returned to the ship, put out to sea, and found a second land.

They sailed again to the land, and came to anchor, and launched the boat, and went ashore.  This was a level wooded land; and there were broad stretches of white sand where they went, and the land was level by the sea.  Then said Lief, “This land shall have a name after its nature; and we will call it Markland.”  They returned to the ship forthwith, and sailed away upon the main with northeast winds, and were out two “doegr” before they sighted land.  They sailed toward this land, and came to an island which lay to the northward off the land.  There they went ashore and looked about them, the weather being fine, and they observed that there was dew upon the grass, and it so happened that they touched the dew with their hands, and touched their hands to their mouths, and it seemed to them that they had never before tasted anything so sweet as this....