10.  They had built their settlements up above the lake.  And some of the dwellings were well within the land, but some were near the lake.  Now they remained there that winter.  They had no snow whatever, and all their cattle went out to graze without keepers.  Now when spring began, they beheld one morning early, that a fleet of hide-canoes was rowing from the south off the headland; so many were they as if the sea were strewn with pieces of charcoal, and there was also the brandishing of staves as before from each boat.  Then they held shields up, and a market was formed between them; and this people in their purchases preferred red cloth; in exchange they had furs to give, and skins quite grey.  They wished also to buy swords and lances, but Karlsefni and Snorri forbad it.  They offered for the cloth dark hides, and took in exchange a span long of cloth, and bound it round their heads; and so matters went on for a while.  But when the stock of cloth began to grow small, then they split it asunder, so that it was not more than a finger’s breadth.  The Skroelingar (Esquimaux) gave for it still quite as much, or more than before.

11.  Now it came to pass that a bull, which belonged to Karlsefni’s people, rushed out of the wood and bellowed loudly at the same time.  The Skroelingar, frightened thereat, rushed away to their canoes, and rowed south along the coast.  There was then nothing seen of them for three weeks together.  When that time was gone by, there was seen approaching from the south a great crowd of Skroelingar boats, coming down upon them like a stream, the staves this time being all brandished in the direction opposite to the sun’s motion, and the Skroelingar were all howling loudly.  Then took they and bare red shields to meet them.  They encountered one another and fought, and there was a great shower of missiles.  The Skroelingar had also war-slings, or catapults.  Then Karlsefni and Snorri see that the Skroelingar are bringing up poles, with a very large ball attached to each, to be compared in size to a sheep’s stomach, dark in colour; and these flew over Karlsefni’s company towards the land, and when they came down they struck the ground with a hideous noise.  This produced great terror in Karlsefni and his company, so that their only impulse was to retreat up the country along the river, because it seemed as if crowds of Skroelingar were driving at them from all sides.  And they stopped not until they came to certain crags.  There they offered them stern resistance.  Freydis came out and saw how they were retreating.  She called out, “Why run you away from such worthless creatures, stout men that ye are, when, as seems to me likely, you might slaughter them like so many cattle?  Let me but have a weapon, I think I could fight better than any of you.”  They gave no heed to what she said.  Freydis endeavoured to accompany them, still she soon lagged behind, because she was not well; she went after them into the wood, and the Skroelingar