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Music of the Waters. 205 |
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When Iceland was the outmost bound
That roving Viking keels had found,
Gunbiorn then—Ulf Kraka's son—
Still farther west was forced to run
By furious gales, and there saw land
Stretching abroad on either hand.
Eric, of Iceland, called the Red,
Heard of the news and straightway said,
1 This western land I'll go and see ;
Three summers hence look out for me.'
He went, he landed, stayed awhile,
And wintered first on Eric's Isle,
Then searched the coast both far and wide,
Then back to Iceland o'er the tide.
' A wondrous land is this/ he said,
And called it Greenland of the Sea.
Twenty-and-five great ships sailed west
To claim this gem on ocean's breast ;
With man and woman, horn and hoof,
And begging for the homestead roof,
Some turned back—in heart but mice—
Some sank amid the northern ice;
Half reached the land in much distress,
At Ericsford and Herulfness.
Next Biarne—Herulf s doughty son—
Sought to trace out the aged one (his father^;
From Norway sailed, but missed his mark,
Passed snow-topped Greenland in the dark :
And then came to a New Found land—
But did not touch the tempting strand,
For winter winds oppressed him sore,
And kept him from his father's shore.
Then Leif—the son of Eric—rose
And straightway off to Biarne goes,
Buys up his ship, takes all his men,
Fares forth to seek that land again.
Leif found the land, discovered more,
And spent a winter on the shore, |
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