Iron and iron tools

Þeir Skrælingar fundu ok mann dauðan, ok lá øx hjá honum; einn þeirra tók upp øxina ok hǫggr með tré, ok þá hverr at ǫðrum, ok þótti þeim vera gersimi ok bita val. Síðan tók einn ok hjó í stein ok brotnaði øxin, þótti honum þá ǫngu nýt, er eigi stóð við grjótinu, ok kastaði niðr. Þeir þóttuz nú sjá, þótt þar væri landskostir góðir, at þar mundi jafnan ófriðr ok ótti á liggja af þeim, er fyrir bjuggu. Síðan bjugguz þeir á brott ok ætluðu til sins lands.

The Skrælings had also found a dead man with an axe lying beside him. One of them picked up the axe and chopped at a tree with it, and then each of the others did the same. They thought it a treasure that cut well. Then one of them struck a stone with it, and the axe broke. Then he thought it worthless, since it could not stand up to stone, and he threw it down. Karlsefni’s people now saw that, good as the land was, they would always live in fear and in conflict with the people who already lived there. So they got ready to leave, meaning to go back to their own country.

Nu komu Skrælingar j þann stad er Kallzefni hafde ætlat til bardaga. nu uar þar bardage ok fell fiollde af lide Skrælinga. einn madr uar mikill ok uænn j lide Skrælinga ok þotti Kallzefni sem hann munde vera hôfdinge þeirra. nu hafde æinn þeirra Skrælinga tekit upp ôxi eina ok leit a um stund ok reidde at felaga sinum ok hio til hans. sa fell þegar daudr. þa tok sa hinn mykle madr vit ôxinne ok leit a vm stund ok uarp henni sidan a sioinn sem leingst matti hann. en sidan flyia þeir a skoginn suo huerr sem fara matti ok lykr þar nu þeirra vidskiftum.

Then the Skrælings came to the place Karlsefni had chosen for the battle. There was a battle there, and many of the Skrælings fell. There was one tall, handsome man in the Skrælings’ band, and Karlsefni thought he must be their chief. One of the Skrælings had picked up an axe. He looked at it for a while, then swung it at a companion and struck him. The man fell dead at once. Then the tall man took the axe, looked at it for a while, and threw it into the sea as far as he could. After that they fled into the forest, each as best he could, and that was the end of their dealings.

But, O cursed covetousnesse, what art thou going to doe? It should be farr better to see a company of Rogues perish then see ourselves in danger to perish by that scourg so cruell. Hearing that they have had knives and hattchetts, the victualls of their poore children is taken away from them; yea, what ever they have, those doggs must have their share. They are the coursedest, unablest, the unfamous & cowardliest people that I have seene amongst fower score nations that I have frequented.

But, O cursed greed, what are you going to do? It would be far better to see a band of rogues perish than to see ourselves in danger of perishing by that cruel scourge. Hearing that they had knives and hatchets, [others] took the food of their poor children away from them. Yes, whatever they have, those dogs must have their share. They are the most cursed, the most useless, the most infamous and cowardly people that I have seen among the eighty nations that I have dealt with.

De tous les articles de commerce, ils ne désiraient ardemment que le fer ; ils acceptèrent aussi quelques rassades ; mais elles servaient plutôt à conclure un marché qu'à former la base de l'échange. Nous parvînmes dans la suite à leur faire recevoir des assiettes et des pots d'étain ; mais ces articles n'eurent qu'un succès passager, et le fer prévalut sur tout.

Of all our trade goods, the only thing they really wanted was iron. They also took a few glass beads, but these served more to close a deal than as the main payment. Later we got them to accept pewter plates and pots, but these were only briefly popular, and iron won out over everything.

Dès que nous fûmes établis derrière l'île, presque tous les sauvages de la baie s'y rendirent. Le bruit de notre arrivée se répandit bientôt aux environs ; nous vîmes arriver plusieurs pirogues chargées d'une quantité très-considérable de peaux de loutres, que ces Indiens échangèrent contre des haches, des herminettes et du fer en barre. Ils nous donnaient leurs saumons pour des morceaux de vieux cercles ; mais bientôt ils devinrent plus difficiles, et nous ne pûmes nous procurer ce poisson, qu'avec des clous ou quelques petits instrumens de fer. Je crois qu'il n'est aucune contrée où la loutre de mer soit plus commune que dans cette partie de l'Amérique ; et je serais peu surpris qu'une factorerie qui étendrait son commerce seulement à quarante ou cinquante lieues sur le bord de la mer, rassemblât chaque année dix mille peaux de cet animal.

As soon as we had settled in behind the island, nearly all the savages of the bay came there. News of our arrival soon spread through the area. Several canoes arrived loaded with a great many sea otter skins, which these Indians traded for axes, adzes, and bar iron. At first they gave us their salmon for pieces of old barrel hoops. But they soon became harder to please, and we could only get salmon for nails or small iron tools. I believe there is no country where the sea otter is more common than this part of America. I would not be surprised if a trading post that dealt along only forty or fifty leagues of coast collected ten thousand skins a year.