ng Serpent, a war vessel of
thirty-four banks, which was built about the end of the tenth century,
and some of the dimensions of which are given in the Saga of Olaf
Tryggvesson. The length of her keel that rested on the grass, we are
told, was about 111 feet, which is not far short of the length of the
keel of one of our forty-two gun frigates. As these warships were long
in proportion to their breadth, like our modern steamers, this speaks to
a size approaching 400 tons burden. As we have said, the Dragon was a
gorgeous vessel. It had a high poop and forecastle, a low waist, or
middle part, and a splendidly gilt and painted stern, figurehead, and
tail. The sides, which were, as usual, hung round with the red and
white painted shields of the crew, were pierced for sixty-four oars,
that is, thirty-two on each side, being two oars to each bank or bench,
and as there were three men to each oar, this gave a total crew of 192
men; but in truth the vessel contained, including steersmen and
supernumeraries, above 200 men. Under the feet of the rowers, in the
waist, were chests of arms, piles of stones to be used as missiles,
provisions, clothing, goods, and stores, all of which were protected by
a deck of movable hatches. On this deck the crew slept at nights,
sheltered by an awning or sail, when it was not convenient for them to
land and sleep on the beach in their tents, with which all the vessels
of the Norsemen were usually supplied. There was but one great mast,
forty feet high, and one enormous square sail to this ship. The mast
was tipped with gilding, and the sail was of alternate strips of red,
white, and blue cloth. Each space between the banks served as the berth
of six or eight men, and was divided into half berths--starboard and
larboard--for the men who worked the corresponding oars. On the richly
ornamented poop stood the King himself, surrounded by his bodyguard and
chief men of the Court, including Jarl Rongvold and Thiodolph the scald.
From the stem to the mid-hold was the forecastle, on which were
stationed the King's berserkers, under Hake of Hadeland. All the men of
Hake's band were splendid fellows; for King Harald, having a choice of
men from the best of every district, took into his house troop only such
as were remarkable for strength, courage, and dexterity in the use of
their weapons.

It must not be supposed that the rest of Harald's fleet was composed of
small vessels. On the contrary,