went
with his troops westward to Africa, which the Varings call Serkland,
where he was strengthened with many men. In Serkland he took eighty
castles, some of which surrendered, and others were stormed. He then
went to Sicily. So says Thiodolf:--

"The serpent's bed of glowing gold
He hates--the generous king, the bold!
He who four score towers laid low,
Ta'en from the Saracenic foe.
Before upon Sicilian plains,
Shield joined to shield, the fight he gains,
The victory at Hild's war game;
And now the heathens dread his name."

So says also Illuge Bryndala-skald:--

"For Michael's empire Harald fought,
And southern lands to Michael brought;
So Budle's son his friendship showed
When he brought friends to his abode."

Here it is said that Michael was king of the Greeks at that time. Harald
remained many years in Africa, where he gathered great wealth in gold,
jewels, and all sorts of precious things; and all the wealth he gathered
there which he did not need for his expenses, he sent with trusty men
of his own north to Novgorod to King Jarisleif's care and keeping. He
gathered together there extraordinary treasure, as is reasonable to
suppose; for he had the plundering of the part of the world richest in
gold and valuable things, and he had done such great deeds as with truth
are related, such as taking eighty strongholds by his valour.

6. BATTLE IN SICILY.

Now when Harald came to Sicily he plundered there also, and sat down
with his army before a strong and populous castle. He surrounded the
castle; but the walls were so thick there was no possibility of breaking
into it, and the people of the castle had enough of provisions, and all
that was necessary for defence. Then Harald hit upon an expedient.
He made his bird-catchers catch the small birds which had their nests
within the castle, but flew into the woods by day to get food for their
young. He had small splinters of tarred wood bound upon the backs of the
birds, smeared these over with wax and sulphur, and set fire to them. As
soon as the birds were let loose they all flew at once to the castle to
their young, and to their nests, which they had under the house roofs
that were covered with reeds or straw. The fire from the birds seized
upon the house roofs; and although each bird could only carry a small
burden of fire, yet all at once there was a mighty flame, caused by so
many birds carryi