west of the city are occupied by heathens. There
King Sigurd had his third battle with the heathens, and gained the
victory, and with it a great booty. So says Haldor Skvaldre:--

"The son of kings on Lisbon's plains
A third and bloody battle gains.
He and his Norsemen boldly land,
Running their stout ships on the strand."

Then King Sigurd sailed westwards along heathen Spain, and brought up
at a town called Alkasse; and here he had his fourth battle with the
heathens, and took the town, and killed so many people that the town
was left empty. They got there also immense booty. So says Haldor
Skvaldre:--

"A fourth great battle, I am told,
Our Norse king and his people hold
At Alkasse; and here again
The victory fell to our Norsemen."

And also this verse:--

"I heard that through the town he went,
And heathen widows' wild lament
Resounded in the empty halls;
For every townsman flies or falls."

6. BATTLE IN THE ISLAND FORMINTERRA.

King Sigurd then proceeded on his voyage, and came to Norfasund; and
in the sound he was met by a large viking force, and the king gave them
battle; and this was his fifth engagement with heathens since the
time he left Norway. He gained the victory here also. So says Haldor
Skvaldre:--

"Ye moistened your dry swords with blood,
As through Norfasund ye stood;
The screaming raven got a feast,
As ye sailed onward to the East."

King Sigurd then sailed eastward along the coast of Serkland, and came
to an island there called Forminterra. There a great many heathen Moors
had taken up their dwelling in a cave, and had built a strong stone wall
before its mouth. They harried the country all round, and carried all
their booty to their cave. King Sigurd landed on this island, and went
to the cave; but it lay in a precipice, and there was a high winding
path to the stone wall, and the precipice above projected over it. The
heathens defended the stone wall, and were not afraid of the Northmen's
arms; for they could throw stones, or shoot down upon the Northmen under
their feet; neither did the Northmen, under such circumstances, dare
to mount up. The heathens took their clothes and other valuable things,
carried them out upon the wall, spread them out before the Northmen,
shouted, and defied them, and upbraided them as cowards. Then Sigurd
fell upon this plan. He had two ship's boats, such as we call