ehold at Hrappstead the
next spring; but after he had kept house there for a little time he
was seized of frenzy, and died shortly afterwards. [Sidenote:
Thorstein Swart leaves home] Now it was the turn of his mother,
Vigdis, to take there alone all this wealth; but as she would not go
to the estate of Hrappstead, Thorstein Swart took all the wealth to
himself to take care of. Thorstein was by then rather old, though
still one of the most healthy and hearty of men.

CHAP. XVIII

Of the Drowning of Thorstein Swart

At that time there rose to honour among men in Thorness, the kinsmen
of Thorstein, named Bork the Stout and his brother, Thorgrim. It was
soon found out how these brothers would fain be the greatest men
there, and were most highly accounted of. And when Thorstein found
that out, he would not elbow them aside, and so made it known to
people that he wished to change his abode, and take his household to
Hrappstead, in Salmon-river-Dale. Thorstein Swart got ready to start
after the spring Thing, but his cattle were driven round along the
shore. Thorstein got on board a ferry-boat, and took twelve men with
him; and Thorarin, his brother-in-law, and Osk, Thorstein's daughter,
and Hild, her daughter, who was three years old, went with them too.
Thorstein fell in with a high south-westerly gale, and they sailed up
towards the roosts, and into that roost which is called
Coal-chest-Roost, which is the biggest of the currents in Broadfirth.
[Sidenote: The wreck] They made little way sailing, chiefly because
the tide was ebbing, and the wind was not favourable, the weather
being squally, with high wind when the squalls broke over, but with
little wind between whiles. Thorstein steered, and had the braces of
the sail round his shoulders, because the boat was blocked up with
goods, chiefly piled-up chests, and the cargo was heaped up very high;
but land was near about, while on the boat there was but little way,
because of the raging current against them. Then they sailed on to a
hidden rock, but were not wrecked. Thorstein bade them let down the
sail as quickly as possible, and take punt poles to push off the ship.
This shift was tried to no avail, because on either board the sea was
so deep that the poles struck no bottom; so they were obliged to wait
for the incoming tide, and now the water ebbs away under the ship.
Throughout the day they saw a seal in the current larger by much than
any others, and through