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greater　protection。　Outside　the　earthen　ring　there　is　a　ditch　filled　with　water；　the　depth　I　do　not　know。
　These　earthworks　are　excellently　made；　of　a　symmetry　and　quality　to　rival　anything　we　know。　And　there　is　this　further：　on　the　landward　side　of　the　town；　a　second　semicircle　of　high　wall；　and　a　second　ditch　beyond。
　The　town　itself　lies　within　the　inner　ring；　which　is　broken　by　four　gates；　facing　the　four　corners　of　the　earth。　Each　gate　is　barred　by　strong　oaken　doors　with　heavy　fittings　of　iron；　and　many　guards。　Many　guards　also　walk　the　ramparts；　keeping　watch　day　and　night。
　Inside　the　town　stand　sixteen　wooden　dwellings；　all　the　same：　they　are　long　houses；　for　so　the　Northmen　call　them；　with　walls　that　curve　so　that　they　resemble　overturned　boats　with　the　ends　cut　flat　front　and　back。　In　length　they　are　thirty　paces；　and　wider　in　the　middle　portion　than　either　end。　They　are　arranged　thus：　four　long　houses　precisely　set；　so　as　to　form　a　square。　Four　squares　are　arranged　to　make　sixteen　houses　in　all。14
　Every　long　house　has　but　one　entrance；　and　no　house　has　its　entrance　within　sight　of　another。　I　inquired　why　this　was　so；　and　Herger　said　thus：　〃If　the　camp　is　attacked；　the　men。　must　run　to　defense；　and　the　doorways　are　such　that　the　men　can　hasten　without　mingling　and　confusion；　but　on　the　contrary　each　man　can　proceed　freely　to　the　task　of　defense。〃
　Thus　it　is　within　the　square　that　one　house　has　a　north　door；　the　next　house　an　east　door；　the　next　house　a　south　door；　the　next　house　a　west　door；　so　also　each　of　the　four　squares。
　Then　also　I　saw　that　while　the　Northmen　are　gigantic；　these　doorways　were　so　low　that　even　I　must　bend　in　two　to　enter　one　of　the　houses。　I　inquired　of　Herger；　who　said：　〃If　we　are　attacked；　a　single　warrior　may　remain　inside　the　house；　and　with　his　sword　cut　off　the　heads　of　all　who　enter。　The　door　is　low　so　that　heads　will　be　bent　for　cutting。〃
　Verily；　I　saw　that　in　all　respects　the　Trelburg　town　was　constructed　for　warfare　and　for　defense。　No　trading　is　conducted　here　at　all；　as　I　have　said。　Inside　the　long　houses；　there　are　three　sections　or　rooms；　each　with　a　door。　The　center　room　is　the　largest；　and　it　also　has　a　pit　for　rubbish。
　Now　I　saw　that　the　Trelburg　people　were　not　as　the　Northmen　along　the　Volga。　These　were　clean　people　for　their　race。　They　washed　in　the　river；　and　relieved　their　waste　out　of　doors；　and　were　in　all　ways　much　superior　to　what　I　had　known。　Yet　they　are　not　truly　clean；　except　in　parison。
　The　society　of　Trelburg　is　mostly　men；　and　the　women　are　all　slaves。　There　are　no　wives　among　the　women；　and　all　women　are　taken　freely　as　the　men　desire。　The　people　of　Trelburg　live　on　fish；　and　some　little　bread；　they　do　no　agriculture　or　farming；　although　the　marshlands　surrounding　the　town　contain　areas　suitable　for　growing。　I　asked　of　Herger　why　there　was　no　agriculture；　and　he　said　to　me；　〃These　are　warriors。　They　do　not　till　the　soil。〃
　Buliwyf　and　his　pany　were　graciously　received　by　the　chiefs　of　Trelburg；　who　are　several；　foremost　among　them　one　who　is　called　Sagard。　Sagard　is　a　strong　and　fierce　man；　almost　as　huge　as　Buliwyf　himself。
　During　the　night　banquet；　Sagard　inquired　of　Buliwyf　his　mission　and　the　reasons　for　his　travels；　and　Buliwyf　reported　of　the　supplication　of　Wulfgar。　Herger　translated　all　for　me；　although　in　truth　I　had　spent　sufficient　time　among　these　heathens　to　learn　a　word　or　two　in　their　tongue。　Here　is　the　meaning　of　the　conversation　of　Sagard　and　Buliwyf。
　Sagard　spoke　thus：　〃It　is　sensible　for　Wulfgar　to　carry　out　the　errand　of　a　messenger；　though　he　is　the　son　of　the　King　Rothgar；　for　the　several　sons　of　Rothgar　have　set　upon　one　another。〃
　Buliwyf　said　that　he　did　not　know　of　this；　or　words　to　that　meaning。　But　I　perceived　that　he　was　not　greatly　surprised。　Yet　it　is　true　that　Buliwyf　was　seldom　surprised　by　any　thing。　Such　was　his　role　as　leader　of　the　warriors　and　hero　to　them。
　Sagard　spoke　again：　〃Indeed；　Rothgar　had　five　sons；　and　three　are　dead　at　the　hand　of　one　of　them；　Wiglif；　a　cunning　man；15　whose　conspirator　in　this　affair　is　the　herald　of　the　old　King。　Only　Wulfgar　remains　faithful；　and　he　has　departed。〃
　Buliwyf　said　to　Sagard　that　he　was　glad　to　know　of　this　news；　and　would　hold　it　in　his　mind；　and　there　the　conversation　ended。　Never　did　Buliwyf　or　any　of　his　warriors　show　surprise　at　the　words　of　Sagard；　and　from　this　I　took　that　it　is　ordinary　for　the　sons　of　a　king　to　dispose　of　one　another　to　gain　the　throne。
　Also　it　is　true　that　from　time　to　time　a　son　may　murder　his　father　the　king　to　gain　the　throne；　and　this　is　likewise　counted　nothing　remarkable；　for　the　Northmen　see　it　the　same　as　any　drunken　brawl　among　warriors。　The　Northmen　have　a　proverb　which　is　〃Look　to　your　back；〃　and　they　believe　that　a　man　must　always　be　prepared　to　defend　himself；　even　a　father　against　his　own　son。
　Upon　our　departure；　I　inquired　of　Herger　why　there　should　be　another　fortification　on　the　landward　side　of　Trelburg；　and　yet　no　such　additional　fortification　on　the　seaward　side。　These　Northmen　are　seafaring　men　who　attack　from　the　sea；　and　yet　Herger　said；　〃It　is　the　land　that　is　dangerous。〃
　I　asked　of　him；　〃Why　is　the　land　dangerous？〃　And　he　replied；　〃Because　of　the　mists。
　Upon　our　departure　from　Trelburg；　the　warriors　assembled　there　beat　their　staves　upon　their　shields；　raising　a　loud　noise　for　our　ship　which　set　sail。　This；　I　was　told；　was　to　draw　the　attention　of　Odin；　one　of　the　number　of　their　gods；　so　that　this　Odin　would　look　with　favor　upon　the　journey　of　Buliwyf　and　his　twelve　men。
　Also；　this　I　learned：　that　the　number　thirteen　is　significant　to　the　Norsemen；　because　the　moon　grows　and　dies　thirteen　times　in　the　passage　of　one　year；　by　their　reckoning。　For　this　reason；　all　important　accountings　must　include　the　number　thirteen。　Thus　Herger　said　to　me　that　the　number　of　dwellings　in　Trelburg　was　thirteen　and　also　three　more；　instead　of　sixteen；　as　I　have　expressed　it。
　Further；　I　learned　that　these　Northmen　have　some　notion　that　the　year　does　not　fit　with　exactitude　into　thirteen　passages　of　the　moon；　and　thus　the　number　thirteen　is　not　stable　and　fixed　in　their　minds。　The　thirteenth　passage　is　called　magical　and　foreign；　and　Herger　says；　〃Thus　for　the　thirteenth　man　you　were　chosen　as　foreign。〃
　Verily　these　Northmen　are　superstitious；　with　no　recourse　to　sense　or　reason　or　law。　They　seemed　to　my　eyes　to　be　fierce　children；　and　yet　I　was　among　them；　and　so　held　my　tongue。　Soon　enough　I　was　glad　for　my　discretion；　for　these　events　followed：
　We　were　sailing　some　time　from　Trelburg　when　I　recalled　that　never　previously　had　the　inhabitants　of　a　town　made　a　departure　ceremony　with　beating　of　shields　to　call　up　Odin。　I　spoke　as　much　to　Herger。
　〃It　is　true；〃　he　responded。　〃There　is　a　special　reason　for　the　call　to　Odin；　for　we　are　now　upon　the　sea　of　monsters。〃
　This　seemed　to　me　proof　of　their　superstition。　I　inquired　if　any　of　the　warriors　had　ever　seen　such　monsters。　〃Indeed；　we　have　all　seen　them；〃　Herger　said。　〃Why　else　should　we　know　of　them？〃　By　the　tone　of　his　voice；　I　could　recognize　that　he　thought　me　a　fool　for　my　disbelief。
　Some　further　time　passed；　when　there　was　a　shout；　and　all　the　warriors　of　Buliwyf　stood　pointing　to　the　sea；　watching；　shouting　amongst　themselves。　I　asked　Herger　what　had　happened。　〃We　are　among　the　monsters　now；〃　he　said；　pointing。
　Now　the　ocean　in　this　region　is　most　turbulent。　The　wind　blows　with　fierce　force；　turning　the　curls　of　the　sea　white　with　foam；　spitting　water　into　the　face　of　a　sailor；　and　playing　tricks　with　his　sight。　I　watched　the　sea　for　many　minutes　and　had　no　view　of　this　sea　monster；　and　I　had　no　reason　to　believe　what　they　said。
　Then　one　of　their　number　shouted　to　Odin；　a　scream　of　prayer；　repeating　the　name　many　times　in　supplication；　and　then　I　also　saw　with　my　own　eyes　the　sea　monster。　It　was　in　the　shape　of　a　giant　snake　that　never　raised　its　head　above　the　surface；　yet　I　saw　its　body　curl　and　twist　over；　and　it　was　very　long；　and　wider　than　the　Northmen's　boat；　and　black　in　color。　The　sea　monster　spat　water　into　the　air；　like　a　fountain；　and　then　plunged　down；　raising　a　tail　that　was　cleft　in　two；　like　the　forked　tongue　of