others still remain in the power of the Saracens. Their names are as follows:-First, after Joppa, is the town called popularly Atsuph, but in Latin, Azotum; next, Cæsarea of Palestine; and then Cayphas. Baldwin, the flower of kings, has possession of these cities. Next after these is the very strong city of Acre, which is called Accaron; then Sur and Sagete, which are Tyre and Sidon; then Jubelet; then Baruth; and then Tartusa, which is in possession of duke Raimund. Next Gibel, where are the mountains of Gilboa; and then Tripolis and Lice. We passed by all these cities*. On the Wednesday of Pentecost, as we were sailing between Cayphas and Accaron †, twenty-six ships of the Saracens suddenly came in sight, the forces of the admiral of Tyre and Sidon, which were carrying an army to Babylonia to assist the Chaldeans in making war on the king of Jerusalem; upon which two of our ships, which had come with us from Joppa full of palmers, leaving our ship behind because they were lighter, fled in all haste to Cæsarea. The Saracens, encircling our ship on all sides, at the distance of about an arrow's shot, rejoiced in the prospect of such a rich prey; but our men, ready to meet death in the cause of Christ, took to their arms, and stationed themselves as quickly as possible on the castle of the ship; for our dromund carried about two hundred soldiers. After the space of about an hour, the commander of the hostile fleet held a council, and sent a sailor up the mast of his ship, which was the largest, that he might give information of our condition and preparations; and as soon as he understood from him the bold countenance we showed, they hoisted their sails and put out to sea, and so that day the Lord by his grace snatched us from our enemies. The names of these cities, in the modern nomenclature, are Arsouph, Kaisariyah, Kaiffa, Akre, Sour, Sayd, Gjobayl, Beyrout, Tortus, Gebely, Tripoli, and Laodicea, the latter of which was the place named by Sawulf Lice. Jacobus de Vitriaco (Hist. Hierosol., cap. 44) says, "Laodicia Syria nuncupata, vulgariter autem Liche nominatur." Our traveller, however, perhaps by a confusion of his memory, having no map before him, has given these places out of their right order. Perhaps, as M. D'Avezac suggests, the fear of the Saracen cruisers drove him sometimes out of his right course. Baldwin had been made king of Jerusalem on Christmas-day, in the year 1100. Tortosa was captured by Raymond, duke of Toulouse, on the 12th of March, 1102. + Acre was not taken by the crusaders till the 15th of May, 1104, the year after our traveller's return. Some of our people from Joppa afterwards took three of the ships we had seen, and enriched themselves with their spoils, Thus making our way as well as we could along the coast of Syria, in eight days we reached the port of St. Andrew, in the isle of Cyprus*; and thence, next day, we sailed towards Romania, passing the port of St. Simon, and the port of St. Mary, and after many days reached Little Antioch. In this part of the voyage we were several times attacked by pirates; but, under the Divine protection, we escaped unhurt from the attacks of enemies and the shocks of tempests. Then directing our course along the coast of Romania, and passing the towns of Stamirra and Patras of St. Nicholas, we with difficulty reached the island of Rhodes on the eve of St. John the Baptist§, after a narrow escape from wreck in the bay of Satalia. At Rhodes we hired a smaller ship, that we might proceed more rapidly, and then returned to the coast of Romania. We then came to Stromlo||, a very fair city, but entirely laid waste by the Turks, and there we were detained many days by a strong contrary wind. Then we came to the island of Samos, and having bought provisions there, as we did in all the islands, we arrived at length at the island of Scio, where we parted with our ship and company, and undertook the journey to Constantinople, to perform our devotions there. After leaving Scio, we passed by the great town of Smyrna, and came to the island of Meteline, and then to Tenit ¶, near which, on the coast of Romania, was the very ancient and famous city of Troy, the ruins of the buildings of which, as the Greeks say, are still apparent over a space of many miles. After leaving this place, we came to the narrow sea which is called the arm of St. George, which divides the two lands, Romania and Macedonia, through which we sailed to St. Phemius, having Greece to the right, and Macedonia to the left. The city of St. Phemius the bishop is on one side of * Cape St. Andrea is the north-eastern point of the island of Cyprus. i. e. Antiochetta. Stamirra is the same place which Sawulf has before called Myra. M. D'Avezac points out documents of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, in which it is named Astamirle, Stamire, and Stamir. § June 23. Stromlo, as M. D'Avezac observes, is evidently the ancient Astypalea, now called Stampali. Tenit is the island of Tenedos. E the arm, in Macedonia, and another city, which is called Samthe, stands on the other side in Greece, so that two or three arbalist-shots would reach from one city to the other *. They are said to be the keys of Constantinople. Then we sailed by Callipolis, and Agios Georgios, and Paniados, and other notable castles of Macedonia, and came to the city of Rothostoca, after Michaelmas. We came next to the noble city of Raclea, whence, according to the Greeks, Helen was ravished by Paris Alexandert. THE SAGA OF SIGURD THE CRUSADER. (FROM THE HEIMSKRINGLA, OR CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF NORWAY, BY SAMUEL LAING, ESQ.) AFTER king Magnus Barefoot's fall, his sons, Eystein, Sigurd, and Olaf, took the kingdom of Norway. Eystein got the northern, and Sigurd the southern parts of the country. King Olaf was then four or five years old, and the third part of the country which he had was under the management of his two brothers. King Sigurd was chosen king when he was thirteen or fourteen years old, and Eystein was a year older. When king Magnus's sons were chosen kings, the men who had followed Skopte Ogmundsson returned home. Some had been to Jerusalem, some to Constantinople; and there they had made themselves renowned, and they had many kinds of novelties to talk about. By these extraordinary tidings many men in Norway were incited to the same expedition; and it was also told that the Northmen who liked to go into the military service at Constantinople found many opportunities of getting property. Then these Northmen desired much that one of the two kings, either Eystein or Sigurd, should go as commander of the troop which was preparing for this * M. D'Avezac suggests that perhaps St. Euphemius and Samthe represent the ancient Eleonta on one coast, and the ancient Æantium, near the mouth of the Xanthus, on the other. Sæwulf's relation seems to break off abruptly here, probably by the fault of the scribe; but, unfortunately, we know of no other manuscript that might furnish us with an account of his adventures at Constantinople on his return home. They reigned from about 1103 to about 1130. expedition. The kings agreed to this, and carried on the equipment at their common expense. Many great men, both of the lendermen and bonders, took part in this enterprize; and when all was ready for the journey, it was determined that Sigurd should go, and Eystein, in the mean time, should rule the kingdom upon their joint account. A year or two after king Magnus's fall, Hakon, a son of earl Paul, came from Orkney. The kings gave him the earldom and government of the Orkney Islands, as the earls before him, his father Paul or his uncle Erlend, had possessed it; and earl Hakon then sailed back immediately to Orkney. Four years after the fall of king Magnus, king Sigurd sailed with his fleet of sixty ships from Norway. So says Thorarin Stutfeld: "A young king just and kind, People of loyal mind: Such brave men soon agree, To distant lands they sail with glee. To the distant Holy Land A brave and pious band, Magnificent and gay, In sixty long ships glide away." King Sigurd sailed in autumn to England, where Henry, son of William the Bastard, was then king, and Sigurd remained with him all winter. So says Einar Skuleson : "The king is on the waves! With winged speed, O'er the white-flashing surges, To England's coast he urges; And there he stays the winter o'er: More gallant king ne'er trod that shore." : In spring king Sigurd and his fleet sailed westward to Vallandt, and in autumn came to Galicia, where he staid the second winter. So says Einar Skuleson : * A.D. 1108. "Our king, whose land so wide No kingdom stands beside, In Jacob's land § next winter spent, + Valland, the west of France. Galizo land, the province of Galicia, in the north-west of Spain. § Jacob's land. Galicia is called Jacob's land by the scald, from St. James of Compostella: the apostle James, whose relics are held in veneration at And I have heard the royal youth Cut off an earl who swerved from truth. The hawks with him will get their fill." It went thus:-The earl who ruled over the land made an agreement with king Sigurd, that he should provide king Sigurd and his men a market at which they could purchase victuals all the winter; but this he did not fulfil longer than to about Yule. It began then to be difficult to get food and necessaries, for it is a poor barren land. Then king Sigurd with a great body of men went against a castle which belonged to the earl; and the earl fled from it, having but few people. King Sigurd took there a great deal of victuals and of other booty, which he put on board of his ships, and then made ready and proceeded westward to Spain. It so fell out, as the king was sailing past Spain, that some pirates who were cruising for plunder met him with a fleet of galleys, and king Sigurd attacked them. This was his first battle with heathen men; and he won it, and took eight galleys from them. So says Halldor Skualldre : "Bold vikings, not slow To the death-fray to go, Meet our Norse king by chance, Many a man of their host, And eight galleys too, With cargo and crew." Thereafter king Sigurd sailed against a castle called Sintre*, and fought another battle. This castle is in Spain, and was occupied by many heathens, who from thence plundered Christian people. King Sigurd took the castle, and killed every man in it, because they refused to be baptized; and he got there an immense booty. So sings Halldor Skualldre:"From Spain I have much news to tell Of what our generous king befell. Compostella in Spain. Portugal appears to have been reckoned part of Spain, and Galicia a distinct country. * Sintre, now Cintra, in Portugal; then reckoned part of Spain. |