Action along the coast of Vinland
Tracing the courses of Thorvald Eiricksson
Text of his Saga
It might be noted that Thorvald's outward courses are not specific but his debate with his older brother back in Greenland is most informative indicating that he must have gotten of to t a late start for a Viking. A habit of these seamen was to commence their journeys so early in the Spring as possible, which makes sense if one wants to voyage far and acquire much wealth. But Thorvald was constrained to salvage his brother's shipwreck which, I should think would consume at least a month if it were not too distant.
It also might be considered as possible that Thorvald had been a member of the earlier crew as well. For the population of Greenland could not have been very dense at that date only some 20 years after founding. Leif's crew had been 35 men and it is difficult to imagine making up a crew of that size without including a relative or two.
But even if he had not gone with Leif, the Sagas mention no difficulty in locating the place. The lack of detail in approach is more than made up for in detail of exploration and departure. Leif's approach to his landing indicates that the island was south of a mainland that held a fjord. Thorvald's explorations stipulate precisely that his explorations were to the West of Leifsbudir and his departure from there toward the East.
Moreover, the exploration west was performed by a small crew using the afterboat which may have been so large as 22 feet, hence a crew of maybe 5 to 8 men. They landed an island over there which was large enough for cultivation of a crop of some sort but was uninhabited otherwise. Fishers Island fills the bill in all respects and is about at a range of adventure with a small boat. Exploring, they might well take a whole Summer.
Thorvald's detailed homeward voyage identifies a number of landfalls,of which the most important is Keelness, since this is a landfall in common with the following expedition of Karlseffni.
Crossannes is especially informative to the discussion, for Thorvald's observation that it seemed to them that it was close to Leifsbudir is as phenominal information as it is possible to obtain.
Virtually all scholars who accept Vinland as being in New England identify Plymouth Harbor as Crossannes. Moreover, the closer one looks at it the better it becomes. As will be shown in a later map, there is a plaee there which is ideal for a landing where the ship couild be brought in against a steep bank for landing with a gangplank. And this place is directly adjacent to a high and steep hill that compares with Saga descriptions exactly.
Thorvald's Saga is often neglected but it is really one of the most crucial for detailing the coast of Vinland.
The Courses of Thorfinn Karlseffni Thorvald's Saga