Scandinavian-Britain

1 8 SCANDINAVIAN BRITAINfor its chief place, and opposite the Egda-folk,Ranrice jat the extremity of which, upon the Goth'sriver, was an old border trysting-place of the Scandinaviankings. These are the lands that border theWick, east and west.North of the Sogn firth come the Feles (Fialar) andFirths, but past Cape Start, where the land turns andruns north-east, we come to the northern land of theREAMS, North and South Mere and Reamsdale, stretchingup over two degrees of latitude. Through NorthMere pierces the great inland sea of the Throwends,with its numerous creeks and headlands, such asAgda-ness, Nith's oyce or Nidaros, Frosta the mootsteadof the Throwends, each notable from someevent in Norwegian history. Down to this greatloch slope many deep and long dales, Orca-dale,Gaula-dale, and others, from the upland hill-countryeast and south.North of Throwend-ham or Thrond-heim liesNeam-dale with its coast station, Hrafnista, and, northof that, Haloga-land's barren five degrees of latitudestretch along by the sea, north-east, ending in Westfirthand the great islands that head the Skerry,islands .only visited by Finnish fowlers, fishers orhuntsmen in those far-off days.Such being the land, what manner of men dwelttherein at the end of the eighth and the ninth century ?All the evidence we have points one way, that alongthe west coast there were growing up vigorous fishingand coasting trades (those true nurseries for seamenhere as elsewhere, for example in Hellas and England).