I learned to make strong knots in ropes -- yes , and to join two ropes end to end , so that even Witta could scarcely see where they had been married . But Hugh had tenfold more sea-cunning than I. Witta gave him charge of the rowers of the left side . Thorkild of Borkum , a man with a broken nose , that wore a Norman steel cap , had the rowers of the right , and each side rowed and sang against the other . They saw that no man was idle . Truly , as Hugh said , and Witta would laugh at him , a ship is all more care than a Manor . ` How ? Thus . There was water to fetch from the shore when we could find it , as well as wild fruit and grasses , and sand for scrubbing of the decks and benches to keep them sweet . Also we hauled the ship out on low islands and emptied all her gear , even to the iron wedges , and burned off the weed , that had grown on her , with torches of rush , and smoked below the decks with rushes dampened in salt water , as Hlaf the Woman orders in her Ship-Book . Once when we were thus stripped , and the ship lay propped on her keel , the bird cried , `` Out swords ! '' as though she saw an enemy . Witta vowed he would wring her neck . ' ` Poor Polly ! Did he ? ' said Una . ` Nay . She was the ship 's bird . She could call all the rowers by name ... Those were good days -- for a wifeless man -- with Witta and his heathen -- beyond the world 's end . ... After many weeks we came on the great Shoal which stretched , as Witta 's father had said , far out to sea . We skirted it till we were giddy with the sight and dizzy with the sound of bars and breakers , and when we reached land again we found a naked black people dwelling among woods , who for one wedge of iron loaded us with fruits and grasses and eggs .
XXXXX scratched his head at them in sign he would buy gold .
Borkum Hugh Ship-Book Shoal Una Witta days right rowers wedges