306 chroniclp: of the SAGA XVI. force with liim. King Hakon sailed from thence to Veoy*, and sent away Earl Sigurd and Onund Si- munsson to gather people, and sent men also to both the More districts. After King Hakon had remained a few days at the town he sailed farther, and proceeded to the South, thinking that it would both promote his journey and enable new levies to join him sooner. Erling Skakke had given leave on Sunday to all the merchant vessels to leave Bergen ; and on Tues- day, as soon as the early mass was over, he ordered the war-horns to sound, summoned to him the men- at-arms and the townsmen, and let the ships which were laid up on shore be drawn down into the water. Then Erling held a House-thing with his men and the people of the levy ; told them his intentions ; named ship commanders ; and had the names called over of the men who were to be on board of the king's ship. This Thing ended mth Erling's order to every man to make himself ready in his berth wherever a place was appointed him ; and declared that he who remained in the town after the Beikesuden was hauled out, should be punished by loss of life or limb. Orm, the king's brother, laid his ships out in the har- bour immediately that evening, and many others, and the greater number were afloat before. Chavter Qq 'W'ednesday, before mass was sung in the town, Of Erling Erling sailed from Bergen with all his fleet, consisting kakke. ^£ f;^enty-one ships ; and there was a fresh breeze for sailing northwards along the coast. Erling had his son King Magnus with him, and there were many lendermen accompanied by the finest men. When Erling came north, abreast of the Fiord district, he sent a boat on shore to John Halkellsson's farm, and took Nicolas, a son of Simun Skalpe, and of Maria, Harald Gille's daughter, and brought him out to the
- Veoy — now Vedo in Raumsdal.
