ABSTRACT
In the same year, as was mentioned before, when we had to write 1615, it so happened in the spring just before Crossmass 1 , that an English ship of fifty tons dragged anchor in the Vestmann Islands 2 in a great storm and ran into Ísafjörð Deeps 3 . She was moored out by that fishing place which is called the City of Rome 4 , where I had come for the purpose of laying in a store of fish. And because our way at that time lay daily close to this ship, I and my companions had the fancy to row up to it one morning 5 . The ship’s master was called Isaac Brommet 6 , a remarkably fine, worthy and upright man. His mate was called William Hundten; the boatswain’s name was Vincent. The master received me and my mates well, and there is no need of many words to tell how, without the knowledge of my dear mother, I undertook the voyage to foreign parts with this man. Our agreement was that I might take as much goods with me as I possessed and myself wished to take, and according to the English custom should pay him ten dollars on landing in England. My partner and all our comrades were much grieved at my plan.
