> Það var einn morgun er þeir Karlsefni sáu fyrir ofan rjóðrið flekk

nokkurn sem glitraði við þeim og æptu þeir á það. Það hrærðist og var
það einfætingur og skaust ofan á þann árbakkann sem þeir lágu við.

"It happened one morning that Karlsefni and the others saw over the
clearing a speck that glittered at them, and they shouted at it. It
took fright, and it was a uniped (a one-legged man) and darted down
onto the riverbank off which they lay (at anchor)."

'rjóð(u)r' "clearing" + the definite article '-ið'. If this had been
the adjective 'rjóð(u)r' "ruddy", it would need the masculine
accusative singular ending, thus 'rjóðan'.

'skaust', reflexive = (with normalised ON spelling) 'skauzk'. The
middle voice suffix makes it intransitive; he shoots / darts / springs
(hops!) down to the riverbank.

> Þá mælti Þorvaldur: "Feitt er um ístruna."

Cf. Gordon 219, note 434, about the similar speech made by Þormóðr at
the battle of Stiklastaðir, according to Heimskringla. Besides all
the great gallows humour in ON sagas, it reminds me of Werner Herzog's
film 'Aguirre der Zorn Gottes', the bit where one of the conquistadors
on the boat is shot from the shore and comments dryly, "Long arrows
are coming into fashion now," before falling.

LN