, 1886-04-27
NEM-Eoyno Mga N eREgnLANo.


The Discoveries of a Danish Exploring
P~arty-Heport OF Capt. Hoim's Travels
A few weeks ago an exhibition was
opened in Copenhagen, showing the
dress, hunting and fishing implements
and other rude arts Of a hitherto I'M
known people. 1t. is composed Of the
collections of Capt. Holm, who, with his
three white comrades, returned to Den
mark late last fall after a sojourn of two
years in East Greenland.
This coast is very difficult of access on
account Of the great icy fields that are
usually packed against it. Graah sue
cceded fifty-six years ago in following it
north, in spite Of great hardship, from
Cape Farewell to 05 degrees, IS minutes
north latitude. The German north pole
expedition. sixteen years ago, reached
the coast still farther north, and mapped
the rugged shore line for over 600 miles
north OF latitude 20 degrees. Nordensk-
jold three years ago touched the east
coast at two points south of the seven
tieth parallel, but his visit was too brief
to add many facts TO our knowledge Of
the country. 1t remained for Holm TO
extend the explored coast regions from
Graahis furthest north almost to the
point where the German discoveries be-
gin, and to spend one winter among peo-
pie whose almost complete isolation from
the world and their unique and prim-
tive customs make them unusually in
teresting subjects OF study.
Capt. Holm discovered that the inhab-
tied portion of East Greenland is divided
by a long, desolate stretch Of coast into
two sections. This desert region marks
the northern limit Of Graah's journey,
and it il almost impossible either by
land or water. Thi accounts for the
fact that the people who live north Of it
are almost completely cut of from the
world. A few adventuresome travellers
among them ave made the dangerous
boat journey to southern waters within
the past five years. 1t takes them two
or three years TO reach the Danish set
Elements near Cape Farewell and to re-
turn home. Holm went north with a
few Of these travellers, only one OF whom,
however. would consent TO accompany
him in August, past the uninhabitable
space whose southern edge they had
reached. The others preferred to wait
until the following season before they
essayed the last hazardous stage OF
heir journey. The natives living south
IF this desert space annually SEND trad
ng parties to the Danish settlements.
North of the barrier Holm foumda far
more pleasant country than the inhab-
tied districts south Of it. The southern
natives have -four settlements, and num-
Der, all told, about $50 souls, while the
northern natives have two settlements,
with about $50 inhabitants. Here Holm
spent the winter of 1SSlS5, among ma
tives who had never before seen a white
man. Their stone huts were grouped
along the shores Of the great ford Ang-
magsalik, into which, in summer, seven
streams Of water flow. These little riv-
ers are rich in salmon, and the natives
live on fish, white bears, and walrus.
Walled in here by formidable glaciers
and ice fields. utterly ignorant for cent
uries Of the outer world, these poor Great
ures have nevertheless benefited by some
of the resources of civilization. Holm
was astonished to find that, although
they had never seen a tree, their lance
shafts were made Of wood and their
arrow heads Of hoop iron. He learned
that now and then some fragments of a
shipwreck or an iron-boupd box or cask
were cast upon their shores, and these
boons, coming to them from they know
not where, have greatly aided them in
the struggle for existence.
Holm's West Greenland interpreter
was of little service. Like Graah, these
later explorers had great difficulty at
first in communicating with the east
coast natives. They differ from the west
coas Esquimaux not only in speech hut
physique. They are tall and rather
slender, with long, oval, and often at
tractive features, presenting quite n con-
trast to the squat stature and round, ex-
pressionless faces of the typical Esqui-
maux. Holm says also that they are
neater in their habits than the west coast
natives, and that their skin garments are
often ornamented with pretty ombroid-
cries. Their huts, weapons, and house
hold implements are strikingly similar
to those OF the west coast natives at the
time when the Norwegian missionary
Egede preached the gospel in Greenland
100 years ago. The few West Green
landers who accompanied Holm were at
first in great fear of their pagan breth-
rem, and believed that three men, who
later proved to be among the best friends
of the expedition, were plotting to muir
der the party.
. One large hut on tho Angmagsalik
contained fifty natives. Near this
household Holm's party spent the
winter. They were Hospitality received,
and were the objects of great attention
and curiosity. From all the hamlets up
and down the ford, and from Sermiligak
still further north. the natives focked to
see the wonderful strangers. As soon as
Holm could with them he
found that their 81 'plicity and socia-
bility greatly assisted him in his ethno-
labors. The mass Of information
he obtained about their language, their
their usages, and religious ideas
will soon be published in. detail.-New
York Sun.
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