National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-04-17
NEw-FoUND MEN IN GREEN
LAND.

A few weeks ago an exhibition was
opened in Copenhagen showing the dress,
hunting and fishing implements, and other
rude arts Of hitherto unknown people.
II is composed Of the collections of Capt.
Holm, who, with his three white comrades,
returned TO Denmark late last fall after
sojourn Of two years In East Greenland.
This coast Is very difllcdlt OF access on
account Of the great ice fields that are
usually packed against II. Graah succeeded
1fty-six years ago in following It north, in
spite of great hardshlps, from Cape Fare
well to e5S l5, north mtitude. The German
| North Pole expedition, sixteen years ago,
reached the coast still, further north, and
| mapped the rugged shore line for over GOO
miles north Of latitude zoo. Nordenskjold
three years ago touched the east coast at
two points south OF the SEVENTEEN parallel,
| but his visit was too brief to add many
facts TO our knowledge Of the country II
remained for Holm to extend the explored
coast regions from Graah's furthest north
| almost TO the point where the German DIS
| covories begin, and to spend one winter
| among people whose almost complete iso-
lation from the world and their unique and
| primitive customs, mako them unusually
Interesting subjects of study +. ....,. I.
A glance at the map OF Greenland shows
| along, Graah,s route on. the southeast coast
comparatively straight outline. The fact
| Is that this coast IS as deeply indented with
bays and iiords as the western shores Of the
great island, but Graah did not have time to
explore them. A survey of these deep IN
! dentations formed q part of Capt. Holm's
labors, and the outlines OF the east coast OF
Greenland can hereafter be laid down on
the maps for distance Of more than 1000
miles.
Capt, Holm discovered that the inhabited
portion Of East Greenland is divided by
long, desolate stretch Of coast into two
sections This desert region marks the
| northern limit Of Graah's Journey, and IL is
almost impossible either by land or water.
| This accounts for the fact that the people
| who live north of 1t are almost completely
I cut off from the world. A few adventure
some travellers among them havo made the
| dangerous boat journey TO southern waters
| within the past five years. II takes them
two or three years to reach the Danish set
Elements near Cape Farewell aud TO return
| home. Holm went north with few of
these travellers, only one OF whom, how
| ever, would consent to accompany him, In
August, past the unhabltable space whose
southern edge they had reached. The others
| preferred to wait until the following season
before they essayed the last hazardous stage
OF their journey. The natives living south
Of this desert space annually send trading
| parties to the Danish settlements.
North Of the barrier Holm found far
more pleasant country than the inhabited
districts south oft. The southern natives
have four settlements, and number, all told,
| about $50 souls, while the northern natives
have two settlements, with about 400 In
habitants. Here Holm spent the winter OF
| 1SS4-'S5, among natives who had never be-
fore seen white man. Their stone huts
| were grouped along the shores OF the great
| ford Angmagsalik, into which, In summer,
| epypn atraoma of watar flow Thaea littIa
| rivers are rich In salmon, and the natives
| live on fish, white bears, and walrus.
Walled in here by formidable glaciers aud
| ice fields, utterly Ignorant for centuries of
| the outer world these poor creatures have
nevertheless benefited by some of the re-
| sources Of civilization. Holm was astonish-
| ed to find that, although they had never
seen tree. their lance shafts were made Of
wood and their arrow heads OF hoop iron.
He learned that now and then some frag-
ments OF q shipwreck or an iron-bound
box or cask were cast upon their shores, and
these Blooms, coming to them from they
| know not where, have greatly aided them
in the struggle for existence Nc ser'fJ2
Holm's West Greenland interpreter was OF
| little SERVICE Like Graah, these later eX-
| plorers had great difficulty at first In COM
municating with the east coast natives.
They differ from the west coast Eslimos not
only In speech but in physique. They are
tall and rather slender, with long, oval and
often attractive features, presenting quite
a contrast to the squat stature and round,
expresslonless faces of the typical EslSimos.
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 embroideries. Their huts,
weapons, and household implements are
strikingly similar to those OF the west coast
nut.ves at the time when the Norwegian
missionary ESede preached the Gospel In
Greenland $50 yearzs Gro. The few West
Greenlanders who ancomnanie6- Holm were
at frat IN great fear of their PAGAN brethren.
and believed that three men, who later
proved TO be among the best friends Of the.
expedition, were plotting to murder the
party. 49,
Onealarge hut on the AnpmaQsalilx ford
contained ifty, natives. Near this LARGO
household Holm's party spent. the winter.
They were HOSPITALITY received. and were the
objects of great attention and curioaltv!
From all tl3 hamlets nm and 'dowfthe ford
and from sesmIliSSk. still f,irttSr SortSl
the natives ilociyed To, seq the. wonderful
strangers. AS soon as Holm could CONVERGE
with Them he found that their simnIic,tv
and sociability greatly assisted him In his
chronological iabors. The mass Of informa-
tion he Obtained about their LANGUAGE. their
legends. their usaees. and relisnotIs IDEAS
wifi soon be published In detail.
Before the fan Of 1884 had fairly begun
Holm went thirty.one miles further north