The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-17
TWO SUNDAYS IN GREENLAND.
The interesting Experience of Prof. G..
Frederick Wright of Oberlin College, De-
=a..;,.a1l l., 4I.a No,x YcrI. Indn1eudent

The interesting Experience of Prof. G.
Frederick Wright of Oberlin College, De-
scribed in the New York Independent.
In the month of August last l set out
with party of eight from Sukkertoppen,
near the Goth parallel in Greenland. to
spend a week in camping near the projec-
tion of the inlaud ice which there comes
down In close proximity to the shore. A
hard pull at the oars for % miles brought
us. late Friday night. to Ikamiut. little
settlement of Eskimos, consisting of three
igloos sheltering about 25 Inhabitants.
young and old. Here we pitched our tent
and made our headquarters. Besides
own party, there were seven natives who
accompanied US, two with kayaks and five
to aid in rowing. On our arrival we were
greeted by the whole settlement, who shout
ed their welcome in language totally unin-
telllgihle to any but themselves and those
of their race who were with us. Their ac-
tious however, were easily interpreted.
They all assisted us in landing our boats
and in transferring our luggage.to position
of safety, ant in selecting for US a favorable
place for pitching cur tent. This having
been done in the bright daylight that at this
as we'll as we could amid these novel cir
cumstances.
On Saturday the weather was unpro-
pitious. The wind blew hard and the air
was full of fog ard drizzly rain. We were
able to do little but sit in our tent and cul-
tivate the acquaintance of our strange but
kindly and well-disposed nelghbors. They
were curious to ses everything we had. and
L. l. ,l,,< md hot
for. We were equally curious to learn every
thing about them and their condition. In
recognition of their goodwill they brought
us an abundant supply of moss to carpet
our tent and to disguise the hardness Of our
rocky floor.
Sunday morning came and it was still
cold and rainy. While we were eating our
breakfast and shiyering over our coal-oil
stove in the tent. man of mild appearance
and diminutive stature came to the door
with a hymn-book and Bible in his hands
and pointed to them to indicate, We sur
missed, that there was to be religious SER
vices somewhere in the settlement. but
he did not inger long and suddenly disap-
peared. and we were at loss to know
where the service was to be held; for the
settlement was squalid in the extreme. A
flood in the spring had destroyed nearly
every igloo. and their present abodes were
partial respRrac tons of what were original
ly miserable enough. But on going down
to oul boats we heard singing in one of the
ilgoos. STOPPING before the low door and
pushing 1t open on our hands and knees,
we were welcomed by motions into the most
Interesting church service ever expect to
attend. The room in itself was dreary be-
yond description. The low walls of stone,
and turf were reeking with moisture. while
water distilled freely from the sod roofing
at various places. and. as one walked over
them, squirted up from the erevices be-
tween the loose stones with which a part of
the floor was covered. The only dry place
was the shelf elevated about foot on the
east side of the room and which was the
sleeping place of the inmates at night and
their lounging place by day. a cylindrical
sheet-iron stove near the door was now cold
and lifeless. because the moss was SO wet
that is was impossible to make it burn. A
lamp of seal oil freshly distilled from the
raw blubber was burning in the other end
of the room, being the special property and
care of the Oldest woman of the household.
In no place could one stand erect.
Yet here WAS gathered the whole COM
munity for Sabbath morning worship. Of
course. could not understand the words
of their hymn, but the tune was grand
German choral, in which all united perect-
ly in slow, Ligniied and effective
movement. Then followed a sermon from
the little man, who proved to be the cate
cbist. This was delivered in the native
language, and with much JUNCTION, though
from necessity the speaker remained in a
sitting posture. The only words lntelligi-
BILE to me, in either the sermons or the
prayers, were the Amens. i'll which all
joined. Finally the service was closed with
another hymn. sung to an equally impress
sive German choral
Not to be excelled in respect paid to the
Sabbath, we arranged an English service
in our tent after the midday meal. and cir
culated the notice among the Eskimos in
the same manner as that employed by the
catechist in the morning. We should have
been glad to ask them into the tent. but as
they have not learned that cleanliness is
next to Godliness, prudence suggested that
they be excluded, SO stood in the door
with our own company massed near the en-
trance. while the Eskimos, notwithstand-
ing the inclement weather, gathered in
listening with the utmost devotion to the
singing and the service of which they IN
derstood not word. Such was our first Sab
bath.
The second Sababth was at Sukkertoppep.
where there is a settlement of about 40 ma
tives and where reside two DANISH officials
and their wives, with whom young woman,
the daughter of the professor of sanscrit in
Copenhagen university, is spending a year
or two for recreation. These Europeans
are all very highly cultivated in every re-
spect. and gave us most hearty and pleas
ant greeting. The natives. although entire
ly Christanized. still retain their original
dress and mode of living. The dress of the
men and women differs little, except in Or
namentation and in the covering for the
head. 1t consists in both cases of blouse
coming down to the hips. which with tho
men has hood to cover the head, while
with the women there Is no hood. but full
est opportunity is left to display the curious
knot of hair which is tied up in roll upon
hn fnra