Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-02-05
WHITE WoMAN's LONELY TRIP.
Fifteen Months Amid East Greenland's
Esouirnaux.

Greenland. The doctor went there as
a scientific man to study the Esqui-
maux of that coast. Not even their
existence was known until Lieutenant
Holm of the Danish navy discovered
them in 1888 and passed the follow
ing winter In their settlements.
Mrs. Thulbitzer. a well known Dam
! ish sculptor. accompanied her hus-
band in order to make models OF the
natives in wax The place where they
lived among the natives was Angmag-
salik, one Of the most isolated places
in the world.
1t Is connected with the outer world
only once a year, when a Danish
steamer visits II with mail and sup
plies for the solitary white family liv-
ing there and with trade goods for the
natives. The vessel leaves In few
DAYS for civilization again, carrying
the skins, furs and eiderdown the E;s-
ouimaux have collected during the
year.
Angmagsalik is q little place where
the entire native population OF east
Greenland, more than 400 souls Is now
centered. Esquimau ruins are scat
tered along the coast as far north as
explorers have penetrated. but today
the people are living only In this Won
derfully grand and picturesque noun
| tain region near Cape Dan.
When the snow melts in the spring
the land is covered with compara-
lively rich vegetation composed OF
small shrubs and MOSES. But the
wide glaciers everywhere thrust their
noses far out into the sea, making
walls that the natives could not cir
cumvent. This is why the east and
west coast natives did not know OF
each others existence.
| Here the Danes established trading
station In 1894. AS the little steamer
carrying. DR.. Thalbitzer and his wife
pushed through the icy shore they
saw Johann Petersen. the only white
man living In east Greenland, on tne
harbor beach waving welcome to
them.
He, his wife and little son are tn,
only white persons living on this coast.
He Is the governor Of Danish east
Greenland and also the trading agent
of the Danish government, bartering
goods from Denmark for the comm?d-
tiles the natives have to exchange. A
little haven near the mouth OF a hord
offers safe anchorage, and the place Is
very busy until the vessel steams
away again, not to reappear until an
other year rolls around.
These 400 odd natives are all that
are left of the once large east Green
land native population. A wonderful
change has befallen them since Holm
revealed them to the world twenty
four years ago.
When he discovered them they had
no knowledge whatever of their rela-
tiyes on the west coast of Greenland
and had never heard of the big out
side world. They had long been able
to use some articles made by civilized
men, for their harpoons were tipped
with iron, sharpened from the hoop
iron washed on their shores, and rel
les Of many a ship that went down
probably hundreds of miles from their
coast were found in their humble huts
serving some useful though unaccus-
toned purpose. 1t is supposed that
they reached the east coast ages ago
by passing around the north end OF
Greenland.
Today they buy with the commodi-
ties they collect implements, matches
and many other European commodi-
ties. The white man Is helping them
to reduce to a minimum the hardships
Of their lives.
In fact there is good prospect that
they would lose many Of the charac-
teristics Of their primitive condition
and for this reason DR.. Thalbitzer
and his wife were sent among them
to make them the subject Of year OF
study while they were still one OF the
few bands of Esquimau race wholly
unmodified by contact with the whites
To reach these people, cut off from
the rest Of the world as they are by
ice, requires q long and most uncom-
Portable journey. Angmagsalik has
no direct communication with Copen-
hagen and DR.. Thalbitzer had to go
west to Greenland to take the steamer
which once a year visits the east
coast
1t is usually difficult to get through
the wide belt Of Ice that presses
against the eastern shores. Owing to
this obstacle and the stormy weather
it was two weeks after the ethnologist
left west Greenland before he landed
at the little east coast settlement
DR.. Thalbitzer had lived among the
west coast natives and was familiar
with their dialects. This helped him
greatly In his work among the east
Greenlanders, who speak a distinct
dialect, though the east and west coast
natives can understand each other
with little difficulty.
Here the white man and his wife
lived among them for many months
visiting them daily in their stone WIN
ter huts or their summer skin tents.
talking and gossiping with them,
studying their ways Of life, their in
tellectual range. collecting many Of
their traditions, more than $50 of their
folk songs. many proverbs. studying
their dialect. and making monograph
ic records of their speech and melo-
dies. During the winter his wife mod
elled a large number of busts and stat
uettes in wax which will enable her
faithfully to represent these people In
museum models of natural size.
This year of work among these iso-
lated natives yielded a large amount
of material for further study and the
preparation of Dr.. Thalbitzer's report.
The scientific results Of his journey
are to be published in "Meddelelser
ON Gromland" this year.-New York
sun.