The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-05
LOST ESKIMO TRIBES.
A Scholars Account OF People
Seen by White Men But Once.

tribes of the east coast Of Greenland
was printed recently in the Meddel-
elser ON Gronland. the organ of the
Danish chronological Society. The
1 author rs DR.. w. Thalbitzer.
In 1923 Captain Clavering was
conducting sledge expedition along
the southwest side of the island now
bearing his name, which is situated
on the northeastern coast Of Green
land off what Is now known as Koe-
ing Wilhelm Land. There his ex-
pedition encountered a party Of ~
Eskimos.
The natives who were with Claver-
to gain their confidence, but failed in
any degree to make themselves un-
derstood. After the IL had camped
near Clavering's party for three days
they disappeared and no further
trace Of them was found. That was
the first time and the last that any
white many has seen tribesmen of
the now extinct race Of east Green
land Eskimos. Perhaps those 12
were the only surviving members of
a race that has been obliterated in
the swing Of the centuries up in the
frozen lands.
Ten years ago Lieut.. G. Amdrup.
of the Danish Navy, heading the
Carlsberg expedition to east Green
wich. made an exhaustive ethnologi-
cal survey of the little known Green
land coast from Ammassalik, at lat
itude IS degrees 80 seconds, to Sa-
bine Island, "a degrees 80 seconds.
The fruits Of this expedition COM
prised facts about the present-day
Eskimos of the southermost AM
massalik district and the relics of
the lost tribes who inhabited the
coast over a stretch Of 500 miles
from the great ford of Kangerdug-
suak to Cape Brewster at the en-
trance to Scoresby Sound.
The chronological objects which he
brought back with him lay unstud-
led until at the beginning of this
year DR.. w. Thalbitxer undertook to
classify the collection brought back
by Amdrup.
The harpoon heads. needle cases,
women's combs and children's toys
represent an age In the life Of the
tribes long antedating the first con-
tract between the Europeans of me-
diaeval Iceland and the Eskimo of
the lower Greenland tip. Great anti
guilty. how great the scientist cannot
determine. marks the life Of these
peoples.
by the countless manifestations
Of originality In their work says the
author, "the objects of the collection
testify that this northeasterly group
Of Eskimos. after having been isola-
ted from the rest Of manlSind, passed
through vigorous development Of
Its own. Finally. in the implements
from this corner Of Greenland we
meet with certain features which
point to a special continuity between
the northern and southern culture
of the coast, an ancient connection
long since broken off between the
Northerners and the inhabitants Of
the South, l. e., the, population of
the Sermilik and Ammassalik fiords.
The highly developed culture of this
intensely isolated group occupies
position apart In the Eskimo world.
"a number Of the types of imple-
ments, ornaments and traditions,
which in their main features they
have in common with all other Es-
kimos, have been individualizsi and
transformed by them in accordance
with their own personal tasts and
requirements, so that their culture
has thereby received a stamp of its
own which distinguishes it from all
others. AS it can not possibly have
been influenced from without it is
with all its popularity genuinely Es-
kimo."
The southerly Eskimos, who are
now living and whose tribal continu-
ity has been preserved, intact, pos
sess a very dim recollection of the
peoples Of the north coat, whose de-
serted houses and ancient burying
places have yielded the only clues to
their existence. 1t Is by tradition on
ly that knowledge of these lost tribes
has been preserved among the more
enduring folk about the southern
hord. In their isolation the people