The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-07-29


- grown. the people of Greenland a
:. almost entirely dependent for food Q
- the sea aud on supplies brought fro
- outside
-. West Coast Settlements.
Greenland's history has been n hi.
tory of its west coast. The east coas
=. although nearest Iceland and Europ,
:, is inaccessible. 1t has been dubbe
~ 1.-The most inhospitable shore in tn
world" A broad stream of iceberg
and smaller fragments of ice is con
- stantly moving southwark along tn,
. coast. forming a barrier that is i'm
penetrable by ships for large part OF
the year. Angmagsalik is the only
permanent settlement on the east
coast. Its population consists of sew
eral hundred Eskimos and a mere
handful of Danes-trader, missionary,
doctor and few minor officials. In
the summer considerable volume of
water flows out from glacial rivers CEN
tering t-Angmagsalik, which tends to
make. an opening in the drifting off
shore Ice. 1t is then that Angmagsalik
counts on its annual contact with the
outside world.
Along the fiords of the west coast
are the remains of one of the most in
teresting colonies the world has known.
the settlement built up on the edge of
America by Erik the Red and his fol-
lowers and conducted as Christian
community 500 years before Columbus
crossed the Atlantic. On the narrow
lce-free strip of coast, several thou
sand men OF Norwegian blood main /,
tanned this colony and another farther
north for several centuries.
Because Of the inaccessibility of tbe
east coast. the first immigrants from
Europe to the Western Hemisphere
rounded the southern end of Green
iand and landed on the southwestern
snore which is ice-free during the sum-
mer They settled in two districts.
inc Eastern Settlement (more proper
iy the southeastern) about 100 miles
around Cape Farewell, near the present
'unanehaab; and the Western Settle
"ent tmore properly the northwest
ern), nearly 300 miles farther I'D the
vest coast near the present Goldman
Soon after the year 1000 these SET
dement's with their 1000 or more in
iaDltants were rated Christian com.
nunltles Twelve churches we're built
the Eastern Settlement and four IN
ne Western. About lilo bishon of
'reenland was appointed and there is
1airly complete record of bishops TO
le END OF the Fourteenth century A
ionastery and nunnery even were
'alhtalned in the Greenland colonies
Inc Morse settlements in Greenland
ere at their best in the Eleventh and
welfth and during the Thirteenth oon |
lries. After 1900 they seem to have
arted to decline. /
what happened to the Morse coIon.
IS cut adrift in Greenland has lono |
en- mystery. Some traditions have
mat they were destroyed bv tbe Re M
nos, others that the went westward a
other land 1t is in the hone ~ la
dlng evidence to support this Iattar a
loition that the Macmillan erno- to
ION Is making investigations this tn
inner. -'''
Now Ruled by Denmark. WI
the early settlers of Green. str
q were Norwegians, the conntrv wa
# came under Danish control Tbi. for
urred when Norway was combined did
time with Denmark. D.nish
who reached the soutbwos, wo
res Of Greenland in 1901 ,raa ~ wi.
to renew Scandinavian settIement low
the country Other settlers fol sar
20 and Denmark established no cbu
al government over the Eski,nos inc
he south. me
orthwest Greenland wa, dtsoo.
pora "nu occupied as base wal
foiar expeditions by Americans tbe
ng the Nineteenth centurv-nn
ny feary and Greedy. When tbe
eo states purchased tie Danioh "nu
.lndies In 1917. as part Of tbe mn ~
consideration 1t relInouisbed oil .ut
10 any part Of Greenland. since ,an n
the Danish government has on. l"',i
"a It's authority to the sparsaJv- anu
a northwest coast. and to all other rno e,
tied sections of the island Know
towns OF Greenland are few a,a ani'
)ortant. Godhaven no lew ana famc
apital of the northo ou'iaao' Who'll
the chief settlement Inspector Their
rev hundred inhabitants. Uper. greer
near latlture 70 degrees is tbe At
srnmost town" in the wor,n over
Etah Is the nortbernmoo, drow
IT, Julianehaab, near tho son.r thing
'oint of the island. ia Close ~ tns jump
me settlement OF Erik the Red Come
the Vicinity are still to be seen the
If the stone houses and cburosS" three
this Isolated corner of Amer4c, Ant
days Of the early Crusades. ng cl