20 CHRISTIAN, THE DOG-DRIVER. Chap. II. 



an early hour next morning. After despatching the pilot 

 to announce our arrival to his countrymen at their fishing 

 station, 7 or 8 miles further up, the Doctor and I landed 

 upon the north side to explore. 



The scenery is charming, lofty hills of trap rock, with 

 slopes unusually rich in grass and moss for the 70th parallel, 

 descending to the fiord, and strewed with boulders of gneiss 

 and granite. We found the blue campanula holding a con- 

 spicuous place amongst the wild flowers. I do not know a 

 more enticing spot in Greenland for a week's shooting, fish- 

 ing, and yachting than Disco Fiord ; hares and ptarmigan 

 may be found along the bases of the hills : ducks are most 

 abundant about the fiord, and delicious salmon-trout very 

 plentiful in the rivers. Formerly Disco was famed for the 

 large size and abundance of its reindeer ; but for some un- 

 explained reason they now confine themselves to the main- 

 land. 



At this season the natives of Godhavn resort here and 

 enjoy the trout fishery, — it is truly their season of harvest : 

 the weather is pleasant, food delicious and abundant, and 

 labour an agreeable pastime. 



Some kayaks soon came off to the ship, bringing salmon- 

 trout, both fresh and smoked. 



A young Esquimaux, named Christian, volunteered his 

 services as our dog-driver, and was accepted ; he is about 

 23 years of age, unmarried, and an orphan. The men soon 

 thoroughly cleansed and cropped him : soap and scissars 

 being novelties to an Esquimaux ; they then rigged him in 

 sailor's clothes ; he was evidently not at home in them, but 

 was not the less proud of his improved appearance, as re- 

 flected in the admiring glances of his countrymen. 



We now hastened away to the Waigat Strait to complete 

 our coals. When passing Godhavn, the pilot was launched 

 off our deck in his little kayak without stopping the ship ! 



