May, 1858. HOLIDA Y IN GREENLAND. 91 



the ill-fated vessel has never since been heard of. Poor 

 Governor Elberg is in ill health, and talks of returning home 

 — by home he means Denmark, the land of his birth, and 

 where once he had a home. 



■^oth. — This is a grand Danish holiday ; the inhabitants 

 are all dressed in their Sunday clothes — at least, all who 

 have got a change of garments, — and there is both morning 

 and evening service in the small wooden church. As the 

 Governor could not be persuaded to unlock the door of 

 the dance-house, our men returned on board early \ yester- 

 day evening they were all on shore, and, with the Esqui- 

 maux, were wedged into this one large room : to be squeezed 

 in a crowd of human beings is positive enjoyment after 

 a winter's isolation such as ours has been. Old Harvey 

 constituted himself master of the ceremonies, and with his 

 flute led the orchestra ; it consisted of one other flute and 

 a fiddle : he managed to perch himself above all the rest, at 

 one end of the room, and played with such vigour that our 

 bluejackets and the Esquimaux ladies danced away most 

 furiously for hours. These ladies can dance in the least 

 possible space, their costume being particularly well adapted 

 for the purpose, . partaking, as it does, much more of the 

 "Bloomer" than the "Crinoline." 



Christian looks immensely happy : his countrymen regard 

 him as a man whose fortune is made, and the women gaze 

 with admiration upon his neat sailor's dress, his good- 

 natured, full, round face, and huge fat, shining cheeks ; Mr. 

 Petersen is in great request to interpret between the English, 

 Danes, and Esquimaux. 



•jt/i May. — I intended sailing for Disco this morning, 

 but wind and weather were adverse. We have ob- 

 tained but little here except water, a tolerable supply of 

 rock cod, some ptarmigan, hares, wildfowl, and a few items 

 of stores. The Governor now thinks the Danish ship must 



