IN NORTHERN MISTS 



stone from deep deposits in North Greenland show that the 

 Eskimo were living there £ar back in prehistoric times. ^ 

 They must originally have come by the route to the north of 

 Baffin Bay across Smith Sound, and must have had at the 

 time of their first immigration much the same culture in the 

 main as now, since otherwise they would not have been able 

 to support themselves in these northern regions.^ Their 

 means of transport were the kayak and the women's boat in 

 open water, and the dog-sledge on the ice. Their v/haling 

 and sealing were conducted in kayaks in summer, but with 

 dog-sledges in winter, when they hunted the seal at its 

 breathing-holes in the ice, the walrus, narwhale and white 

 whale in the open leads, and pursued the bear with their 

 dogs. In winter they usually keep to one place, living in 

 houses of stone, or snow, but in summer they wander about 

 with their boats and tents of hides to the best places for 

 kayak fishing. In this way they came southward from 

 Smith Sound along the west coast of Greenland to the 

 districts about Umanakfjord, Disco Bay, and south to the 

 present Holstensborg (the tract between 72° and 68° N. lat.). 

 Here they found an excellent supply of seal, walrus, small- 

 whale, and fish, there was catching from kayaks in summer 



1 This has been definitely and finally proved by the researches of Dr. O. Sol- 

 berg (1907), referred to in Vol I, (p. 306). It results from these that the oldest 

 stone implements of the Eskimo from the districts round Disco Bay must be of 

 very great age — far older, indeed, than I was formerly [1891, pp. 6 f.; Engl, ed., 

 pp. 8 f,] inclined to suppose. It results also from Solberg's researches that, 

 while the Eskimo occupied the district from Umanakfjord southward to 

 Egedesminde and Holstensborg (from 71° to 68° N. lat.) during long prehis- 

 toric periods, they do not appear to have settled in the more southern part of 

 Greenland until much later. As will be pointed out later (p. 83), it was 

 especially in the district around KroksfjarSarheiSr that according to the his- 

 torical authorities the Skraelings were to be found. Since we may assume, as 

 shown in Vol. I, p. 301, that this was Disco Bay, the conclusion from histor- 

 ical sources agrees remarkably well with the archseological finds. 



- Solberg, however, in the researches referred to, has been able to show 

 some development in Eskimo sealing appliances in the course of the period 

 since their first arrival in Greenland, but perhaps chiefly after they had come 

 in contact with the Norsemen and learnt the use of iron. 

 72 



