12 " MARION " EXPEDITIOlSr TO DAVIS STIIAIT AND BAFFIN BAY 



to the landlocked anchorage behind the town, that the higher local 

 officials, knowing through radiograms sent them of the probable 

 time of arrival of the Marion, had gone out in a motor boat to meet 

 the expedition off tlie north entrance to the fiord. They had missed 

 sighting our ship due to her coming in among the rocky islets scat- 

 tered along the little used southern approach to the town. The 

 official welcoming boat returned to Godthaab a short time after the 

 MaHon was secured, and the commanding officer duly exchanged 

 official visits with the local Danish authorities. 



At 8 p. m. the welcome word was received on board that liberty 

 could be granted. Those members of the crew not having watches 

 or other duties aboard went ashore immediately and were very hos- 

 pitably treated by the Greenlanders, a dance being staged for them 

 as was the case at almost every Arctic village visited. 



The evening in the anchorage was calm and beautiful. Due to the 

 high latitude, it did not get quite dark all night. Bands of the vapor 

 which rose from the arms of the fiord and from damp spots ashore, 

 lay in places across the landscape. A crescent moon and a brilliant 

 planet moved along near the tops of the neighboring mountains. 

 The anchor w^atch idled away the time in the strange long twilight 

 by catching the small-sized codfish that abounded in the fiord. Birds 

 that seemed to be species of wdlcl ducks could be heard quacking and 

 splashing along the shore. 



The warm sunshine of August 1, 1928, quickly dissipated the mists, 

 causing the air temperature to rise from 45° F. to 57° F. between 4 

 a. m. and 2 p. m. In the morning all those who had been unable to 

 get ashore the previous evening were given an opportunity to visit 

 the town. From the inner anchorage to the village was about 15 

 minutes' walk across low rocky hills and grassy meadows which were 

 marshy in places. The warm sun brought out sweet aromatic scents 

 from the vegetation, and the only thing that detracted from the per- 

 fection of the walk and day were the bothersome gnats that fre- 

 quently had to be brushed aside. As Godthaab was approached it 

 was noted in several places that men were busy painting already 

 quite well-painted houses and buildings. Numbers of w^omen and 

 children were going to and fro in the paths and streets in light fur 

 clothing. The most striking and gorgeous pieces of apparel were 

 the high skin boots wdiich the w^omen wore. As a large proportion 

 of the men were off fishing, the w^omen and children greatly pre- 

 dominated in the town. One of the many photographs taken during 

 the morning is reproduced here as Figure 8. 



The Government officials at Godthaab advised us in good though 

 slightly halting English that their town was not only the capital of 

 the Godthaab district but also of the whole of South Greenland. 

 From them we learned much concerning the nature of local life and 

 about the history of the place. There is not room to go into details 

 here. It is sufficient to say that fishing is the principal industry and 

 that the town boasts a church, a hospital, several Government houses 

 for officials, storehouses, schools — including a normal school for 

 training native teachers from all parts of Greenland — a radio station, 

 a fox farm, and a large statue of the famous eighteenth century 

 missionary to the Greenlanders, Hans Egede. 



The grass was rank and tall, especially in the vicinity of the houses, 

 but we saw no gardens. There must have been at least one, how^ever, 



