*'MARIOISr" EXPEDITION TO DAVIS STRAIT AND BAFFIN" BAY 21 



land we could see the brilliant white glare of ice blink caused by 

 reflection from tlie great dome of the inland ice. The ice itself 

 was not visible because of its distance and of the intervening moun- 

 tains, but the evidence of its presence was plainly visible in the sky. 

 At 11.20 p. m. on August 8, the Marion was anchored in the little 

 bottle-necked harbor at Jacobshavn, a town situated less than 2 

 miles north of the great ice fiord of the same name. Despite the 

 hour, the entire populace of about 500 natives seemed to be up and 

 about. This place now boasts the distinction of being the most 

 important town, commercially, in North Greenland. It exports 

 much fish and seal hunting is also an important local occupation. 

 After presenting the ship's health certificate to the local colonial 

 agent, we turned in to rest in preparation for a tramp over the hills 

 which had been planned for the next morning. 



JACOBSHAVN, GREENLAND 



Figure 16. — This village is located near the great iceberg fiord of the same name, 

 small harbor, even in summer, is seldom free from glacial ice. 



Its 



At 8.30 a. m. almost the entire ship's company, followed by a 

 crowd of native women and children, started out over rocks and 

 meadows for a point southeast of the town, an Eskimo guide leading 

 the way. Mr. Porsild, of the Danish Arctic station, accompanied the 

 commanding officer, talking steadily about Greenland, and as usual 

 answering all questions in his thorough and cheerful way. The day 

 was dull and overcast, like the preceding one, but fortunately visi- 

 bility was again good. 



After an hour's walk we reached a high point from wdiich there 

 was a fine view of the Jacobshavn ice fiord. The whole length and 

 breadth of it, comprising over 50 square miles, was one jam of ice- 

 bergs that had calved from the producing glaciers to the eastward. 

 From the western end of the ice fiord these massed icebergs pro- 

 truded into Disko Bay. For details regarding the berg production 



