250 THE GERMAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



land liuts and otlier appurtenances. The island, like all 

 those on this coast, is rocky, though rather low. Large 

 stony plains slope gently towards the sea, so that at high 

 water it is partly flooded. On these plateaux the inhabi- 

 tants lay their hunting stores. The sea is the street- 

 cleaner, the tide carrying away all refase. 



After taking in at a glance the advantages of our 

 })osition, and becoming a little more familiar with them, 

 we made the acquaintance of the merchant, Mr. Motz- 

 feld, a man of sixty-seven years of age, with a friendly 

 red face and bright eyes, whose age it was not easy to 

 guess. He was singularly vigorous, active, and chatty. 

 His store of tobacco was at once placed at our service ; 

 and he had no hesitation, upon the faith of our honest 

 faces, to supply us with a sufficient quantity until we 

 should reach Denmark. Thus, at least for a time, this 

 need was overcome ; and full of joy the men withdrew 

 with the beloved weed on board. Motzfeld took us to 

 his house. The government building he did not live in ; 

 he kept it, however, for particular occasions to receive 

 company ; for instance, he opened it and showed us all 

 sorts of rarities and curiosities which he had collected. 

 Then he led the way to his dwelling. Motzfeld was 

 married, and the father of (actually !) nineteen legitimate 

 children. Plis wife (after the death of his first he had 

 ventured on a second) was a full-blooded Grcenlander. 

 A European house did not suit her, she preferred living 

 in a building of the kind peculiar to the country. Her 

 husband at once provided her with one which, after his 

 death, she could claim as a widow's portion. There he 

 Uved with the younger part of his family ; the youngest 

 member of which was about a year old, whilst many of 



