360 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, 



cept that the women's blouses had a long tail behind, and a large hood 

 or sack on the back in which the baby was carried. An attempt to 

 enter Cumberland Sound failed because of the heavy ice in the en- 

 trance. Crossing Davis Strait the Greenland coast was sighted on 

 August I, and the following day we reached Godhaven, the capital of 

 the Danish Inspectorate of North Greenland, and were cordially re- 

 ceived by the Danish officials. Passing through the remarkable pas- 

 sage east of the island of Disco, known as the Vaigat, we entered 

 Umanak Fiord on the night of August 4. Here is to be seen some of 

 the finest scenery on the Greenland coast, and it was particularly im- 

 pressive on this calm arctic summer night when the sun only dipped 

 below the horizon for an hour. The "Hope" left our party at the 

 village of Umanak, the principal settlement of the district, which was 

 to be our headquarters for several weeks, and where the vessel was 

 again to return for us after its trip further north. The village consists 

 of about 150 Eskimos and three Danish families. It was through the 

 courtesy of Governor Knuhtsen at Umanak that I was enabled to pur- 

 chase an Eskimo kayak which has been shipped to this institution. 



In their management of their Greenland possessions the Danes have 

 followed a unique plan. There are about 10,000 Eskimos in Danish 

 Greenland. In each of the twelve districts there is usually a governor 

 and assistant in charge of the commercial affairs, and a Lutheran pas- 

 tor who cares for religious and educational matters. No other Danes 

 or foreigners are allowed to settle in Greenland. The whole is under 

 direction of the Royal Greenland Board of Trade, a government bu- 

 reau in Copenhagen, which has a strict monopoly of the trade of 

 Greenland. Ships each year bring out supplies from Europe which 

 are sold to the Eskimos at but a slight advance over cost prices, and 

 fixed amounts are paid to the natives for the furs, oil, ivory, etc., 

 which products are shipped to Denmark. All other trade along this 

 coast is prohibited. Every village has its church and school in which 

 the children are taught their own language and not Danish. The 

 great majority can read and write and are Christianized, nominally at 

 least. 



These Greenland Eskimos, although they have been in contact with 

 civilization for 250 years, have retained many of their original modes 

 of life. The more pure-blooded have smooth, round features and 

 frank, open countenances, are short in stature and have straight, black 

 hair. They live in flat-roofed houses built of rocks and turf, often 

 but a single room with a sleeping bench at one end, and a long, low 

 entrance for keeping out the cold in winter. In summer they often 

 live in tents, moving from place to place. They hunt the seal, walrus, 

 narwhal, reindeer, bear and smaller game. Much the most important 

 to them is the hair seal, furnishing them clothing, boat covering, tents, 

 oil and food. For the pursuit of this animal they have developed the 

 kayak and its many appliances, perhaps the most ingenious ever in- 

 vented by a primitive' people. One of the feats of dexterity per- 

 formed in these frail boats is to turn over and right themselves again 



