Ethnographic Description of the Eskimo Settlements 209 



"22|^ 07. To-night we reached a point still further east than Кар 



Bismarck, probably hit. 80° 20'. 2 to 3 miles ^ (Dan.) further on we could see 

 land and good sledge going on the beach on the land itself. We are quite 

 unable to get further owing to the sea ice with open channels close to land. 



Yesterday Jørgen shot a bear. 



Among the most important observations I may mention, that no trace 

 of Eskimos was found north of Кар Amelie. I am becoming more and 

 more positive, that — contrary to earlier views — Eskimos have never 

 journeyed or could journey north round Greenland and down the east coast. 

 The east coast natives must therefore have come round Кар Farvel from the 

 west coast. 



Open water is seen far to the east, outside the land, and the ice must 

 break up every summer." 



In a second, later letter we read on the other hand: 



"Lat. 80° 42' 6, long. ca. 16°. I am indeed glad of heart-, but even 



more I am pleased that I have succeeded — against my own conviction — 

 in finding Eskimo remains at lat. ca. 80° 24' 6 near our previous tent place, 

 a low gravelly point» which runs several miles (Dan.)* out from the south- 

 ern side of a splendid fjord. Extremely well-preserved instruments of 

 bone were found near the tent-rings, and a quantity of skulls of walrus — 

 the teeth extracted — and a few bones of whale and narwhal show, that in 

 summer the place must have much open water. — How interesting at these 

 latitudes! Yesterday walrus breathing holes were seen on the ice and the 

 skin of a new-born young seal was found in a bear's stomach. 



Four miles ° further on I have seen quite good sea ice for regular sledg- 

 ing. " 



Regarding the open water it may also be remarked, that Captain 

 Koch on his return journey in June 1907 saw open water from lat. 

 ca. 81° 24' and as far as Mallemukfjeldet. 



Between lat. ca. 80^4° and lat. ca. 77^2° no stone remains were 

 found. 



At lat. 80° 10' and long. 16° 50' lies Mallemukfjeldet. — As the 

 name indicates, this is a cliff frequented by birds. It rises steeply 

 out of the sea and is an effectual hindrance to passing along the 

 coast in dog-sledges, as the open water often stretches right in 

 to the cliff. At the end of April 1907 our people found passable 

 ice off the cliff; in June of the same year open water and only 

 a narrow, fairly steep snow-drift helped them past this critical 

 point. Lastly, we know that in the middle of October 1907 there 

 was open water close in to the cliff and no ice at the foot or 

 snow-drift, so that it was impossible to get past the cliff in dog- 

 sledges. 



Holms Land along the north side of Dijmphna Sund (the coast 

 west of Mallemukfjeldet) is well suited to Eskimo occupation. There 



> 15 to 22 kilometers. '-' Because they had been able to make progress. ■■ Eski- 

 monæsset (lat. 80° 26' . * 1 Danish mile ^75 kilometers. ■' 30 kilometers. 



