A Study of the Diet and Metabolism of Eskimos. 



We started from Copenhagen on the 30th of May 1908 in the 

 S/S "Hans Egede" and after visiting several of the trading-stations 

 along the coast we arrived in Egedesminde (Lat. 68''25' N.) on the 

 23th of June. By "kayak" the Arctic Station lying 50 miles north- 

 wards across the Disco Bay was informed, and three days later in the 

 early morning Mr. Porsild arrived in the motorboat belonging to 

 the Station. The same day we left for Disco. Owing to the bulk of 

 our luggage it was necessary to load a smaller boat with some of it 

 and take it in tow. 

 It became very foggy 

 during the passage and 

 suddenly it was dis- 

 covered that this boat 

 had become filled and 

 was on the verge of 

 sinking. The goods 



were immediately 

 transferred to the 

 motorboat but some 

 of our apparatus was 

 damaged and certain 

 pieces belonging to the 

 respiration chamber 

 drifted away in the 

 mist. In the same 

 moment the screw of 



the motorboat got 

 fouled and we lay 

 helpless. 



Happily a group 

 of small islets were 

 not far off to leeward. 

 These we succeeded in 

 reaching by sail. The 

 screw and machinery 

 were cleared again, a 



depot of our apparatus was left, covered over with canvas and after 

 some hours delay we set out again for Godhavn; this time reaching 

 our destination without further mishap. Eskimos were afterwards 

 sent out in kayaks to search for the missing things and by good 

 luck and accurate knowledge of the currents found them. 



The Danish Arctic Station distant about a mile from the trading 

 station Godhavn — the residence of the Governor of North Green- 

 land — consists of a small group of buildings. It is intended for biologi- 

 cal and chiefly botanical research and not specially adapted for physi- 



Fig. 1. The Arctic Station with the respiration tliamber 

 in course of construction. 



