92 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



after his long dreary drift of six months down the straits. 

 Arriving off Disco, and having despatches from Denmark, 

 and luxuries of various kinds from England for Major 

 Olrick, at Goodhavn, I was sent with two boats to deliver 

 them to him, but finding the ice blocked the harbour, I was 

 obliged to land at the point and travel overland to the 

 settlement. It was 3 a.m. when I reached the Governor's 

 house, but everybody was stirring. I may here remark that 

 at this time of the year it is never dark. It gave me great 

 pleasure to see how delighted they were to receive letters 

 from their absent friends in Denmark, having been so long 

 cooped up in such a solitary place without any news. This 

 settlement is situated on a long low projecting point of 

 land, at the end of which is a look-out, or signal house. At 

 the back the land is very high and precipitous, so that at a 

 short distance off the settlement cannot be seen. It is 

 sheltered from all winds. The natives at this place will not 

 travel up the high land. They say that his Satanic Majesty 

 roams about the hills, with other evil spirits. The entrance 

 to the harbour is from the north, through a narrow channel, 

 with a rock in the middle, and ships generally tow in, but 

 very few of the whalers put in there. The place is 

 exceedingly picturesque. Its beautiful harbour, with the 

 neat black wooden houses of the resident Danes and the 

 Esquimaux huts, shows to great advantage. About ten days 

 afterwards we were in pursuit of two whales, which led us 

 close to the settlement. 



The ice had now cleared away excepting a small piece 

 that remained attached to the land. Our boats were placed 

 round the harbour, making a very pretty scene. All the 

 people belonging to the settlement were anxiously watching 

 us. They said a whale had not been seen in the harbour 

 for upwards of twenty years. I expect the whales saw us on 

 account of the water being so shallow, for they moved from 

 one part to another, and only gave one blast when they rose 



