﻿«3 



GREENLAND. 



GREENLAW. 



91 



aea at a distance of aboTe sixty miles. Though the western coast, in 

 its general outline, forms nearly a direct line, trending north-north- 

 west and Bouth-aouth-east except towards the southern extremity, 

 where it runs nearly east, the whole is indented by a great number of 

 deep and narrow inlets, which extend a considerable distance inland, 

 sometimes more than a hundred miles. Along these inlets, or fiords, 

 and on some of the numerous islands which line the coast in all its 

 extent, occur small patches or narrow strips of low land, as well as in 

 a few valleys, which are watered by small broots. In these places 

 alone vegetation appears, but it is nothing more than grass and low 

 brushwood. It has been established by a Danish naturalist, Dr. Pingel, 

 that for the last four centuries this coast has been undergoing gradual 

 gubsidence. 



The rocky mass which incloses the fioi-ds and valleys, in its average 

 height, probably does not exceed 2000 feet, except in the numerous 

 summits which are scattered over it, some of which rise to 5000 feet; 

 yet it is everywhere covered with eternal snow and ice. The whoje 

 of the eastern region is a vast table-land of ice : mountains and valleys 

 are levelled to a uniform plain ; the river-beds are concealed, and every 

 vestige bidden of the original form of the country. Greenland may 

 in fact be considered as one immense glacier, or more correctly an 

 aggregation of glaciers, which are with an imperceptible but continuous 

 motion pushing forward towards the sea; and, as in Switzerland, the 

 glacier frequently bursts asunder with a tremendous crash, and 

 crevicea and chasms of great width and depth are sometimes formed. 

 Id the midst of the icy masses on the western side here and there rise 

 some smooth and almost perpendicular rocks, which appear at a dis- 

 tance of a dosky-gts; colour, aud without any sign of vegetation ; but 

 on a Dearer inspection a little earth is found in places, on which 

 some hardy species of heath grow. The outer edges of this accumu- 

 lation of glaciers, doubtless the most extensive on the surface of the 

 globe, extend over the rocks on the sea-coast, and descend by the 

 fiords into the sea, where in some places they skirt the shore for many 

 miles, and advance a considerable distance into the water. One of 

 the most remarkable of these icy rocks is that which occurs on the 

 western coast between 62° aud 63° N. lat. It seems to form the sea- 

 shore for about twenty miles, and is called by the Danish colonists 

 the Ice-Blink. But Dr. Rink, who reside<l several years in Greenland 

 and paid great attention to the formation of glaciers and icebergs, 

 thinlu that it is from the east coast, between 68° and 74° N. lat., that 

 many of the largest icebergs issue ; and he mentions five principal 

 ice-frithf>, from that of Jacobshavn in 69° 10' N. lat. to that of 

 Upemivik in 73° N. lat., each of which receives and discharges 

 annually many thousand cubic feet of ice. (' Journal of Royal Oeog. 

 Society,' vol. xxiii. p. 152.) When the ice in such places has protruded 

 to a vast extent, the enormous mass at the outer end, unable longer 

 to resist the upward pressure of the water, breaks off with a tremendous 

 crash, and is carried into the sea, where it floats about as an iceberi^, 

 the marvel and tlie terror of navigators. The larger of these icebergs 

 rise above the surface of the sea to a height of &om 100 to 150 feet, 

 and some are 4000 feet in circumference, yet the part above is scarcely 

 more than one-eighth of that below tde surface of the water ; so that, 

 aa Dr. Rink observes, gnch a fragment of ice if fairly landed would 

 form a mountain about 1000 feet in height. 



It ia now supposed that Qreenlaud is traversed in all its breadth 

 by narrow straits which divide it into several islands ; but all such 

 straits are at present filled up with masses of ice, except one, called 

 Prince Christian's Sound, which occurs towards the southern extre- 

 mity, and divides a group of islands from the mainland. It is about 

 100 miles long, but in many places hardly a mile wide. On both sides 

 rise high aud bold rocks, and it is only in a few places that there is 

 low beach enough to allow of a boat being hauled up. 



The sea which surrounds Greenland is distinguished by peculiarities 

 not leas remarkable. A current which issues from under the great 

 masses of ice incloaing the pole runs southward along the eastern 

 coast of Greenland, carrying down an immense body of heavy drift- 

 ice. This ice sometimes occupies the whole extent of ocean between 

 Greenland and Iceland, and often forms a belt round Cape Farewell 

 reaching from I'^O to 160 miles out to sea. It is carried hence along 

 the western coast of Greenland northward as far as Queen Anne's 

 Cape, near the Arctic Circle, where it passes to the other side of 

 Davis Strait On the northern portion of the eastern coast, as well as 

 CD the southern portion of the western coast, the current runs along the 

 shores ; but whenever the wind blows from the sea it presses the ice 

 hard to the shore, and blocks up the inlets and harbours, rendering 

 for a time the Danish settlements on the south-western coast inacces- 

 sible to veaela. On the south-eastern coast the current runs along 

 shore, setting in towards the land ; hence there always exists a broad 

 belt of very neavy drift-ice, which renders this coast entirely inacces- 

 sible. The stream of ice dijtappears entirely near Cape Farewell and 

 along the western coast in the month of September, but it always 

 re-appean towards the end of January. 



'The climate of the small low tract inhabited by the natives and the 

 Danish colonists is much less rigorous than might be expected from 

 its high latitude and the neighbourhood of the immense glacier. On 

 the eastern coast the mean temperature is below freezing point ; yet 

 sontb of 65° N. lat. the thermometer in February 1830 did not sink 

 lower than from i" to 6° below zero of Fahrenheit ; but as early as 



the close of August the sea was every night covered with a crust of 

 new ice, and in the middle of September the ice on the bays aud 

 firths was from an inch to two inches thick. The climate is some- 

 what milder on the western coast south of the polar circle, but farther 

 north, where the sun rises only for a few minutes, or not at all, the 

 cold becomes extreme, and even ardent spirits freeze in a room where 

 there is a fire. In February and March it is so intense that stones 

 are split and the sea smokes like a furnace. In general however the 

 winter cold is several times interrupted by thaws, which last many 

 days and sometimes even weeks. July is the only month when there 

 is no snow. The earth begins to thaw in June, but at no great depth 

 ice is always found. The heat in the long summer days is so great 

 as to evaporate the water left in the rooks and clefts by the tide, and 

 to reduce it to a beautiful fine salt ; but towards evening the air 

 becomes vei-y cold, being chilled by the breezes which pass over the 

 interior. Fogs prevail almost every day from April to August. Little 

 rain falls, especially towards the north. Gales aie not frequent, but 

 in autumn they sometimes rage with the fury of a hurricane. There 

 is lightning occasionally, but no thunder. Earthquakes occur, though 

 rarely. The aurora borealis is frequent, especially in winter, and 

 always appears either in the east or south-east. 



The vegetation is scanty. It is composed chiefly of mosses and 

 lichens, and includes a small number of annual plants aud a few 

 shrubs, most of which bear edible berries. Juniper, willows, aud 

 birch creep along the earth, and in the well-sheltered valleys biroh 

 and elder grow to the height of a man, and have a stem three or four 

 inches thick. The attempts at raising oats and barley have not 

 succeeded ; potatoes are planted only towards the most southern 

 extremity. Radishes succeed as well as in Europe. Salad and 

 cabbage remain very small, and turnips seldom attain the size of a 

 pigeon's egg. 



Some sheep are kept, but the difficulty of procuring provender for 

 the long winter limits them to a small number. The only domestic 

 animitl of the natives is the dog, which is used to draw the sledges. 

 Rein-deer, hares, foxes, and white bears are the only wild animals. 

 Land-birds are not numerous, but sea-fowl are so plentiful as to exceed 

 all belief; among them are the eidnr-ducka {Anas mollisaima). Fish 

 constitutes the principal wealth of Greenland. Whales are far less 

 numerous than formerly. Walruses are only met with in Davis 

 Strait, and are not numerous. Seals however are extremely common, 

 and supply all the wants of the natives. 



From the researches of a body of scientific men sent out from 

 Copenhagen in 1852 to explore the physical features of Greenland, it 

 appears that the rocks are chiefly of granite, gneiss, porphyry, clay- 

 slate, and calcareous rocks. Coal was found in the isle of Disco. In 

 the mainland valuable ores of copper appear to extend far to the north 

 of Dlboo ; and besides copper, blacklead, asbestos, serpentine, garnets, 

 crystals, 4c., were found in Southern Greenland; while Sir K. I. 

 Murchison states it to be his opinion, from the crystalline character 

 of the rocks collected in 1853 by Capt. Inglefield in the more northern 

 parallel of 77 ', that a very large portion of that region may prove to 

 be metalliferous. 



The low tracts along the coast and the fiords only are inhabited. 

 The inhabitants consist of natives and Danish settlers, the latter 

 amounting to between 300 and 400. The natives are Esquimaux. 

 The total number of inhabitants subject to Denmark was 9400 in 

 1850, of whom about 600 live on the eastern coast south of 65° N. lat. 

 But natives have been met with as far north as 77° on the western 

 coast. 



Greenland was discovered in 981 or 983 by an Icelander or Nor- 

 wegian named Guubiom, and was soon afterwards colonised by a 

 number of families from Iceland. The settlements increased rapidly, 

 and it is said that in 1406 there were 190 villages ; but the whole 

 colony suddenly disappeared from the pages of history. Davis re- 

 discovered Greenland in his voyage, 1585-87, and in the beginning 

 of the 17th century the Danish government fitted out several 

 expeditions to re-eatablish a communication with the lost colony. 

 According to the usual explanation, it was supposed that the ancient 

 settlements were on the eastern coast ; and this opinion prevailed till 

 1829, when the researches made by the Danish Captain Graah jjroved 

 conclusively that the ancient Icelandic colonies were on the western 

 coast, where numerous ruins of old buildings, especially churcbeB, 

 occur. The modem colonisation of the western coast took place in 

 1721, and was due to the zeal of a Noi-wegian clergyman, Hans (Johrj) 

 Egede, who planted a colony at Godthaab (near (i4° N. lat.) for tho 

 jiurpose of converting the natives to Christianity. After the founda- 

 tion of the colony a regular commerce with the natives was established, 

 which led to the erection of other settlementa These are, from south 

 to north — Juliaueshaab (61° N. lat.), with about 1500 inhabitants; Fre- 

 derikshaab, Lichtenfels, Godthaab and New Hernhut, Sukkertoppen, 

 Holsteinsborg, Egedesminde, Christianshaab, Jacobshavn, Kitenbcnk, 

 Umenak, Uppemavik (72° 48'). Uetween 68° and 71° N. lat. is an 

 extensive bay, called Disco Bay, from a large island of that name. 

 Disco Island extends about 80 miles south and north, and nearly as 

 much east and west. On its southern shores is the settlement of 

 Oodhavn. The Danes obtain from these settlements sealskins, fur, 

 eider-downs, train-oil, whalebone, and fish. 

 GREENLAW. [Berwiokshihe.] 



