A GREENLAND SETTLEMENT 43 



who migrated from the west over the northern 

 edge of the island. It is, however, the opinion of 

 Knud Rasmussen, who is familiar with that region, 

 that the supposed route by the north coast is im- 

 possible owing to the lack of food-animals and 

 because of the very great physical difficulties. The 

 east Greenlanders probably travelled from the 

 north, down the west coast and by Cape Farewell. 



Along the greater part of the east coast the land 

 is very difficult of access because of the large 

 quantity of ice that drifts south with the polar 

 current, but in the neighbourhood of Angmags- 

 salik streams from the hills tend to disperse the 

 ice, and it is usually possible for a steamer to 

 reach the Settlement once in the course of each 

 summer. The only route at present available by 

 which a traveller can go from the west to the east 

 side of Greenland is via Copenhagen. 



The number of Danish officials in Greenland is 

 about fifty. In the larger Settlements, or colonies, 

 as the Danes call them, there are from 1 50 to 500 

 people; a Danish Factor, or local governor, a 

 doctor, a Danish, or it may be a native, pastor, 

 and perhaps two or three other Europeans. In a 

 typical Settlement there is a mixture of timber 

 houses built under the supervision of a Danish 

 carpenter, and the low stone-and-turf houses of 

 the Eskimoes. The more primitive huts are entered 

 through a long, low passage like a tunnel, partly 

 above ground, which leads to the living room, 

 often decorated with coloured prints from Den- 

 mark; a three-legged stool supports a soapstone 



