48 A SUMMER IN GREENLAND 



Greenland is a 'dry' country, but the officials are 

 allowed to have in their possession a definite quan- 

 tity of alcohol; the higher the official the larger the 

 allowance. There are no taxes in the ordinary sense, 

 though, when skins and other things are bought 

 by the officials from the Greenlanders, a reduction 

 is made and the money thus obtained is spent for 

 the country's benefit. The profits accruing to the 

 firm which works the cryolite mine in South Green- 

 land are taxed by the government, and this tax 

 plays an important part in the balance-sheet of the 

 Royal Greenland Administration. A special paper 

 currency is used in Greenland; a 2 5 -ore note has 

 on it a picture of an Eider Duck, a Saddle-backed 

 Seal is represented on a 5<D-6re note, a Reindeer on 

 a one-krone note, while a Polar Bear represents 

 five kronen. There are no police, and serious 

 crimes are very rare. Crime is, however, not un- 

 known nor are the criminals without a sense of 

 humour: an Attache of the Danish Legation in 

 describing a film illustrating the royal visit to 

 Greenland told the following story: 'Before the 

 coast was sighted, a frail native canoe carrying a 

 single man was detected among the ice-floes. 

 Assuming that this was a messenger who had 

 ventured so far from land to bid the King wel- 

 come, he was invited on board the cruiser, treated 

 to a royal cigar and presented with a rifle. When 

 the King landed a few hours later His Majesty 

 was informed that the guest he had so signally 

 honoured was an escaped convict.' Disputes be- 

 tween natives are settled by a court composed ex- 



