IN THE DRIFT-ICE OFF THE COAST OF GREENLAND. 13 



On the morning of July 25, we were off Godthaab, with 

 its many pleasant memories of our winter there in 1888-1889, 

 with Nansen and the other members of the Greenland Expedition. 

 The weather was clear, and I easily recognized the mountains, 

 Sadlen and Hjortetakkerne, with their fine peaks and crags. The 

 broken Alpine landscape at Godthaab extends northward beyond 

 ' Sukkertoppen,' where I had originally thought of putting in, but, 

 as the pack-ice was so thick under the coast, I gave up all idea 

 of spending time and coal in forcing a way through it. 



On July 28, we stopped at some low islets and rocks outside 

 Egedesrninde, where it had been arranged that we were to call for 

 some sledge-dogs which the Eoyal Greenland Trade Service had 

 kindly undertaken to buy for the expedition. As there was a 

 thick fog at the time I would not risk going in farther before 

 we had a pilot on board, so I fired off several shots during 

 the course of the night. With daytime, however, the weather 

 cleared, and we then steamed slowly up the fjord, between islets 

 and icebergs. One of the latter, in particular, was very beautiful, 

 with a large bluish-green grotto, where the sea washed in and out. 



We soon perceived a boat rowing towards us with the Danish 

 flag fluttering gaily in the wind. This contained the pilot and six 

 other Greenlanders, among whom were a half-grown boy, an old 

 man, and a young girl, all of mixed race. These hybrids are 

 always called Greenlanders in contradistinction to the true Eskimo, 

 with whom they dislike to be confounded. The occupants of the 

 pilot's boat all appeared to be good-natured people, modest, and 

 amiable. Some of them had undoubtedly more European than 

 Eskimo blood in their veins, as could be seen from the shape of their 

 faces as well as from their complexion. We took a photograph of 

 them in a group, and the pretty young girl blushed with timidity 

 when she was told to place herself beside one of our men. 



Within a fairly large and well-sheltered bay lies Egedesminde, 

 so called from the Norwegian pastor and missionary, Hans Egede, 

 known as the Apostle of Greenland. The colony numbers about 

 one hundred and fifty persons, and at the time of our visit was 

 governed by Herr Mathiesen, who lived with his family in a 

 comfortable little house surrounded by a garden. 



