RISE AND FALL OF THE GREENLAND COAST. 53 



45 miles north of Sukkertoppen (lat. 65° 25' 23" n., long. 52° 45' 25" 

 w.), the ruins of old Greenland houses are also to be seen at low 

 water. 



In Disco Bay I had another curious instance brought under my 

 attention by Hr. Xeilsen, at the date of my visit, Colonibestyrer of 

 Claushavn. The blubber-boiling house of that post was originally 

 built on a little rocky islet, about one-eighth of a mile from the shore, 

 called by the Danes " Speek-Huse-Oe,"andby the Eskimo " Krowe- 

 lenwak," which just means the same thing, viz. " Blubber-house 

 Island." For many years the island had been gradually sinking, 

 until, in 1S67, the j-ear of our visit, Hr. Neilsenhad been under the 

 necessity of removing the house from it, as the island had been gra- 

 dually subsiding until the floor of the house was flooded at high tide, 

 though, it is needless to say, sufficiently far above high-water mark 

 when originally built. On another island in its vicinity the whole 

 of the Claushavn natives used to encamp in the summer, for the 

 treble purpose of drying seals' flesh for winter use, of getting free 

 from disturbance by the dogs, and of getting somewhat relieved 

 from the plague of mosquitoes; but now the island is so circum- 

 scribed that the natives do not encamp there, the space above water 

 not allowing of room for more than three or four skin tents. These 

 facts are sufficient evidence that the coast of Greenland is falling 

 at the present time ; and I doubt not that if there were observers 

 stationed in Smith Sound for a sufficiently long time, it would be 

 found that the coast is also falling there, though hitherto only Kane 

 and Hayes have stayed there, but for too short a period to decide 

 on the matter; and I cannot see that there is the slightest reason 

 why the fall should halt at Kingatok (n. lat. 73 3 4b' J, the most 

 northern Danish post, and the most northerly abode of civilised 

 man. Circumstances have only allowed of its being noted so far. 



Hr. Neilsontold me that he considered that Disco Island, opposite 

 Claushavn, was rising, because the glaciers were on the increase. 

 I think that if there is no more evidence than this for that sup- 

 posed fact, we may lay it aside as erroneous, because the glaciers 

 are undoubtedly increasing by the increase of the interior mer de 

 glace on the island, and by the regular . descent which they are 

 making to the sea. Disco Island is a miniature edition of Green- 

 land ; it has its inland ice, its defluent glaciers, and its sub-glacial 

 rivers, which sweep the denuded material from beneath the ice. 



I have made an attempt to estimate the rate of fall; and though 

 we have no certain data, yet 1 believe that it does not exceed 

 ."» feel in a century, if eo much ; so that none of as will live to see 

 Greenland overspread bj the sea. Such at hast are the views I 



