Greenland. 
Settlements 
for the Da- 
nish whale 
fisheries, 
500 
vance itself in the water; wherewith it swims with in- 
credible force and celerity. When swimming a little 
under the surface of the water it leaves a track in the 
sea like a great ship, and this is called its wake, by 
which it often is Galawed: The female makes use also 
of the fins, when pursued, to bear the young one, 
placing it on its back, and supporting it by the fins 
on each side, from falling. They are also seen some- 
times having their young upon the tail. 
The skin of the whale is of a different nature. The 
epidermis resting upon the skin is not thicker than 
parchment ; but when this is removed, the real skin ap- 
s, which is about an inch thick, of a bluish-black co- 
our, fibrous and spongy; it is called by the Greenlanders 
maktak; itis very much wrinkled in the old whales, and 
smooth in the young ones. Beneath the skin (mahtak) 
lies a yellowish. white, very tenacious, reticulated fi- 
brous substance, which affords more fritters than oil ; it 
is called maksak by the natives: with this substance 
the real blubber is immediately connected, The blub- 
ber is of very unequal thickness, from 10 inches to 
one foot thick upon the back, and on the under lips 
two feet thick; but the latter is very cartilaginous, and 
intermixed with coarse nerves. The head and the back 
of the whale is bluish-black, the under jaw is white, 
and sprinkled or spotted with bluish-black, and the 
tail is greyish black. The skin of the suckers is greyish 
blue. The Greenlanders state, that the old animals be- 
come more and more of a greyish white colour. The 
blubber of young whales is reddish white and rose 
red, that of the old'is yellowish white ; the flesh of the 
oung is dark bleod-red, that of the old is dark red- 
rown. The bones of the whales are very porous, and 
afford, when sawed in pieces, the finest oil. The fe- 
male whale has two breasts, with teats like a cow, and 
has one young one, very seldom two. When it suckles 
the young it lies on its ‘side, on the surface of the sea, 
and the young one attaches itself to the teat. The 
food of the. whales is the ‘clio arctica, the argonauta 
arctica, cancer pedatus, and cancer oculatus, none of 
them exceeding the size of a common wasp. Some- 
times also oniscus pulex, and other species of oniscus 
are found in its stomach. It takes its food under wa- 
ter; these small insects become entangled by the hair 
of the whalebones, and the water is emitted partly on 
the sides of the mouth, partly through the blow-holes, 
The whale cannot remain longer than from 15: to 20 
minutes under water. It sleeps on the surface of the 
sea, and is often caught asleep. 
The settlements or colonies, which are established and 
supported by the Danish government on the coast of 
West Greenland, for the purpose of the whale-fishery, 
are Holsteinsburg in 67° 10’, Egedesminde ahd Wester- 
island on the southern point of Disko bay, Hunde Island, 
and Crown-prince-island in Disko bay, Christianshaab, 
Claushavn and Jacobshavn on the continent of Disko 
bay, Godhavn on Disko island, and Klokkerhuck on 
Arve-Prince-Island, situated on the entrance of theWay- 
gat. The fishery is carried on in boats, by natives and 
settlers, on the account of the Danish government. The 
fishery was not very successful during the last ten years. 
The English and Scotch whale-fishers visit Disko bay 
every year about the end of April, and leave it again in 
June. The Dutch whale-fishers, who former y also 
came there every year, were prevented from fishing at 
all du: the late war. It is only the balena mysti- 
cetus, which is caught there at that season. It comes 
to the coast about the end of December, and leaves it 
again in June. 
The spermaceti whale, or cachalot, (Physeter. ma- 
erocephalus) the enemy of the balena mysticetus, is 
. are the most northern. 
GREENLAND. 
seldom seen on the coast of West Greenland. 
Birvs.—West Greenland presents very few land 
birds, ‘The largest of them is the vultur albicilla, the Bins 
cinereous eagle, called nektoralik by the natives;itfeeds 
on seals, fishes, and all kind of birds ; is of 2 greyish Land 
brown colour, pike Greenland a whole year, , 
sitting on the s with flagging wings, and flies 
slowly. It is eaten by the Greenlanders, Ma ‘the skin 
employed for clothing. — tn 
The falco rusticatus, the falco islandus, and the falco 
fuscus, or Greenland falcon, called by the natives 
Kirksoviarsuk kernertok, inhabit the most remote pai 
of the firths; they feed on birds. The latter is of a 
very fine appearance. Its colour is marbled of white 
grey and brown. It is only eaten by the natives wh 
compelled by hunger. falcons inhabit Greenlan: 
the whole year. , : ie tekbinibrcs 
The beautiful snowy onl, or stryx nyctea, called orpik 
by the pretation is found ia the interior of the 
continent, in the vicinity of the glaciers. It preys 
every kind of bird day and night. . 
The raven, (Corvus coraz,) (Green. Tulugak:,) Rai 
in great nomber, and frequents the huts of the na- 
tives, who abhor its flesh. ; teria fine 
The white partridge, (Tetrao lagopus), called in North 
Greenland ageiksek, and in South Greenland, ‘auio, 
inhabits in-summer the mountains for the sake of crow- 
berries, (Empetrum nigrum). In winter it descends to 
the valleys near the shores. It is brownish in summer, 
and changes its colour in winter into a snow white, 
The Greenlanders like very much to eat its intestines 
raw. ’. 
Of small land birds, which all leave this country in 
the beginning of winter, are only seen the fringilla 
lapponica, (Green, Narksamiutak), the fringilla linaria, 
(Green. Orpingmiutak), the motacilla oenanthe, (Green, 
Kussekiak), and the emberiza nivalis, (Green. Kopanai= 
arsuk).. ‘The arrival of the latter about the end of May 
announces the approach of spring. In autumn, in the 
beginning of September, it collects again in great flocks, 
in order to migrate. . 
» Of water birds, there occur on the coast,— 
1. Anas bernicla, bernacle. Green. Nerdleh. rd 
2. Anas clangula, golden-eye. Green. Kwrtlutorpi- 
arsuk. 
~ 8. Anas histrionica, harlequin. Green. Tornaviarsuk. 
4. Anas boschas, mallard. Green. Kertluctok. ~~ 
5. Anas glacialis seu hyemalis, long tailed duck, 
Green. Aglek. 
6. Anas spectabilis, king-duck. Green. Storakilsok. 
7. Anas mollissima, eider-duck. Green. Mitek. 
The Anas mollissima, or eider-duck, visits the coast Eid 
as soon as the grass begins to grow, and plucks the 
finest down from its breast to form its nest. The 
down taken from the nest, is the finest and most elas- 
tic. It is customary to take away the first eggs, which 
occasions a second laying, and a second deplumation. 
They lay their eggs on uninhabited islands among the 
grass growing near the shores. They brave the severest 
winter of the arctic regions, and their breeding-places 
They come prt every 
spring to the same spot if not distur The 
Greenlanders kill them with darts and guns, wae 
their course (when they dive) by the air-bubbles, anc 
strike them when they ascend. The flesh is valued as 
food. The skin of this duck is the most valuable of all as 
a garment placed next to the skin. The down forms a 
very considerable article of trade. The colony Ege- 
desminde. produced in the year 1808, 1000 pounds 
weight of that article. One pound sterling is paid 
fox one pound weight of the best sort of down, =~ 
