114 AN EAETHQUAKE. Chap. VII. 



to bear out the assertion. This is the only part 

 of Greenland where earthquakes are felt. The 

 Governor told me of an unusually severe shock 

 which occurred a winter or two ago. He was 

 sitting in his room and reading at the time, 

 when he heard a loud noise like the discharge 

 of a cannon ; immediately afterwards a tremu- 

 lous motion was felt, some glasses upon the table 

 commenced to dance about, and papers lying 

 upon the window-sill fell down : after a few 

 seconds it ceased. He thinks the motion ori- 

 ginated at the lake, as it was not felt by some 

 people living beyond it, and that it passed from 

 N.E. to S.W. 



This mountain scenery is really charming ; 

 but a little more animal life — reindeer, for in- 

 stance — would make it far more pleasing in our 

 eyes. The last twelvemonth's produce of this 

 district amounts only to 500 reindeer skins, in- 

 stead of 3000, as in ordinary years. The cler- 

 gyman of Holsteinborg was born in this colony, 

 and has succeeded his father in the priestly 

 office ; his wife is the only European female in 

 the colony. Being told that fuel was extremely 

 scarce in the Danish houses, and that " the 

 priest's wife was blue with the cold," I sent on 

 shore a present of some coals. 



On Sunday afternoon, hearing the church bell 



