293 



East coast, leading to the formation of numerous straits and 

 sounds, while large fiords cut deep into the land. The "inland- 

 ice" is thereby forced away from the coast, and, though the 

 large islands are pretty high and rocky, there are numerous 

 points and many small islets which almost seem to call for 

 Eskimo habitation. Moreover, the rushing stream which flows 

 between the numerous islands and through the narrow sounds 

 often keeps them open, even when the great ice lies frozen 

 outside the coast. In this way natural air-holes are formed for 

 the seals, thus facilitating hunting in a high degree, while the 

 current which issues from the sounds and straits assists the 

 "great-ice" to scatter outside the A ngmagsalik Fjord quicker 

 than either north or south of it. 



Hence it is possible to conclude from the orographic 

 nature of a stretch of coast whether or no it is adapted for 

 Eskimo habitation. And, as a matter of fact, we shall see in the 

 following description of the coast from Angmagsalik to 

 Scoresby Sund that wherever along this line of coast we 

 meet districts resembling that of Angmagsalik, we will 

 And numerous proofs of a former Eskimo habitation, the more 

 numerous, the greater the resemblance, while the proofs get 

 scantier and scantier as the resemblance is smaller. 



The coast from Serm'iligak^) (the most northerly in- 

 habited place) to Vahls Fj|ord resembles the Angmagsalik 

 District in a number of ways. Here we have the great 

 Qord Kangerdlu gsuatsiak, besides a number of smaller 

 fiords, numerous islands off the coast, and the "inland-ice" 

 does not reach out to sea. And as a matter of fact this 

 stretch of coast has been thickly populated up to quite recent 

 times. Between Vahls Fjord and Poulsens Fjord lies 

 the great Steenstrup Bræ, and the stretch of coast 



'I For the description of the coast wliicli follows, consult the map in 

 • Meddelelser om Grenland.. Vol. XXVII. Plaie.« IV, VI, VII and VIII. 



