I. 



NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAGE - MEETING WITH THE 

 NATIVES OF ANGMAGSALIK — V^INTERING AT ANGMAGSALIK 

 — RETURNING SOUTH — THE RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION. 



In the years 1883 — 1885 an Expedition under my command 

 investigated the southerly part of the East coast of Greenland as far 

 as about 66° north latitude. We were enjoined more especially to 

 investigate whether the old "Østerbygd" (Eastern settlement) of the 

 Northerners might possibly be located in the northernmost part of 

 this coast which the dangers of the Polar current, with its heavy 

 drift ice, had hitherto deterred Europeans from visiting. As Green- 

 landers from the East coast had related, while on visit to the West 

 coast, that somewhere far to the North there was a large inhabited 

 place called Angmagsalik, and as people from up there had once 

 travelled by boat to the southernmost trading station on the West 

 coast, there seemed to be no reason why we too should not be able 

 to get up to them, provided we had natives to guide us. 



Moreover there was a fair likelihood that Angmagsalik, on the 

 good things of which the natives had dilated with glowing enthus- 

 iasm, might turn out to be the very place where the old Norther- 

 ners had formerly dwelt. Angmagsalik accordingly formed the most 

 northerly object of our voyage. 



The Expedition set out from Nanortalik, the most southerly 

 trading station of any size on the West coast of Greenland, in 

 the native boats called umiaks^), with native crews. In travelling 

 with Greenlanders, these umiaks are far preferable to European 

 boats. They are spacious, easy to carry, and they can be repaired 

 without much difficulty when they have suffered wreckage. At the 

 close of each day's journey the boats were unloaded and dragged 

 ashore, and tents were erected. 



1) An open boat, which consists of a light wooden frame covered with sealskins, 

 and is rowed by women. The Danish name for this kind of boat is Konebaad. 

 Hence this Expedition is known as "The Konebaads-Expedition". 



