10 G. Holm. 



king of Denmark, and called King Christian IX Land. The Island 

 was named Erik the Red Island. From a mountain 2080 feet high 

 in an island to the north we had a magnificent view over the is- 

 lands along the coast to the north-east. This island was named 

 Leif Island. 



We then visited the most fertile places in the Angmagsalik 

 district, namely Ikatek between the Sermiligak Fjord and the 

 Angmagsalik Fjord, Norajik at the bend of the Angmagsalik Fjord, 

 Kingak and Kingorsuak in the interior of the Angmagsalik Fjord. 

 In no place did we come across non-Eskimo ruins, but only a large 

 number of old Eskimo houses. Old Eskimo houses were shown 

 me in no less than 40 places in the Angmagsalik fjord itself. The 

 most fertile stretches up here are barren in comparison with almost 

 any part of the Julianehaab district, in which there are old ruins 

 left by the Northerners. In old house remains there were a number 

 of small pieces of wood from the timber-work of the houses, some- 

 times even very heavy timber. Drift-wood is fairly abundant, and 

 wood is not used for fuel , as the East-Greenlanders never cook 

 except over lamps fed with blubber. This explains why no 

 fire-places are met with along the southern part of the East coast. 



The natives of Angmagsalik had never seen or heard of non- 

 Eskimo stone-remains of any kind whatever. Nor did they possess 

 any legends of struggles with Kavdlunaks in days of old ; but ihey 

 had heard something vague about their ancestors having slain our 

 forefathers and burnt their houses, doubtless a fragment of a legend 

 which had floated up to them from the south, which was also the 

 way in which they obtained accounts of the West-Greenlanders' 

 previous relations with Europeans. 



We visited almost all the inhabited places along the Sermilik 

 and Angmagsalik fjords, and were received with the utmost 

 hospitality. We found everywhere a great abundance of blubber- 

 bags and seals, some of them dried, some of them frozen and 

 preserved as provisions for the winter. We did a good deal of 

 bartering, and carried off many blubber-bags and seals. 



Wherever we came , we found the natives moving into winter 

 quarters. When we got to Norajik, the inhabitants, who numbered 

 twelve families, were moving from five tents into their large house. 



When our women rowers saw how all the people of Angmag- 

 salik were moving into houses, although they had very snug tents 

 made of double skin and many lamps burning in them , while our 

 tents were only made of canvas, they began lo grumble very much 

 at the cold. As their clothes also were in a pitiable state, we were 

 obliged to make up our minds to take possession of our house. 



