Ethnological Sketch of the Angmagsalik Eskimo. Ю7 



mortals fell into the fissures and became Inersuaks (see pp. 82 — 83), 

 and the water came streaming from all sides. When the earth was 

 re-created, it was completely covered with ice. The ice gradually 

 melted away, and two mortals fell down from the sky, whose 

 descendants populated the earth. Year by year the ice can be seen 

 disappearing. In many places traces are still to be found from the 

 time when the sea covered the mountains". 



A similar legend was also current on the West coast in the 

 time of the Egedes. 



Wooden maps. — The way in which the natives illustrate their 

 country is by carving it out in wood. This method has the advan- 

 tage that not only the contours of the country, but also its appearance 

 and the reliefs of the mountains can be to some extent reproduced. 



The wooden map (fig. 390) which we brought home with us 

 represents the stretch of country between Kangerdluarsikajik, east 

 of Sermiligak, and Sieralik, north of Kangerdhigsuatsiak. 



The mainland is continued from one side of the block of 

 wood to the other, while the islands are disposed on the accom- 

 panying stick without any regard to the distance between them. 



All the places where there are old ruins of houses (which 

 form excellent places for beaching the boat) are marked on the 

 wood map; the map likewise indicates where a kaiak can be car- 

 ried over between the bottom of two fjords, when the way round 

 the naze between the fjords is blocked by the sea-ice. 



By manipulating the stick so that the islands appear in their 

 right position to the mainland, the traveller is enabled by means 

 of this map to inform others of the route he has taken. 



The other wood map, which was made to order, represents the 

 peninsula between Sermiligak and Kangerdluarsikajik. 



Geographical conceptions. — Like other Eskimo tribes, the 

 Angmagsaliks know their native place and its vicinity in and out. 

 They have an extraordinarily strong sense of locality, being able to 

 give an accurate description, and even draw up a map, of districts 

 they Ьал'е visited only once many years ago. 



And moreover they can also understand maps which have 

 been drawn up by others and they can supplement and interpret 

 them! As an instance of their interest in maps, I may mention that 

 people have come to me either to see the maps I had drawn up 

 or the maps drawn by their fellow-countrymen, in order to make 

 contributions of their own or to correct errors which they had 

 heard were to be found in them. 



