Ethnological Sketch of the Angmagsalik Eskimo. 135 



Europeans; for they related that in olden times a ship had appeared 

 on the coast and carried away some of the natives. They must 

 thus have heard accounts of how the Europeans behaved to the 

 Eskimo on the West coast, and notably how Lindenow, Cunning- 

 ham, and Danell abducted the natives and even shot them outright. 



It is easily understood that the first tales of the Europeans' 

 behaviour towards the Eskimo have impressed themselves on their 

 memories in such a degree, that they disregarded the peaceful inter- 

 course of later times. 



Whereas the southern East Greenlanders had lent us their 

 assistance in unloading and loading our boats, the Angmagsaliks 

 did not move when we arrived up there, but stood quietly looking 

 on: in other words we were not very welcome ^). 



Hospitality and gratitude. — As soon as it was rumoured 

 that we had come to Angmagsalik, people arrived from all the in- 

 habited places of the fjord in kaiaks and umiaks to see us. They 

 all brought us presents, consisting of fresh and dried meat, sealskin- 

 thongs, sinew-thread etc. , and one and all expressed their joy and 

 wonder at our arrival there, and promised to come to us with a 

 share of all the game they would catch in the course of the winter. 



When we visited the natives at their dwelling-places on sub- 

 sequent occasions, they were exceedingly obliging and hospitable 

 and could not do enough for us. They were very pleased and grateful 

 when we visited them in their tents or houses. They spread out 

 the most beautiful of their seal-skins for us to sit on. They were 

 very pleased when we showed interest in their children, or partook 

 of the food they offered us. They were especially delighted when 

 on a short journey we committed ourselves to their mercies, leaving 

 our West-Greenland crew behind. They took pride in gratifying 

 our utmost wish, and their helpfulness and obligingness knew no 

 bounds. When we went to see them, they always made us presents 



') Dalager tells us abovit a custom of the Greenlanders which is most charac- 

 teristic, as it shows how anxious they are to avoid doing anything which 

 might offend others: "When a boat approaches an inhabited place in order 

 to pitch tents, they row slowl}', and when the}' are a gun-shot from land, the}' 

 lie still resting on their oars, without uttering a sound. If the newcomers are 

 welcome, the people on land address them friendlily saying: 'Here з^ои have 

 an excellent place to pitch your tent and a place where the umiak can lie; 

 come and rest!' The inhabitants then lend their assistance in- unloading the 

 boat and carrying up the baggage. But when they depart again, they do not 

 help to launch the umiak, nor do they assist Avith the cargo. 



On the other hand, if the strangers are unwelcome, the by-standers on 

 land stand still, and the newcomers then row awaj-^ as fast as they can to 

 another place". (Lars Dalager: Grønlandske Relationer etc. Kjøbenhavn 1752.) 



