Ethnographical collections from East Greenland. 339 



which in the previous autumn had journeyed southward from 

 Omeuik (Omeewik)^) to trade with the inhabitants of Kemisak and 

 Kikkertarsoak, where they had passed the winter. ''With the pro- 

 duct of their trading, which amounted to a couple of broken iron 

 darts, some old knives and a score of beads, they were now wending 

 their way back to their homes. One of these natives, the oldest 

 and probably the only aged eastlander I have seen (I took him to 

 be between 50 and 60 years old) told me, that he had once been at 

 a place called Sermelik, a large glacier, 6 to 8 days journey north 

 of Omevik. Between Omevik and Sermilik there were now no 

 inhabitants, but many years previously two families had lived at 

 this last place. North of Sermelik neither he nor any of his lands- 

 men had ever been and it was believed, that no one lived there. 

 He explained further, that he had heard, that many years before a 

 ship had been seen near the coast north of Omevik (probably 

 Egede and Rothe's first expedition, which on August 20th 1786 had 

 approached the east coast at 65° to within 18 miles)" ^). In a foot- 

 note Graah adds: "The eastlanders know the district well where 

 they live; but they do not make long journeys to other districts. 

 Among all those I met with between Frederiksdal and Cape Moltke 

 (i. е. between the south end of the west coast and 63° 30' N. lat. on 

 the east coast), only a few had been at Omevik and but one or two 

 somewhat further north." 



There must be a misunderstanding or something wrong in 

 Graah's information, that the region north of Sermilik was not in- 

 habited at that time. Walløe's statement, cited above, regarding the 

 place on the east coast where caplins were caught, can only refer 

 to Ammassalik (the only place on this coast where caplins occur); 

 Cranz' information regarding the regions in the same or an even 

 more northerly latitude is also evidence, that the coast had long 

 been inhabited there to the north. Even more certain evidence is 

 presented by the archæological discoveries of our day both in Ser- 

 milik, Ammassalik and more northern fjords. The probability is, 

 that the Eskimo visited by Graah and who were the neighbours to 

 the south of the Sermilikers and Ammassalikers, were hostile towards 

 these more northern eastlanders (just as at the time of G. Holm's 

 expedition) and thus perhaps misled Graah with regard to their 

 existence, so as to prevent him from journeying further north. The 

 information contained in the footnote, that the eastlanders south of 

 Cape Moltke almost never journeyed northwards, is very strong 

 evidence, that such hostility existed; for the waters northwards at 



') Holm's Umivik at 64° 15' N. lat. 

 -) Graah (1832) p. 140. 



22^ 



