Ethnographical collections from East Greenland. 



467 



a minute description of the fishing apparatus; according to him the 

 hook is called karssursak, but by the natives of the south coast 

 okomersak "something taken in the mouth." ^) He distinguishes 

 between the sea-scorpion line, which is used from the kaiak or on 

 the ice, the line used from the land with the help of a fishing-rod, 

 and the deep-sea line, used in fishing for halibut, cod, Norway had- 

 dock and Greenland halibut. 



Fig. 172 b shows a sinker with two iron hooks, for the sea- 

 scorpion fishing. It is unknown, whether this belongs to an older 

 type or has been introduced to Ammassalik from the south. In any 

 case it is the same as the most primitive form for the ordinary 

 sea-scorpion line and hook, used from the kaiak, known from South 

 Greenland. Fabricius describes its use as follows: 



"No bait is used on these lines, they are simply 

 moved backwards and forwards constantly in the 

 water, the fish, when they see the shining side of the 

 stone, being attracted from the deeper water to seize 

 it; the line must be kept near the bottom; when the 

 fish approaches the stone with its mouth wide open, 

 the fisherman jerks the hook, which is underneath 

 and constantly in movement, up into the mouth or 

 body."^) 



Fishing scoops and dredges. — Fig. 174 

 shows a mussel dredge (qatitaatun) for collecting 

 mussels (Mytilus) at the shore. It is a kind of 

 basket or scoop of wood, tied to a long pole 

 (here broken). — On the cruises with the women's 

 boat in summer the natives like to settle at 

 places in the fjords, where many mussels are to 

 be found on the beach. There are many, especially the women, 

 who regard mussels as a great delicacy. 



Caplins (ammassät) are taken with a sort of large basket-work 

 scoop or dip-net {qaleertut, atcättaat); one of these is seen in fig. 37 

 (cf. p. 54). At the end of June 1906 I arrived at the only place where 

 the Ammassalikers carry on the caplin fishing, at the point Qingaaq in 

 a large sub-fjord of the Ammassalik Fjord. Half a score of tents had 

 been set up here. The caplins had appeared a few days previously 

 and those taken were spread out over the rocks to dry in the sun 

 and wind. As soon as they were well dried, the women proceeded 

 to sew them up in pairs in long, broad bands. These bands of fish 

 were rolled up (see fig. 222) and each family liked to have several 



Fig. 174. Mussel scoop. 

 (Holm coil.). Чь. 



1) О. Fabricius (1812) pp. 261—263 and 256—257. 



2) Id. ibid. p. 263. 



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