ß72 W. Thalbitzer 



Eskimo of olden times bave really had a route from Tasermiut across the inland 

 over to the inner part of Kangerdlugsuatsiak^). According to the South Green- 

 land tale (as recorded by Rink) Ungortoq, the last chief of the Norsemen, just 

 fled through Tasermiut over to the east coast pursued by his Eskimo enemies 

 and settled down over there ^). 



To pp. 338—339 fcf. 343J. 



Earliest European merchandise and commercial intercourse. — 

 Graah mentions that he had seen iron used for knives, saws, arrow-points in 

 East Greenland. If we can take it for granted that the same kind of things as those 

 bartered between the merchants and the natives in West Greenland had already 

 by that time penetrated up along the east coast, we find a more complete de- 

 scription in Cranz, who mentions the following objects of barter:^) "Knives, 

 tenonsaws, arrow-points, drills, chisels, sewing needles all made of iron; striped 

 linen and calico, Kersey woollen stockings and caps, handkerchiefs, wooden 

 boxes and dishes, tin-plates and kettles, looking glasses, combs, ribbons and 

 all sorts of toys for children. They prefer to buy snuff-tobacco and guns as also 

 gun-powder and lead". Of these things it is mostly the working tools, arrow- 

 points of iron and hoop-iron that have easily made their way to remote regions 

 in advance of the Europeans but in the wake hereof also the Dutch beads and 

 possibly also some toys. 



As already known the commercial intercourse between Europeans and 

 Eskimo began in West Greenland long before the Danish colonization was star- 

 ted about the year 1720. According to Hans Egede's relation the Dutchmen 

 especially about this time augmented the number of ships sent to Greenland. 

 The Norwegian merchant Hans Mathisen in Bergen and several others had for 

 some years been sending ships to Greenland but ceased about the year 1718 

 towards the time when Egede himself wanted to go to Greenland, also because 

 the Dutchmen "spoilt the trade for our people". Further a ship from Bergen had 

 in the previous year been lost in the ice and the crew who succeeded in getting 

 ashore had been killed by the natives^). The Eskimo have probably thirsted 

 for revenge as previous expeditions had recklessly carried off some of their coun- 

 trymen to Europe. Hans Egede, the first settler in Greenland since the Middle 

 Ages, soon experienced the disgust and fear felt by the Eskimo towards the 

 Europeans, for when he first raised a house over there his Eskimo neighbours 

 left the region and did not reappear for a long time and the angakut of the Eskimo 

 called upon their spirits to prevent the Europeans from settling down in their 

 midst''). 



Though the Dutchmen never passed the winter, but only lay with their 

 ships off the coast during the summer their merchandise from the beginning 

 of the 17th century was introduced into the country especially on the tract of 

 land between "Baals Revier" (Godthaabsfjord) and Disko, which names together 

 with several others originate from the time of the Dutchmen^). From the lan- 

 ding-places on this tract of land the wares were spread northwards and south- 



1) Holm and Garde (1889) pp. 159 — 161. 



2) Rink (1866) pp. 198—205 and 362. 



3) Cranz (1770J p. 228. 



■*) Egede (1738) pp. 12 — 14. 



^) Id. ibid. pp. 35 and 44. 



•"'j As further examples of Dutch place-names which are still used may be mentioned 



Svartenhuk, Ubekendt Eyland, Waygat, Klokkerhuk, Rodebay, Kanelen, Rotten, 



the Eylænders, Hukken etc. 



