PREFACE. 



lu the spring of 1900, 1 proposed to the "Commission for 

 the Direction of Geological and Geographical Explorations in 

 Greenland" that I should like to make a scientific study of the 

 Eskimo language there, and 1 offered to prepare myself for this 

 work by a year's stay in Danish North Greenland. 



The Commission consented to arrange for such an under- 

 taking and to enable me to make the stay in Greenland that I 

 desired, so that I could there collect material for a work about 

 the language calculated to appear among the publications of 

 the Commission. On account of the unusual nature of the 

 investigations I was to pursue, I was given no special instruc- 

 tions. The hope was merely expressed that my travels might 

 also possibly result in some contributions to the ethnography 

 and traditional history of the Greenlanders (cf. the Commission's 

 communication to me of March 17, 1900). 



1 was accordingly left at liberty to choose for myself which 

 sides of the subject I should lend special attention to and what 

 methods 1 should use. It is but natural that a work which is 

 begun under these circumstances will easily become marked 

 by the author's special training and individual interests in his 

 department. Yet I hope that chance has not in too great a 

 degree set its stamp upon this work. 



I entered upon the undertaking not only with enthusiasm 

 but also with the best intentions of making unbiased observa- 

 tion, absorbed with the desire of learning the language as well 



