480 



BROWN ON NOURSOAK PENINSULA, &C. 



IV. — Greenland Coal. 



(P. 42.) The coal of Noiirsoak and Disco Island was used by 

 some of the English Arctic Expeditions (Inglefield and M'Clin- 

 tock's, at Kndlisaet and Atanakerdlnk). Many years ago it was 

 mined for use in the Disco-Bay Settlements, but for 30 years 

 the use of it was discontinued. Since Mr. Andersen has had 

 charge of Ritenbenk, the workings have been resumed for a few 

 days every summer, and he takes out yearly about 300 Danish 

 tondes (barrels about the size of a sugar hogshead), which costs at 

 the rate of 48 skillings, or about Is. l^d. per tonde. The coal is 

 like all Tertiary coal — rather poor, little coherent, and breaking 

 with a cubical fracture, though bright and glistening in colour. 

 It abounds in a small species of retinite, varying from a mere 

 speck to pieces the size of a marble. It gives off less smoke than 

 English coal. It gives as little ash as wood, and the heat-giving 

 power Mr. Anderssen estimates as being only one half of English 

 coal. He generally mixes it with English coal, and finds the 

 arrangement work well in eveiy respect ; for in the " General 

 Taxt-List" for Greenland in 1867 English coal is charged at the 

 rate of 3 rd. 48 sk. (or 7^. lO^d.) per cask of 4-677 bushels. 



Two analyses of this coal, one made by the late Prof. Fyfe, of 

 Aberdeen, and in the Appendix to ^' Inglefield's Summer Search 

 after Sir J. FrankUn " (p. 151), and another by Mr. T. W. Keates, 

 of London, in the " Philosophical Transactions " for 1869, p. 449,* 

 are here placed side by side for comparison : — 



Keates. 



Fyfe. 



Specific gravity 



Gaseous and vol. matter 



Moisture 



Sulphur 



^, 1 f Fixed, carbon 



^^^^ lAsh - 



1-369 — — 



_ 45-45 _- 



— -75 46-20 



— — '56 



— 47-75 — 



— 5-50 53-25 



1-3848 

 — 50-60 



— 39-86 



— 9'54 



100-00 



100-00 



This lignite contains a trace of bitumen ; 

 the coke is non-caking, and of little use. 



In addition to the localities mentioned, coal has been found by 

 the natives at various places on the coast. For instance. Dr. Rink f 

 mentions the following places, and Giesecke several others, where 

 coal could be conveniently dug : — 1. Atanakerdlnk ; 2. Patoot ; 



* A third analysis, by Dr. Wartha, is given in Heer's « Flora fossilis 

 arctica," p. 5. 



t " Gronland," vol. i., pp. 172-178. 



