Report on the Danmark expedition to tlio north-east coast. 21 



But no one had any knowledge of this naturally at that time and we 

 need not be surprised, therefore, whenScoRESBY states in his report on 

 his voyage in 1822, that if a vessel once succeeded in getting inside the 

 ice belt it could follow the open coastal water from Scoresby Sound 

 right to Cape Farvel and in this way discover tlie old northern colonies, 

 which many still believeii were to be found on the east coast '. 



As mentioned above, Scoresby's successful voyage aroused great 

 interest in Denmark and led to the appointment a few years later 

 of a commission fur the purpose of arranging an expedition to the 

 east coast, to explore this between Cape Farvel and Scoresby Sound. 



Fortunately, this commission did not follow the plan suggested 

 by Scoresby for navigating this stretch of the coast, but resolved 

 that the investigation should be carried out in the same manner as 

 the journeys of Walloe and Giesecke, along the route which Hans 

 Egede had already stated to be the only feasible one-. As leader 

 of the expedition they appointed Navy Lieutenant W. A. Graah *. 



On .March 31st 1828 Graah sailed from Copenhagen and arrived 

 at the colony nf Frederikshaab on .May 27th. The winter of 1828 — 29 

 was passed on thf small islami Nanurtalik (ca. 60"08') on the south- 

 west coast of Greenlanii. (in Mardi 21st 1824 the expedition began 

 the journey to the east coast. It was composed of 4 Europeans, 5 

 Greenlanders and 10 Greenland women distributed anumg two women's 

 boats (umiak) and some kaiaks. For the Europeans provisions were 

 taken to last about one year, whilst if was expected that food could 

 be obtained for the (jreenlanders partly by their own efforts and 

 partly by trading with the Eskimo living on the east coast. 



On .April 1st Graah came to Kekertak, a small island a little 

 inside the eastern inlet of Prince Christians .Sound, where he \\;ts 

 obliged to wait 2Ô days owing to the ice. 



At last on .\pril 26th the voyage could be continued. In the 

 evening they came to the island .ЛПик, the end point of Giesecke's 

 journ.y in 1806« and on May 1st they reached бО'гВ' N. lat., the 

 most northern latitude, which Graah believed, Walloe had attained 

 to ^. Here the expedition was held up by the ice for more than .4 weeks. 



On .May 23ril the journey was continued, but already on the 28th 

 the expedition was again enclosed fur 17 days at Serketnua (60"59'). 

 It was not until June 14th that this tenting place coidd be left behind, 

 and from now on the ixpidiliun made fairly steady and sure prugress, 



' Journal of :i voyaffe to Itii- Norlhern-Whajp- Fishery" liv \Vii.i.i\m Sc h- 

 ик»ву junior, pp. .\LII — .Xl^III. 



• Han» Koeuk: "iJel (garnie f>mnlan<l.s nyi- I'lThistrutiori i-llcr Nalur«-!- 

 ilisttorie, pp. 20 — 21. Kjnbenhavn 17-11. 



• W. .\. GiiAAil: IndcnMigelsc-A-Ucjw til Oslks-' ' > ■'-< i i,.if,,,i 



i .Чагепо 1«2Н— 31". Kjtilx-nhavn 1H.32. 



• ibid. p. lb 

 ' ibid. p. 1Ü. 



