26 G. Amdrup. 



After Graah's journey interest in the exploration of tlie east 

 coast of Greenland seemed to be lost in Denmark for many years. 



But in 1876 "Kommissionen for Ledelsen af de geologiske og geo- 

 grafiske Undersøgelser i Grønland" (Committee for the geological and 

 geographical investigation of Greenland) was formed in Denmark on the 

 instigation of Professor F. Johnstrup and a systematic investigation of 

 the west coast of Greenland was begun; some years later the idea was 

 also taken up of making a simultaneous investigation of the east coast. 



In 1880 the Danish Navy-Commander С 0. E. Normann had 

 put forward a complete plan for an investigation of the east coast 

 right from the south point and up to the 70th degree of latitude. The 

 main lines of this plan were, that an expedition by women's boat 

 should closely explore the coast from Cape Farvel to ca. 66° N. lat., 

 just in the same way as Graah had done, whilst the stretch from 66° 

 to 70° N. lat. should be explored by an expedition from the sea, which 

 after reaching the coast to the north of 70° N. lat. should explore the 

 stretch referred to by means of a boating expedition landed from the 

 ship ^. Subsequently, this plan has been followed in the main by 

 the expeditions which have solved this problem. 



Before considering the first of these, it should be mentioned, that 

 the schooner Tngolf" of the Danish Navy, Commander Mourier, 

 with Lieutenant С F. Wandel as second in command sailed along 

 the ice-edge in 187Я from about 69°00' to 65°00' N. lat. Favoured 

 by excellent weather Mourier was able, in spite of the great distance, 

 to keep the coast in sight practically the whole way. The distance 

 was too great, however, to make out the lines of the coast in any way, 

 but several well-marked, high mountains inland could be noted ^. 



In 1883 already the "Kommission" sent out the women's boat 

 expedition proposed by Normann. In command was First-lieutenant 

 G. Holm of the Navy and the second in command was First-lieutenant 

 Th. V. Garde, also of the Navy^. 



On May 3rd 1883 the expedition sailed from Copenhagen and 

 arrived on July 18th at Nanortalik on the south-west coast of Green- 

 land. In the same year, from July •23rd till September 16th, Holm 

 traA^elled up the east coast as far as Kasingortok (60°49') at the mouth 

 of Iluiiek Fjord (Danells Fjord) and explored the fjords on this stretch 

 of the coast. 



After spending the winter at Nanortalik Holm again set out on 



' Meddelelser om Grönland, Bd. IV, pp. 31 — 66. 



The views expressed in the plan regarding the conditions to be met 

 with on this stretch of the coast, which were still in great part quite unknown, 

 have later proved to be perfectly correct and we cannot but admire Normann's 

 clear perception and farsightedness. 



" Geografisk Tidsskrift, Bd. 4, p. 47. 



Meddelelser om Grönland, Bd. Vi, p|i. 17 — 22. 

 » Meddelelser nm Grønland. Bd. IX. 



