Report on the Danmark expedition to the north-east coast. 15 



to Spitzbergen. During these whaling voyage.^ the whalers have 

 certainly often sighted the east coast of Greenland. Among other 

 evidence of this we lind, that an old Dutch ehart of the east coast of 

 Greenland has the following notes on it '. 



at ca. 78 '2' N- lat. t. Land van L.\>ibekt opgedaen 1670. 



- 77° - - I. Land van Edam opgedaen IGöö. 



- 74 - - Baey van Gale Hamkes opgedaen 1654. 



- 73" - - I. Land van Broer Ruys opgedaen 1655. 



After Daxell's three voyages no further attempt was made under 

 Frederik 111 to reestablish the connection with Greenland: but no 

 sooner had Ghristiax \' mounted the throne than he sent out an 

 expedition in 1670 under a captain by name Otto Axelsen*. We 

 know nothing uf the course of this voyatje except that Axelsen returned 

 successfully the same year. In tiie following year Axelsen was again 

 sent out, never to return. Nothing definite is known of what became 

 of him. but ргчЬаЫу his vessel became jammed in tlie ice and destroyed 

 during his attempts to reach into the east coast of Greenland. 



Thus, at the end of the 17th century, in spite of numerous exped- 

 itions the attempts to rediscover the old northern colonists had not 

 succeeded, nor was any new colony founded in Greenland. In the 

 beginning of the 18tli century, however, in the reign of Frederik IV 

 a colony was settled there and the first step was thus made towards 

 the present colonisation and the subsequent investigation of the whole 

 of Greenland, both the west and the east coast. 



The initiative was taken by the Norwegian priest, Hans Eoede, 

 who with burning zeal for the conversion of the Eskimo to Christianity, 

 settled down on July 3rd 1721 at the island lincriksok and here laid 

 the foundations of the rolony Godthaab, which was moved later over 

 to the niairdand '. Haxs Eoeue was sent out by a ("ircenland com|>aiiy 

 under the j)atronage of the King and fountlcd by himscll' in Bergen. 



.\t the request of the King, Haxs Egede in 1723 made an endea- 

 vour to discover Østerbygficn. which was still itclicved lo have been 

 on till- east coast, (hi .\ugust !4h EciEDE dc|Kirted from tiie colony 

 with two sloops, and endeavoured to penetrate through the Frobisher 

 Straits, which were marked on all the rharts of that time, over lo the 

 east coast. EdEDE discovered, that these straits did not exist and 

 consequently, he did not succeed in reaching the east coast, being 



• De ffrootP nienwe vprimTili-rde Zee-.MIas oflc Water- Wacrlil ilonr 

 (lERARO \»4 Ki.iLi:>. Frintr-il !)>• JoA>Mis \A> Kki LRN, Amstonlaiii 171f*. 

 This chart in the .Vtlas mentioned bears liowever llie year IT'ir,, Tin' Mliis is 

 in Ihr "Store KnnKehK'' Bihhotek" of (Copenhagen. 



firiinlands historiske Mindexmnrker, Bd. Ill, p. ïtiï, 



• (inirdand.'i historiske .Mindcsina-rker, Bd. Ill, pp. 725 — 726. 



• firunland» historiske .Mindesnia-rker, IM III. pp. 727 — 728. 



