12 G. Amdulp. 



of that time had a л-егу detailed knowledge of the colonized part, 

 at least, of Greenland and presumably also of much beyond. But 

 from about the middle of the 15th century the connection was lost 

 and practically nothing of the knowledge which had been gained up 

 to that time, regarding the navigation of the coasts of Greenland, 

 was preserved for posterity. Nor was this all. Knowledge of the 

 geography of the land was also lost in part and as time passed, the 

 erroneous belief, as it has since proved, arose, that Østerbygden had 

 lain on the east of Greenland. 



Although the first colonisation had thus contributed very little 

 to the exploration of Greenland, yet it was this, that gave the stimulus 

 to the repeatetl voyages to the land, and even the belief, that Øster- 

 bygden at least had been situated on the east coast of Greenland, was 

 the inducement which led to the beginning of the investigation of 

 this, extremely inaccessible coast by comparison with the west coast. 



In the following the earHer explorations of the east coast of Green- 

 land up ti^ the despatch of the Danmark Expedition may be briefly 

 reviewed. 



The desire to regain the connection with the lost colonies Øster- 

 bygden and Vesterbygden has always been strcmg in Denmark But 

 the first real attempt in this direction was not made until the time 

 of King Frederik II, who in 1579 sent out an expedition under the 

 charge of the Englishman Jacob Allday^ and in 1581 a second exped- 

 ition under the Færoese Mogens Heixesox -. Both of these exped- 

 itions afford a striking example of the fact, that the earlier knowledge 

 of the navigation of the Greenland colonies had been quite lost, for 

 both set their course north round Iceland and in towards Greenland's 

 east coast under the impression, that Osterbygden must lie there. 

 However, the ice preл'ented them from reaching the coast and both 

 expeditions were fruitless. 



The expeditions, which were sent out liy English merchants in 

 the years 1585, 86 and 87 under the command of John Davis*, with 

 the object of finding round the north of America an easier route to 

 China and India than the previously used route round the south of 

 Africa, contributed nothing to the exploration of the east coast of Green- 

 land; yet they should be briefly mentioned here, for they led, so to 

 speak, to the despatch of the later expeditions. 



John Davis discovered or rather rediscovered* the Straits now 



' C. Pingel. "Xyere Rejser til Grüiilaml". Grönlands liistorisl<(.' Mindes- 

 mærker, Bd. III, pp. 637—50. 



' Grönlands historiske Mindesmærker, Bd. III, pp. 650 — 60. 



' Grönlands historiske Mindesmærker, Bd. III, pp. 666 — 70. 



* It is obvious, that the southern part of l>avis Straits must liave been well 

 known in the centuries when the connection with Osterbygden and \'esterbygden 

 was maintained. 



