I. Brief account оГ earlier exi)editi()ns to 

 the east coast of Greenland. 



Plate I. 



THE year 1908 will always remain a memorable year in the iiistury 

 of Greenland's exploration. With the return of the Danmark Ex- 

 pedition and the news of the magniticent results achieved by the Ex- 

 pedition, the coping stone was laid on a work, which had engaged the 

 unwearied attention of numerous explorers for centuries. The last 

 wide stretch of unknown coast on the north-east of Greenland had 

 been investigated and surveyed by this Expedition and the extensive 

 coast line of Greenland was now known in the whole of its length '. 



Over 900 years had passed since the Norseman Erik the Heu 

 landed on the south-west coast of Greenland in the year 98G and settled 

 down at Brattelid in Eriks Fjord (probably the present Tunugdliarfik 

 and Igaliko Fjord)'-. In 877 already or perha[)s even somewhat earlier 

 it is possible, that the land was seen by the .Norseman Gu.nb.iok.v ", 

 and in 983 — 985 Erik the Red had visited Greenland and passed 

 the winter of both yt^ars on the south-west coast, but it was not until 

 986, that he and many other northerners, attracted by his report of 

 the country, made a definite settlement on Greenland and thus founded 

 here thi' first northern colony*. 



The immigration to Greenlan«! continued during the fcjllowing 

 years and gradually twn inhabited districts arose, Østerbygden and 

 \'esterbygden, regarding which we have learnt later, that the former 

 lay in the present Julianehaab district and I lie bitter In the Godthaab 

 district *. 



For more than 40(1 years the conncclinn was maintained with 

 these colonies and there can hardly be any doubt, that the navigators 



' .\ complete account of the "earlier expeditions lu llie east coast of Oreen- 

 laml north of tJß' \. lal." up lo the year IHOl is ({iven by С Hvukh in "Oeo- 

 ртаПяк Tidsskrift', Bd. И, 1Н!)1— !»2, р. G2. 



' (imnlands historiske Mindesma-rkcr, И. ill. p. ЙЫ. 



* (imnlands histfirisk«.- .Mindo.sm.Trker, IM. I, pp. 71 — 77. 



* (Imnlands hi.storisk)' .Mindesmærker, IM. I, f)p. 20(5 — 207. 



* II. V. V. КссЕяя. "Om fîronlands ilslerby^ds sande Heligffcfibcd". Kjo- 

 benhavn 17!)4. 



К. J. V. Нтееяятяир. "Om Oslerbygdens iiuligifenhcd". Mi-(ldelelser om 

 (îninland. Bil. I.\, pp. 1 — Ы. 



