GREENLAND. 



tlie kajak and d;ii-ls of the departed, and tlie tools In- daily 

 iifc-d; or if the deceafed was a woman, lier knife and fewing 

 implements, that thev might not be defiled by them, or for- 

 row too much on their account, or becaufe they ilioidd want 

 them in another world. After the interment, thofe who at- 

 tended the proeelTion, betake themfelves to the hoiife of 

 mourning : then the men lit fdeiit for fome time with tlicir 

 ilbows leaning upon their knees, and their heads between 

 their hands ; while the women lie prollrate upon their faces 

 on the ground, and foftly weep and fob. Then the iiearefl 

 relation pronounces an eulogy, recitiiig the good qualities of 

 the decealed, and at every period d^'plering his lofs with 

 loud crying and weeping. After tliis mournfid dittv, the 

 women continue their lamentations in a tremendous houd. 

 This kind of mourning is continued for a week or a fort- 

 night. The howling is after intervals renewed, and pro- 

 longed for fome weeks, and in fome cafes for a whole 

 year. 



■ As for tlie religion, or rather the fuperftition of the an- 

 cient Greenlandtrs, they are reported to be fuch grofs ido- 

 laters as to winihip the fun, and facrlfiee to the devil, that 

 lie might forward, or at leaft not hinder, their hunting and 

 fifhing. The firft milfionaries, however, conceived that the 

 Oreenlanders had no kind of religion or idolatrous worfliip ; 

 and that there was Ovot any obfcrvable trace of their enter- 

 taining any conception of a Divine Being. Others, however, 

 have thought, with greater reafon, tliat a faint idea of the 

 Divine Being lay concealed in the minds of thefe people, 

 becaufe they direclly aflented without anv objection to the 

 doclrine of God and his attributes. Among the Grecnland- 

 crs, different opinions are entertained concerning the foul of 

 man ; lome fuppohng that it is material or corporeal, and 

 others that it is a fpiritual eflence, different from the body, 

 and all material iubilances, and capable of furviving after 

 death. They feem to liave fome confufcd and indiilinft no- 

 tions of a future Hate ; of the place v.'hich is to be the final 

 abode of good men ; and of the nature of their reward. 

 Tlie moil ilupid Greenlanders, it is faid, conceive a horror 

 at the thouglits of the entire annihilation of the foul. They 

 place their hell in the fubterraneous regions, which are de- 

 void of light and heat, and filled with perpetual terror and 

 anxiety. The Greenlanders fpeak of other fuperior and in- 

 ferior fpirits, befides the foul of man, wh.ich bear fome re- 

 femblance to the major and minor gods of the ancient hea- 

 thens. Of the firll rank there are only two ; a good fpirit 

 and a bad one. Befides the great fpirits to an audience 

 with whom an Angekok only can be admitted, ih.ere are 

 other leffer Ipirits in all the elements. 



The Greenlanders believe in ajjparitions, of the ghofls of 

 the deceafed. The " .Angekoks'' are their forcerers or di- 

 viner.^, to whom peculiar privileges and honours belong. 

 Although the Greenlanders have neither religion nor govern- 

 ment, thev are free from many of the grouer vices, which 

 may be found among perfons much more enlightened than 

 themfelves. 



The traffic of t!ie Greenlanders is very fir.iple and coneife, 

 and is carried on altogether by barter. They very rarely 

 cheat, or take the advantage of one another, much lefs fteal, 

 which they reckon infamous; but thev glory in over-reach- 

 ing, or robbing an European, bccaule they think it is a 

 proof of their fuperior wit and ingenuity. Their trafHc is 

 carried on partly among themfeives, and partly with faiftors 

 and feamen. AVlierever there is a great afleubly, or rendez- 

 vous of Greenlanders, as at a dancing maleli, or the tun- 

 feaft in winter, there are alw ays fome that expofe their wares 

 to view, and announce publicly what goods they want in 

 e.'icliange. As thofe in the foulh have no w hales, and thofe 



in the iiortli no wood, many boats of the Greenlanders coaft 

 every fummer out of the fonth, and even from the call fide 

 of the land, and j)roceed from two to four hundred leagues, 

 as far as Difko, with their kajaks and women's boats, and 

 the tackle and implements belonging to them, and barter 

 wood for the horns of the unicorn lilh, teeth, bones, wlialc- 

 bones, and whale's finews, and part of thefe they truck on 

 their return iiome. In thefe voyages they take with them 

 their whole family and lubilance ; and fometimes form a 

 new fettlement in the co'.:ifeof their vovage. Tlie Green- 

 landers vend their fox and feal-ll<ins, and cfpeciallv their 

 blubber, to agents or factors, and receive in return iron points 

 for tlieir darts, knives, lock-faws, gimblets, cliiffels, and few- 

 ing needles ; alfo, ilriped linen and cotton, kerfcys, woollen 

 ilockings and caps, handkerchiefs, cheds or boxes, wooden 

 dilhes, pewter plates^ copper kettles, looking-glalTes, combs, 

 ribbons, and all forts of toys for children. Thev arc fondelt 

 of buying fnuff, alfo guns, powder, and (hot ; tobacco, 

 wliich they ufe only as fnuff, ferves inilead of fmall monev 

 with them. Indeed, they expeft a little tobacco for every 

 fervice they jierform. 



The aflembly for dancing, and the fun-feaft above-men- 

 tioned, are not religious acts or ceremonies, but mere fports 

 and amufements. The fnn-feafl is kept at the winter folf- 

 tice, to rejoice at the return of the fun, and the renev.al of 

 good hunting and fifiiing weather. For this purpofe tliey 

 affemble all over the country in large parties, and treat one 

 another in the bed manner they are able. When they have 

 gorged themfelves with food, they rife up to play and to 

 dance. The means of intoxication they do not poffefs, and 

 drink only water. Their only mufical iiiflrumcnt is the 

 drum, which is beaten to common mufical time. The mufic 

 and dancing are accompanied with a fong in honour of feal- 

 catching, and fuch kinds of exploits ; tlie performer extols 

 the noble deeds of his ancellurs, and expreffes his joy at the 

 return of the fun in the hemifphere. Every flanza of his 

 ode is accompanied by the auditory. The following is a 

 fpecimen of a coinplete cantata ; the fecond and fourth lines 

 exprefling the ciiorus : 



" The welcome fun returns again, 

 Amna ajah, ajah, ali-hu ! 

 And brings us weather line and fair, 

 Amna ajah, ajah, ah-hu !' 



Such dancing meetings are appointed at other feafons of 

 the year, when they have leifure to attend them. It is 

 fomewhat fmgnlar, and deferves mention, that thev decide 

 their quarrels by linging and dancing, and they call this a 

 " Singing Combat.' A Greenlander, who conceives him- 

 felf iniuied, compofes a fatirical poem, and repeats it fo 

 often with finging and dancing, till his domellics, and par- 

 ticularly the women, are able to remember it. He then 

 publiftes a challenge that he will fight a duel with his iinta- 

 gonift, not with a fword but with a fong. 



The relpondent ajipears in the appointed place; when the 

 accufer begins to pronounce his fatire to the beat of the 

 drum, and his party join with repeating ■' Amna ajah," 

 which occaiions laughter among the attendants. 



The defendant then retorts in the fame manner, and the 

 laugh changes fides ; the plaintiff again renews the fame 

 kind of allault. The whole body of attendants conilitute 

 th.e jury, and confer the laurel on the viclor, and afterwards 

 the two contending p;;rties are the bell friends. 



The Greenlanders are employed through the whole year 



in fifliing or hunting. At fea they purfue whales, morfer, 



feals, lilk for food, and fea-fowl. On lliore they hunt the 



reiii-decr in different parts of the country. And they have 



5 methods 



