692 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL society. [June 22, 
later the whole of it was so submerged that only the ruins rose 
above the water. The settlement of Julianeshaab was founded 
in 1776 in the same fjord; but the foundations of the old store- 
house, built on an island called “The Castle,” are now dry only at 
very low water. Again, the remains of native houses are seen 
under water near the colony of Fredrikshaab (lat. 62° N.). Near 
the great glacier which projects into the sea between Fredrikshaab 
and Fiskerneesset, in 62° 32' N., there is a group of islands called 
Fulluarlalik, on the shores of which are the ruins of dwellings 
which are now overflowed by the tide. In 1758 the Moravian 
Unitas Fratrum founded the mission-establishment of Lichtenfeld, 
about two miles from Fiskerneesset (lat. 63° 4’); but in thirty or forty 
years they were obliged once, “ perhaps twice,” to remove the frames 
or posts on which they rested their large omzaks or “ womens” (seal- 
skin) “boats.” The posts may yet be seen beneath the water. 
To the north-east of Godhaab (lat. 64° 10' 36" N., long. 51° 45’ 5" 
W."), on a point called Vildmansnees (Savage Point) by Hans Egede, in 
1721-36, several Greenland families lived. These dwellings are now 
desolate, being overflowed at high tide. At Nappersoak, forty-five 
miles north of Sukkertoppen (lat. 65° 25’ 23” N., long. 52° 45’ 25" 
W.), the ruins of old Greenland houses are also to be seen at low 
water. 
In Disco Bay I had another curious instance brought under 
my attention by Hr. Neilssen, Colonibestyrer of Claushayn. The 
blubber-boiling house of that post was originally built on a little 
rocky islet, about one-eighth of a mile from the shore, called by the 
Danes ‘“‘ Speck-Huse-Oe,” and by the Eskimo, ‘“ Krowelenwak,” 
which just means the same thing, viz. “ Blubber-house Island.” 
For many years the island had been gradually sinking, until, in 
1867, the year of our visit, Hr. Neilssen had been under the neces- 
sity of removing the house from it, as the island had been gradu- 
ally subsiding until the floor of the house was flooded at high tide, 
though, it is needless to say, sufficiently far above high-water mark 
when originally built. On another island in its vicinity the whole of 
the Claushayn natives used to encamp in the summer, for the treble 
purpose of drying seals’ flesh for winter use, of getting free from 
disturbance by the dogs, and of getting somewhat relieved from 
the plague of mosquitoes ; but now the island is so circumscribed 
that the natives do not encamp there, the space above water not 
allowing of room for more than three or four skin tents. These 
facts are sufficient evidence that the coast of Greenland is falling 
at the present time; and I doubt not that if there were ob- 
servers stationed in Smith’s Sound for a sufficiently long time, it 
would be found that the coast is also falling there, though hitherto 
only Kane and Hayes have stayed there, but for too short a period 
to decide on the matter; and I cannot see that there is the 
slightest reason why the fall should halt at Kingatok (N. lat. 73°43’), 
1 According to observations by Capt. v. Falbe, of the Royal Danish Navy, 
furnished to me by Capt. H. L. M. Holm, of the Hydrographic Department, 
Copenhagen. 
