52 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



ceased persons are placed for six days before burial. Graves are 

 dug, even in winter, for burying. Thus the total number of 

 buildings in Holsteinborg amounts to 29. 

 The population is as follows : 



The inhabitants in Holsteinborg District proper number 197 ; 

 in Kemortusiik, 103 ; in Omanausiik, 97 ; in Sarfangoak, 158 ; in 

 Itiblik, 108 — making a total of 663 souls. 



In the town of Holsteinborg there are only ten Europeans, but 

 throughout all Greenland in 1855 they numbered 250. At that 

 date it was estimated there were 9644 Esquimaux, three fourths 

 of whom were of Danish blood and the rest pure. 



In the Holsteinborg District there are three small schooners, 

 five small boats, and eleven whale-boats. 



In 1859, which was considered a bad year, only one whale was 

 captured, though sometimes ten and twelve have been caught in 

 a single season. Of reindeer 300 were secured ; of seal-blubber, 

 5000 lbs. ; liver of sharks, 2000 lbs. ; blue foxskins, 100 ; white 

 foxskins, 150 ; eider-down, before cleansing, 500 lbs. ; after cleans- 

 ing, 100 lbs. ; and of stockfish — that is } dried codfish unsalted, 

 4000 lbs. 



I may state that during Governor Elberg's time, since 1850, 

 there have been killed from 5000 to 6000 reindeer. Several years 

 ago there were obtained in two years from the Esquimaux about 

 fifty tons of reindeer horn, costing some two skillings, or one cent 

 federal money, per pound ; 4500 lbs. of it were sent home to Co- 

 penhagen, but it would not pay freight. 



The governor also told me that "whenever the ships were 

 obliged to take home to Copenhagen stone for ballast, they could 

 sell it to no purpose, because it was complained of as rotten." 

 This I found to be generally true. On several mountains I vis- 

 ited, stones exposed to the atmosphere were crumbling. On 

 Mount Cunningham I had satisfactory proof of it. Small mounds 

 of stone that have evidently crumbled off the larger mountains 

 may be seen lying at the base. The winters are doing their lev- 

 eling work, and doing it rapidly. 



There are four midwives. Two have a good medical education, 

 obtained in Copenhagen. They receive $70 (Danish) per year. 3 



Danish. 



The schoolmaster receives per annum $125 00 



Three other teachers, each " 100 00 



Three " " " 25 00 



Three " " " 10 00 



Two " " " 6 00 



