ch. xviii] Hans Egede and Danish Greenland 161 
until the spring of 1729, when the survivors were sent 
home, and this first attempt at a colony came to an end, 
leaving Hans Egede almost in despair. His eldest son 
Paul was sent to Copenhagen to complete his education. 
Governor Paar made an attempt to comply with his 
instructions about the east coast. On April 25th, 1729, 
he set out with a party of seven men to explore the 
Amaralik Fjord, but found it impossible to make any 
progress on the inland ice, and returned on the 7th of 
May. On the map in the English translation of the book 
by Hans Egede there is a strait passing right across 
Greenland from Disco Bay with the following legend : — 
"It is said that these str eights were formerly passable but 
now they are shoot up with ice. 1 ' All the names from Ivar 
Bardsen are scattered along the east side of Greenland in 
this map of 1740. 
The attempt to form a colony had a very injurious 
result for the mission, as it made most of the natives 
move northwards to Disco Bay. 
The death of King Frederick IV, who had steadily 
supported Egede and the Greenland enterprise, seemed 
to be a mortal blow. The Government of his successor, 
Christian VI, saw no probability of any commercial 
advantage, and considered that the ten years of missionary 
efforts had produced little or no result. An order was 
therefore issued that the colony was to be given up, 
Hans Egede being given the option either to return with 
the rest or to remain. He resolved to stay, ten sailors 
volunteering to stand by him, and after much impor- 
tunity, a year's provisions were left with him. His 
youngest son Nils was now old enough to assist his 
father, and undertook the commercial part of the work, 
going about to collect blubber and other products, and 
striving, when possible, to take the part of a catechist. 
But privations and anxieties were telling upon Egede. A 
feeling of despondency was beginning to weigh him down, 
and he was only encouraged to perseverance by the 
heroic constancy of his wife. 
At last hope was revived. In May, 1733 > a ship 
arrived with the news that the Greenland trade was to 
be continued, and that the King would make an annual 
grant of £400 a year to the mission. In the same ship 
M. I. 
