CHAPTER XLII 
EAST COAST OF GREENLAND— DANISH EXPEDITIONS 
The discovery of the east coast of Greenland by the 
Danes should take an important place in the history of 
Arctic enterprise. Their objects were most praiseworthy, 
the work was done with thoroughness, dangers and 
difficulties were faced with dauntless courage, and the 
history was told with ability, and above all with modesty. 
Finally success crowned their efforts. There is a dramatic 
unity in the whole story which is fascinating. 
We have seen that some pioneer work had been done 
by Scoresby, Clavering, and Koldewey on part of this 
coast, and the Danish Captain Graah had made an 
important voyage in 1828-30. Otherwise the whole of 
the eastern coast, from Cape Farewell to 82 0 30' N. 
where the northern coast begins, remained to be dis- 
covered and explored. The Danes undertook this great 
work with splendid resolution and zeal, and went steadily 
on until it was completed 1 . 
The great work was commenced in 1879 with the 
despatch of the schooner Ingulf of the Royal Danish 
Navy, with Commander Mourier and Lieut. Wandel on 
board, to make a careful examination of the edge of 
the ice on the east Greenland coast from latitudes 65 0 
to 69 0 . After this preliminary expedition another was 
despatched in r883 under Lieut. Gustav Holm, with 
Lieut. Garde as second, both of the Royal Danish Navy, 
who were to follow in the track of their distinguished 
predecessor, Captain Graah, and penetrate beyond the 
furthest point reached by him. The expedition left 
Copenhagen on the 3rd May 1883, and arrived on the 
18th July at Nanortalik, where head-quarters were to 
1 The Danish Committee for the geographical and geological investiga- 
tion of Greenland was formed in 1876, and a valuable periodical, the 
Meddelelser om Gvonland, containing the narratives of the explorers and 
the scientific results of the expeditions, has ever since been published 
at Copenhagen. 
