3^- I'he FI 1 STORY of the Countries Book II 
tney don’t ufe them well : For they are left to 
fubiiir themfelves as wild Bealls, feeding upon Mufcles 
thiown upon the Sea-fide, or upon Berries in the Sum- 
mer-feafcn ; but v/hen they catch a multitude of Seals, 
they give them their Blood boiled, and their Entrails. 
As for Eand-Fowls, or Birds, Groenland\<.n.o\N?, of none 
but the Rypper, which is a Sort of large Partrige, white 
in Winter, and grey in Summer-time, and thefe they 
have in great Numbers*, Ravens feem to be domeftic 
Birds with them, for they are always about their Huts, 
^vering about the CarcalTes of Seals that lie upon the 
Ground. There are likewife very large Eagles, their 
Wings fpread out, being a Fathom v/ide, but they are 
feldom feen in the Northern Parts of the Country *, Fal- 
cons or Hawks, fome grey, fome pf a whitifh Plumage, 
and fome fpeckied, as alfo large fpeck led Owls. There 
are different Sorts of little Sparrows, Snow-Birds, and 
Ice-Birds, and a little Bird not unlike a Linnet, which 
has a very melodious Note. Amongft the Infedls of 
Groenlafidf the Gnats are the molt troublefome, whofe 
Sting leaves afwelling and burning Pain behind it ; and 
this Trouble they are moll expofed to in the hot Seafon, 
againft which there is no Shelter to be found. There are 
alfo Spiders, Flies^ Humble-Bees, Wafps. They know 
nothing of any venomous Animals, as Serpents and the 
like ; nor have they any Snakes, Toads, Frogs, Beatles, 
Ants, or Bees ; neither are they plagued with Rats, Mice, 
or any fuch Vermin. In regard to the Fifh in thefe Seas, 
more efpecially Whales, and other large Fifh, valued 
for the Sake of Oil, we fhall have Occafion to fpeak of 
them fo fully, when we come to treat of the Whale-fifli- 
ing hereafter, that for the Readers Benefit, as well as our 
own, we fhall, to avoid Repetitions, forbear fpeaking of 
them here, and proceed to the Manner of thefe Peoples 
living, providing for their own Subfiftance, and acquir- 
ing wlierewithal to trade with Strangers. 
7 . If we meafure the good Senfe, prudent Behaviour, 
and polite Carriage of other Nations, by what is efleem- 
edWifdom, Prudence, and PoliteneR amongft ourfeives, 
which is the ordinary Way of fettling the Standard of 
thofe things, it is very certain that thefe Greenlanders will 
pafs for a Race of ftupid, barbarous, and brutifh People. 
But if we meafure their Condudl, by the Situation of the 
Country in which they live, the Neceflities they are un- 
der, and the Want of Communication with any other 
Race of Men but themfelves, which we may juftly call 
the Standard of Nature ; we fhall find they are neither 
defpicable with refpecfl to their Capacities, nor liable to 
Reproach from their Manner of living, which, however 
oppofite to ours, is very confident with their Circum- 
ftances, and the Flelps with which Providence has fur- 
iiifiied them. Their ordinary Employments are Hunting 
and Fifhing ; On Shore they hunt the Rain-Deer^ and 
at Sea they purfue the Whales, Morfes, Seals, and other 
Animals. As for their hunting, we have fpoke of it al- 
ready, and fiiall therefore only add here, that their Bow 
is commonly of Fir-Tree, which, in Norway^ is called 
5F;ze/,.and on the Back ftrengthened v/ith Strings made of 
Sinevzs of Animals, twifted like Thread ; the String is 
made of a good ftrong Strap of Seal-Skin, or of feveral 
Sinews tv/ifted together, and the Bow is a good Fathom 
long j the Head of the Arrow is armed with Iron, or a 
fliarp-pointed Bone, with one or more Hooks, that it 
may keep hold when fhot into a Deer’s Body. The 
Arrows they fhoot Birds with are covered with one or 
more pieces of Bone, blunt at the End, that they may 
Icill the Fowl without tearing the Flefh. The Sea-Fowls 
are not fliot with Arrows, but ftruck with D^rts, head- 
ed with Bones, or with Iron, which they throw very 
dextroufiy, and with fo fteady a Hand, at a great Dif- 
fance, that no body can hit furer with a Gun. 
They are more frequently employed at Sea than on 
Shore, and they furpafs therein moft other Nations ; for 
their W ay of taking Whales and other Sea Animals is 
by far the moft fldltul and eafy. When they go a 
Whale-catching they put on their beft Apparel, as if they 
were going to a Wedding Feaft ; the Greenlanders fancy- 
ing that if they did not come cleanly and neatly dreffed, 
‘ihe Whale wguld ftiuji and fiy frpm jhem. Xhe Mannsi- 
of their Expedition is thus : About fifty Perfons, Men 
and Women, fet out together in one of the large Boats, 
called a Gene Boat. The Women carry with them their 
Sewing Tackle, confifting of Needles and Thread, to 
few and mend their Hufbands Spring Coats or Jackets, 
if they fiiould be torn or pierced through, as alfo to mend 
the Boat in Cafe it fhould receive any Damage. The Men 
go in learch of the V^hale, and when they have found 
him, they ftrike him with their Harpoons, to which are 
faftened Lines or Straps, two or three Fathoms long, and 
made of Seal-Skins ; at the End of which they tie a Bag 
of a whole Seal-Skin, filled with Air like a Bladder, that 
the Whale, when he finds himfelf wounded, and runs 
away with the Harpoon, may the fooner be tired, the 
Air-Bag hindering him from keeping long under Water. 
When he grows tired, and lofes Strength, they attack 
him with Spears and Lances till he is killed, and then 
they put on their Spring-Coats, made of dreffed Seal- 
Skin, all of one Piece, with Boots, Gloves, and Caps, 
laced fo tight together, that no Water can penetrate them. 
In this Garb they jump into the Sea, and begin to fiice. 
the Fat of him all round the Body, even under the 
Water ; for in thefe Coats they cannot fink, becaufe they 
are always^ full of Air ; fo that they can, like the Seal, 
ftand upright in the Sea ; nay, they are fometimes fd 
daring, that they will get upon the Whale’s Back while 
there is yet Life in him, to make an End of him, and 
cut away his Fat the fooner. 
They go much the fame Way to work in killing the 
Seals, except that the Harpoon is lefs, to which is faften- 
ed a Line of Seal-Skin, fix or feven Fathom long, and ac 
the End is a Bladder or Bag, made of a Seal-Skin, filled 
with Air, to keep the Seal, when he is wounded, from 
diving under the Water, and being loft again. In the 
Northern Parts, where the Sea is all frozen over in the 
Winter, they ufe other Methods in catching of Seals. 
They firft look out for the Holes which the Seals them- 
felves make with their Clav/s, about the Bignefs of a 
Half-penny, that they may fetch their Breath ; after they 
have found any Flole, they feat themfelves near it in a 
Chair made for that pifrpofe and as foon as they perceive 
the Seal coming up to the Hole, and putting his Snout 
into it for Air, they immediately ftrike him with a fmall 
Harpoon, which they have ready in their Hand ; to 
which Harpoon is faftened a Strap of a Fathom long, 
which they hold in the other Hand. After he is ftruck, 
and cannot efcape, they cut the Hole fo large that they 
may get him up through it ; and as foon as they have got 
his, Head above the Ice, they kill him with one Blow of 
the Fift. But befides thefe there is a third Way of catch- 
ing of Seals. They make a great Hole in the Ice, or in 
the Spring they find out Holes made by the Seals, 
through which they get upon the Ice to lie and bafk 
themfelves in the Sun. Near thefe Holes they place a 
low Bench, upon which they lie down upon their Belly, 
having firft made a fmall Hole near the large one, through 
whieh they let foftly down a Perch, fixteen or twenty 
Yards long, headed with a Harpoon, a Strap being 
faftened to it, which one holds in his Hand, while ano- 
ther, who lies upon the Bench, with his Face downwards, 
watching the coming of the Seal, which, when he per- 
ceives, he cries whereupon he who holds the Pole 
pufhes and ftrikes the Seal. The fourth Way is this : In 
the Spring, when the Seals lie upon the Ice near Holes 
which themfelves make to get up and down, the Green- 
landers, difguifed in Seal Skins, and a long Perch in their 
Hand, creep along upon the Ice, moving their Head 
forwards and backwards, and fnoring like a Seal, till 
they come fo near him, that they can reach him with 
the Perch and ftrike him. A fifth Manner of catching 
Seals is, when in the Spring the Current makes large 
Holes in the Ice, the Seals flocking in great Shoals there ; 
the Natives watch their Opportunity to ftrike them with 
their Harpoons, and hawl them upon the Ice. There 
is yet a fixth Way of catching them *, when the Ice is 
not covered with Snow, but clear and tranfparent, then 
they lay under their Feet Foxes or Dogs Tails, or a Piece 
of a Bear’s Hide to ftand upon, and watch the Animal ; 
and when by his blowing and fnpring, they find what 
Courfe 
