384 H 1ST O R Y 
Well by the Number of burning Lamps, ail fupplied 
V/ith Train Oil, as on Account of diverfe Sorts of raw 
Meat, biili, and Fat, which they heap up in their Ha- 
bitation^ ; but efpecially their Urine Tubs fmell mofb 
infufferably^ and ftrike one that is not accuftomed to it, 
to the Very Heart. 
Thofe Winter Habitations they refort to immediate- 
ly after Michaelmas, and leave them again at the Ap- 
proach of Spring, which is commonly about the latter 
End of March \ and all the warm Part of the Year lodge 
in Tents, which are their Summer Habitations. Thefe 
Tents are made of Rafts or long Poles, fet in a circular 
Form, bending at the Top, and refembling a Sugar-Loaf, 
fenced by a double Cover, of which the Innermoft is 
of- Seal or Rain-Deer Skins, with the hairy Side inward 
(if they be rich) and the Outermoft alfo of the fame Skin, 
without Hair, drefied with Fat, that the Rain may not 
penetrate them. In thefe Tents they have their Beds, 
Lamps to drefs Meat, and a Curtain made of the Guts 
of Seals fewed together, through which they receive the 
Day-light, inftead of V/indows. Every Mafter of a Fa- 
mily has fuch a Tent, and a great Woman’s Boat to tranf- 
port their Tents and Luggage from Place to Place, where 
their Bufinefs calls them, in the Manner before-men- 
tioned. 
‘ 10. They are, undoubtedly, as good-natured, and 
as inoffenfive People in their Behaviour, as any in the 
World •, Flatted and Envy, Strife and Anger, are never 
heard of among them •, and though it may happen 
that one bears a Grudge to the other, yet it never breaks 
out into any fcolding and fighting ; neither in their Lan- 
guage have they any Words to exprefs fuch Paflions. It 
has, indeed, happened, that a very wicked and ma- 
licious Fellow, out of a fecret Grudge, has killed ano- 
ther, which none of the Neighbours have taken Notice 
of, but all let it pafs with a furprizing Indolence, fave 
the next of Kin to the Dead, if he finds himfelf ftrong 
enough, revenges his Relation’s Death upon the Murde- 
rer : They know no other Punilhment. But as for a Sort 
of old Women, cslltd fir itches^ and fuch as pretend to 
kill or hurt by their Conjuration, to fuch they fliew great 
Rigour, making nothing of deftroying and killing them 
without Mercy. And they infill; on it, that it is very well 
done, thofe People not deferving to live, who by fecret 
Arts can hurt others. They have as great an Abhor- 
rence of Healing among themfelves, as any Nation upon 
Earth, and therefore they keep nothing under Lock and 
Key, but leave all free that every body can come at it, 
without Fear of lofing it. 
This Vice is fo much hated among them, that if a 
Maid Ihould Heal any thing, Ihe would forfeit all Hopes 
of a good Match. Yet if they can lay Hands upon 
any thing belonging to Foreigners, they make no great 
Scruple of Confcience about it. But as the Danes have now 
lived fome Time in their Neighbourhood, and are looked 
upon as fettled Inhabitants of the Country, they at laft 
have forbore to moleft them any more that Way. As to 
any Trefpafies in point of Chafiity, either in Words or 
Deeds, they are never guilty, except what pafifes amongft 
the married People in their public Diverfions. They 
never, enter any Houfe where they are Strangers, unlefs 
they are invited ; and when they come in, the Mafter of 
the Houfe, to whom they pay the Yifit, fhews them the 
Place where they are to take their Seat. As foon as a 
Vifiter enters the Houfe, he is defired to ftrip ftark naked, 
and fit down in this Manner, like all the reft j for this is 
die grand Fafliion with them to dry the Cloaths of all 
their Guefts. 
When Vidtuals are put before him, he takes Care not 
to fall to eating immediately, for fear of being looked 
upon as ftarved, or of palling for a Glutton. He muft 
ftay till ail the Family be gone to Bed before he can lie 
down, for to them it feems unbecoming, that the Guefts 
fiiould go to reft before the Landlord, When ever a 
Stranger comes into a Houfe, he never afivs for Vidtuals, 
though never fo hungry, nor is there any need he 
ihould ■, for they exercife great Hofpitality, and are very 
free with what they have, and, what is highly to be 
ad.mifed and praife- worthy, they have nioft things in 
W C O U N T R I E s Book il, 
commony and if there be any among them who cannot 
work or get his Livelihood, they do not let him ftarve, 
but admit him freely to their Table ; in which they 
ought to confound, with Shame, fuch as are called 
Chriftians, who fufter, notwithftanding, fo many poor 
and diftrefied Creatures to perilh. for Want of Necef- 
fades. ( 
But after ail, the Groenlanders, as to their Manners and 
common way of Life, are very flovenly, nafty, and fil- \ 
thy ; they ieldom walh themfelves ; will eat out of 
Plates and Bowls after their Dogs, without cleaning them ; 
and, what is moft naufeous, they eat the Vermin which 
feed on them. They do not blufh to fet down and eafe 
themfelves in the Prefence of others ; every Family has 
an Urine-Tub placed before' the Entry, in which they 
make Water, and leave it fo Handing till it fmells infuf- " 
ferably ; for they put all the wet Skins which are to 
be drelTed, to fteep in it, which affords a loathfome 
Scent j to the increafing of which, the rotten Pieces of 
Flefh and Fat, thrown under their Benches, contribute 
a great deal. Yet notwithftanding this nafty and moft 
beaftly way of Living, they are very good-natured and 
friendly in Converfation. They can be merry and bear 
a Joke, provided it be within due Bounds; never any of 
them offered to hurt the Danes, unlefs provoked to it ; 
but on the contrary, reverence them as a Nation fuperior 
to themfelves. 
II. The Reader will not fuppofe thefe Folks are over- 
nice in their Apparel, and yet they are far from being 
deficient in that Point. Their Cloaths are, for the moft 
Part, made of Rain-Deer and Seal Skin, as alfo of Birds 
Slcin nicely dreffed and prepared, for in this lies their 
greateft Ingenuity. The Mens Drefs are a Coat or Jacket, 
with a Cap or Hood fewed to it, to cover the Head and 
Shoulders, in the Fafliion of a Domino or Monk’s 
Hood. This Coat reaches down to the Knees; their 
Breeches are very fmall, not coming above their Loins, 
that they may not hinder them in getting into their fmall 
Boats ; and as they wear no Linen, the Hair of the 
Skins die Coat is made of is turned inward, to keep them 
warm. Over this Coat they put a large Frock made of 
Seal Skin, dreffed and tanned without Hair, to keep the 
Water out; and thus they are dreffed when they go to 
Sea. Between the Leathern Frock and the under Coat 
they were a Linen Shirt, or for want of Linen, one made 
of Seal-Guts, which alfo helps to keep out the Water 
from the under Coat ; of late they appear fometimes in 
more fliewy Dreffes, as Shirts made of ftriped Linen, 
and Coats and Breeches of red and blue Stuffs, which 
they buy of Danijh or Dutch Merchants, but falhioned 
after their own Way. In thefe they make Parade when 
they keep Holidays afhore. The Stockings they wore 
formerly were made of Rain-Deer or Seal Skin, but now 
they are better, fuch as v/orfted Stockings of different Co- 
lours, white, blue, and red, which they buy of the Danes y 
their Shoes and Boots are made of Seal-Skins, red or yel- 
low, well dreffed or tanned. They are nicely wrought 
with Folds behind and before, without Heels, and fet 
well upon the Feet. 
The only Difference in Drefs between the Men and 
the Women is, that the Womens Coats are higher on the 
Shoulders, and wider than the Mens, with higher and 
larger Hoods. The married Women, that have got 
Children, have got much larger Coats than the reft', moft 
like Gowns, bgcaufe they muft carry their Children in 
them upon their Backs, having got no other Cradle or 
fwadling Cloths for them. They wear Drawers which 
reach to the Middle of their Thigh, and over them 
Breeches. The Drawers they always keep on, and fteep 
in them. Their Breeches come down to the Knee ; thefe 
they do not wear in the Summer, nor in the Winter, but , , 
when they go abroad, and as foon as they come home 
they pull them off. 
Next to their Body they wear a Waftecoat, made of a , 
young Fawn’s Skin, with the hairy Side inward. The Coat, 
or upper Garment, is alio made of fine coloured Swan- 
Skins, trimmed and edged with white, and nicely wrought 
in the Seams, and about the Edges, which looks very well. 
Their Shoes and Boots, with little Difference, are like 
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