8 
Peary Auxiliary Expedition 
stow them away in the dark room and laboratory which had been 
built on the poop deck. 
By dinner time next day (12.30 P. M.) we ran into a fog which 
enveloped the outlying islands and veiled the face of “Sukkertop- 
pen,” a prominent landmark of this part of the coast. Feeling our 
way through the fog, we must have encountered a strong north- 
easterly current; for, while at supper, the lookout startled us with 
the cry “breakers ahead,” and rushing on deck we beheld across 
our starboard bow a line of surf beating against a rocky shore. 
The engines were stopped and we just had space to swing out in 
time to escape a rub on the rocks, which might have proved dis- 
astrous to our enterprise. 
Nine days after leaving St Johns the “Falcon” dropped anchor 
in the harbor of Godhavn, the Danish colony on the island of 
Disco, where lives Herr Anderson, the Inspector of North 
Greenland, a mild autocrat who presides over the destinies of 
some 135 Eskimo subjects. The Danes re-established colo- 
nies in Greenland in 1721, and thirteen trading districts are 
comprised within the North and South Inspectorates — the two 
principal political divisions of the country. Of late years the 
value of the Greenland trade has fallen off greatly, and it is un- 
derstood that only pride in the ancient colonies and a sense of 
obligation to the dependent natives prevent the subsidized mo- 
nopoly known as the Royal Greenland Trading Company from 
abandoning the country altogether. 
The appearance of the “Falcon” entering the harbor with a 
brave display of bunting and thundering forth a salute from her 
ancient cannon, brought joy to the hearts of the natives who 
were soon swarming on our deck offering various specimens of 
Eskimo curios for barter and sale. The officials of the colony 
had received word from Denmark of our coming and extended 
a hearty welcome to our party, as did also Captain Bunde, the 
master of the Danish brig “Tialfe,” which chanced to be in port 
during our stay. After paying an official call on Governor Elm- 
quist, most of our party started on an excursion up a glacial 
river valley known as the “Blaese Dael;” this jaunt proved to be 
most interesting, taking us, as it did, past the sculptured, basaltic 
