4 GREENLAND. 
the indefatigable Egede was fent thither as miffionary, 
and furniflied with three hundred guilders by the fo- 
ciety for propagating the gofpel, at Copenhagen. It 
was not without great danger and difficulty, that the 
fingle fhip which had the miffionary on-board at length 
arrived off Baal’s River, on the well fide of Greenland, 
and wintered on an ifland there. M. Egede, and forty 
men, who remained with him, immediately fet about 
building a houfe, in which the natives readily fent them 
a helping hand. This new colony was, from year to, 
year, carefully fupplied with neceffaries by the compa¬ 
ny ; but the trade carried on with Greenland brought 
in no great-profit. In the mean while the miffionary 
employed his time in learning the Greenland language ; 
and by his liberality and fuavity of manners, fo endear¬ 
ed himfelf to the inhabitants, that the refpeft they 
fhowed him in fome particulars, far exceeded his withes; 
for they entertained fuch an exalted idea of his piety 
and virtue, that all the fick flocked about him, im¬ 
ploring him to heal them, being perfuaded that his 
breathing on them would reftore them to health. 
His Danith majefty, in 1728, caufed horfes to be tranf- 
ported to New Greenland, in hopes that the fettlers 
might by their means travel over land to eaftern or Old 
Greenland ; but the icy mountains were found totally 
impaffable. Lieutenant Richards, in a (hip which had 
wintered near the new Danith colony, alfo attempted 
on his return to Denmark, to land in Old Greenland ; 
but all his endeavours proved abortive. M. Egede 
gave it as his opinion, that the only prafticable method 
of reaching that part of the country, would be to coaft 
nortli-about in fmall veffels, between the great ice-blinks 
and the thore; as the Greenlanders have declared, that 
the currents continually rufhing from the bays and in¬ 
lets, and running fouth-weftwards along the thore, hin¬ 
der the ice from adhering to the land ; fo that there is 
always a channel open, through which veffels of fmall 
burden might pafs, efpecially if lodges were built at 
convenient diftances on the thore, for the convenience 
and direction of the adventurers. 
In 1731, a royal edidl was publitlied, enjoining all the 
king’s fubjedls in Greenland to return home ; and the 
colonies were thereby diffolved. But M. Egede, being 
zealous for the falvation of the inhabitants, thud be¬ 
hind, together with his family, and fome others who 
chofe to follow his fortunes. In 1733, the Greenland 
trade was re-affumed with great vigour ; and the’king 
granted a penfion of two thoufand rix dollars a year to 
the miffionaries. In 1736, M. Egede returned to Den¬ 
mark, after a refidence of fifteen years, which he had 
fpent in a zealous endeavour to do good, and left be¬ 
hind him a great number of converts. The Greenland 
trade lias been ever fiiice carried on by the Copenhagen 
company, who fend thither three or four ffiips every 
• year; but the whale filhery on the coaft deems to be 
their principal object. 
That part of Greenland which is now vifited and fet¬ 
tled by the Danes and Norwegians, lies between the 
64th and 68til degrees of north latitude ; and thus far 
it is (aid the climate is temperate. In the fummer, 
which continues from the end of May to the middle of 
September, the weather is warm and comfortable, while 
the wind blows eafterly; though even at this time 
ftorms frequently happen, which rage with incredible 
violence ; and the feu-coafts are infefted with fogs that 
are equally oppreflive and unhealthy. Near the (hore, 
and in the bays and inlets, the low land is clothed with 
the mod charming verdure : but the inland mountains 
are everlaftingiy covered with ice and fnow. To the 
northward of the 68th degree of latitude the cold is 
prodigioufly intenfe; and "towards the end of Auguft 
all the coaft is covered with ice, which never thaws till 
April or May, and fometimes'not till June. Nothing- 
can exhibit a more dreary, and at the fame time a more 
dazzling, appearance, than th'ofe prodigious nvalfes of 
ice that furround the whole coaft in various forms, re¬ 
flecting a multitude of colours from the fun-beams, and 
calling to mind the enchanted caftles of romance. Such 
profpeCts they yield in calm weather; but when the wind 
begins to blow, and the waves to rife in vaft billows, 
the violent (hocks of thofe pieces of ice dafiiing againft 
one another fill the mind with unfpeakable horror. 
Greenland is feldom vifited with thunder and lightning, 
but the Aurora Borealis is very frequent and bright. At 
the time of new and full moon, the tide rifes and falls 
upon this coaft about three fathoms ; and it is remark, 
able, that the fprings and fountains on fhore rife and 
fall with the flux and reflux of the ocean. 
The animals which abound mod in Greenland are, 
rein-deer, foxes, hares, dogs, and white bears. The 
hares are of a white colour, and very fat; the foxes are 
of different colours, white, greyifti, and bluifh ; and 
fmaller than thofe of Denmark and Norway. The na¬ 
tives keep a great number of dogs, which are large, 
white or fpeckled, and rough, with ears (landing ereCt, 
as is the cafe with all the dogs peculiar to cold cli¬ 
mates. They are timorous and ftupid ; and neither 
bay nor bark, but howl difmally. In the northern 
parts the natives yoke them in (ledges; which, though 
heavy laden, they will draw on the ice at the rate of 
feventy miles in a winter’s day. Greenland alfo abounds 
with great numbers of ravens, eagles of a prodigious 
fize, falcons, and other birds of prey. The fined 
whales, with fword-fifh, porpoifes, &c. abound on the 
coaft; alfp holybut, turbot, cod, haddock, &rc. 
The Greenlanders of both fexes are (liort, and under 
the common fize, but well proportioned. Their faces 
are fomewhat flat; their hair black and lank; and their 
complexion, from their hard manner of living, and ex- 
pofure to perpetual cold, is of a brownifh red. It is 
very feldom that they are affliiffed with epidemical dif- 
eafes; but the feurvy is very fatal in this country; and 
their common remedy, befides fome other fimples, is 
feurvy-grafs. Their clothing is made of the (kins of 
rein-deer, the dog-fi(h, and of certain birds, fewed to¬ 
gether with the inteftines of the dog-fi(h. There is 
very little difference in the drefs of the two fexes; 
and both of them live in a very filthy manner. They 
have two forts of habitations, one of which ferves for 
the winter, and the other for the fummer feafon. The 
winter dwellings are the larged, and it is generally the 
women’s talk to build them up againft winter, or when 
they intend to make a long (lay in any particular place. 
Thefe are of a fquare form, and built with pebbles, or 
fmall fragments of the rocks, and their interftices are 
filled up with the mofs, or peat. Thefe huts are very 
feldom more than two ells above the furface of the 
ground ; the reft of them being, for greater (lability 
and defence from the wind and cold, funk into,the 
earth. The roof is covered with turf; and the en¬ 
trance into them is dug narrow, and winding under 
ground. One of thefe dwellings feldom exceeds twenty 
feet fquare, and yet is often occupied by feven or eight 
families. Thefe habitations are fo warm, that both 
men and women are generally dripped to the waift whilft 
they remain in them ; but the (tench occafioned by the 
clofe confinement of fo many perfons is intolerable. 
They betake themfelves to thefe winter manfions in the 
month of October, and continue in them till the be¬ 
ginning of May. Their fummer habitations are light 
tents, made of the fmooth (kins of the dOg-filh. 
The manner of drefling and eating their victuals in 
Greenland, is extremely difguftful. They prefer the 
blood of the dog-filh to any other beverage ; but their 
ufiial drink,is water: however, they can drink a great 
deal of brandy, without being intoxicated. The occu¬ 
pation of the men is chiefly fiftiing and hunting. At 
lea they purfue the whales, rnorfes, feals, fifli for eat¬ 
ing, and fea-fowl. On (hore they hunt the rein-deer in 
different parts of the country. They drive thefe ani¬ 
mals. 
