The Mineral Resources of Greenland. 13 
or eight working places; but in the latter year, it became cheaper to 
burn English coal. Rink reports in 1870 mining at about five places, 
and a yearly production of from 40 to 30 tons. The natives now work 
at five banks, although the tonnage is considerably greater. Recently, 
when at the colonial coal mine, a fall of roof killed one of the Eskimos, 
it was only with the greatest difficulty that his mates were persuaded 
to re-enter the mine because of fear of his "kivigtok” (ghost). 
The use of brownish-red ochre, found in crevices of porphyry on 
Tunugdliarlik fiord, as a dye for their utensils and as a paint for mural 
decoration, followed the arrival of the whites. 
Use of minerals by ancient norsemen. 
The ancient Norse settlers, who so valiantly colonized the forlorn 
coast from the 9th to the 15th century, found soapstone a valuable 
material for household utensils, and for fishing-net weights. ISAAC DE 
LA PEYRERE (Relation du Grønland, Paris 1647, "Historie du Grøen- 
land” Hakluyt Society 1855, р. 191) states that the Norseman made 
of soapstone “drinking vessels, cauldrons and tubs which contain 10 
ог 12 tuns.” It is worthy of note that STEENSTRUP") believes from 
ancient documents (Gronl. hist. Mindesmærker III р. 228 and 882) that 
the ancient Norse settlers were cognizant of the presence of coal in 
the Disco Island region. They made gravestones of basalt and carved 
runic characters thereon. 
History of mining. 
Early exploration of Greenland was fostered by the belief that it 
was rich in deposits of precious metals and stones, and Hans EGEDE, 
a missionary who lived in Greenland from 1721 to 1735 (Hans Egede: 
“A Description of Greenland”, London, 1818, ist Danish Ed. date 1738) 
says: “The principal incitement to these (the early 5. H. В.) voyages, 
was a received opinion or traditionary report that this country containec 
numerous veins of gold, of silver and precious stones.” 
The first rumor of Greenland’s mineral wealth dates from about 
the year 1000, when some sailors from Friesland went ashore and saw 
“some miserable looking huts hollowed out of the ground and around 
these cabins heaps of iron ore, in which a quantity of gold and silver 
was shining; this tempted them to go and take some of it, and each 
took as much of it as he could carry away.” 
Ivar BAARDSEN, who was sent to Greenland in 1341 by Bishop 
HAKon of Bergen, revives the myth, stating that “in Grønland there 
are many silver ’hills’. (Purchas, his Pilgrims Vol. XIII, “A treatise 
1) К. J. V. STEENSTRUP: Vidensk. Medd. fra den naturhist Forening i Kjoben- 
havn 1874 p. 77. | 
