[17] P. 99. See also Crantz, vol. i. p. 78.
[18] Peyrere’s account of Greenland is dated from the Hague, 18th June, 1646.
[19] Vol. i. p. 278.
[20] The Moravian mission in Greenland began in the year 1733. The brethren of this mission have two settlements or villages upon the Western coast. One of these, which is called New Herrnhut, is on Ball’s River; and the other, which is denominated Lichtenfels, is at the distance of thirty-six leagues from the first, and more to the South. Crantz says, that, at his departure from Greenland, four hundred and seventy Greenlanders were living at New Herrnhut in sixteen houses. The brethren themselves describe this place as a sort of green Oasis in a cheerless desert. “No one,” says one of the missionaries, “would expect to find such a pleasant place in such an unpleasant land. The country consists entirely of bald rocks, thinly interspersed with spots and veins of earth, or rather sand. But our house, area, garden, &c. look very regular and decent, and all the adjacent land round about the place, where once not a blade of grass grew in the sand, is now enrobed with the most beautiful foliage, so that New-Herrnhut may be called a garden of the Lord in a most frightful wilderness.” Crantz, vol. i, p. 162, 163. In p. 399, of the same volume, Crantz extols the soft beauty of this little Greenland village, compared with the rugged sterility around. “On the spot,” says he, “that formerly consisted of nothing but sand, nay, on the very rocks, grows now the finest grass, the ground being manured for so many years with the blood and fat of their seals. And when the Greenlanders live in their winter houses, one may see every evening, yea, throughout the whole night, a beautiful illumination, which is the more agreeable as the houses stand in two parallel lines, are of equal height, and have light in all the windows.”
[21] According to the relation and opinion of those Greenlanders, that inhabit the gulf of Disco, in 69°, Greenland is an island, which they infer from the strong current that runs from the North, and keeps the ice open even into the midst of the sea: they will also tell you, they have spoken with people different from themselves on the other side of the ice, and hailed them. Their language, they say, is the same, but the persons different, so that a small strait only divides Greenland from America. The said straits are so narrow, that men on both sides can shoot at once one and the same fish. The continent farthest to the North is all covered with ice; the islands only uncovered, where rein deer, and also geese and other wild birds, are found in great numbers.
[22] Historians disagree about the time of the first settlement of Greenland. The Icelanders (as we have mentioned) will have it to be in the year 982-3. But Pontanus, in his Danish History, refers it to the year 770; making his assertion good by a bull of Pope Gregory the IVth, who in the year 835 sent to Bishop Ansgarius, wherein the propagation of the Gospel is recommended to him, as archbishop of the Northern Countries, and especially of Iceland and Greenland.
[23] The Greenlanders relate a very ridiculous story, as well concerning the origin of our colonies (whom they call by the name of Kablunæt) as of their total overthrow, as follows: a Greenland woman, in her child-bearing, was once delivered of Kablunæt and dogs’ whelps, of which the parents were highly ashamed, and for that reason withdrew from their neighbours and countrymen. This monstrous breed being grown up, became so troublesome to their father, that he was not able to endure them; wherefore he retired yet farther to some distant place. Meanwhile this inhuman race came to this horrible agreement amongst themselves, to devour their own father, whenever he should happen to come among them; which a little after came to pass, when he visited them with a present of some part of a seal, which he had taken, according to custom. Kablunæt immediately went down to him, to whom the father delivered the piece of seal’s flesh he had brought them. But he was no sooner got ashore, than the doggish race seized and devoured him, and then ate the seal’s flesh given them. Whilst the Kablunæt dwelled there, one of the Innuits (or mankind), for so they call themselves, came rowing along the shore, and throwing his dart at some sea fowl, missed what he aimed at; which one of the Kablunæt, who stood upon a point of land running out into the sea, observing, mocked and ridiculed him, and, laying himself down upon the ground, told him that as he saw he was so dexterous in shooting, he would be the bird; he might throw the dart at him, and take care not to miss him: whereupon Innuit shot and killed him. This death caused continual strifes and wars between the Kablunæts and Innuits, which last at length became masters, and overthrew the former.
[24] A Greenlander, who came from the most Southern part of the country near the States Promontory, told my son, when he saw some lemons in his room, that he had seen fruits much like those growing upon trees in his country, though they were four times less; which I take to have been some of those acorns, which I above took notice of, treating of the nature of the soil.
[25] The lamps and pots, which the Southern Greenlanders make of this marble, are sold at a very high price; so that the natives of the Northern parts, where such marble is not to be had, buy them at the rate of eight or ten rein deer skins a large pot, and a lamp at two or three skins.
[26] According to what the natives tell, there is in the Southern parts a hot well, of a mineral quality; which, if you wash therein, cures the itch; they wash their skins in it, and it takes away all dirt and foulness, and makes them look like new.