Geographical Items on East Greenland: Encyclopedia Arctica 14: Greenland, Svalbard, Etc. Geography and General
Geographical Items on East Greenland (in alphabetical order) *
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GEOGRAPHICAL ITEMS ON EAST GREENLAND
(in alphabetical order)
Greenland 141
Cape Adelaer
of the two headlands that project eastward from the island-like peninsula
north of Napasorsuak Fjord; the more southerly projection, CAPE RANTZAU,
form s Napasorsuak's northern entrance point.
Umanarsuak Islet. Bangsboll Havn, a bight immediately under the cape,
served as an emergency harbor to the M
A larger bay to the southward, which opens out between Cape Adelaer and Cape
Rantzau, has a well-protected and spacious ship harbor on its southern side.
who around 1660 held a concession for the sailing of the Greenland waters.
Graah, Holm, and in more recent times, Bögvad of the Sixth Thule Expedition,
have collected plants here. In World-War II the U.S. Army Air Forces maintained
pers o nnel at Cape Adelaer.
Explor. since the days of flying mss E.A. files. p. 70
Greenland 275
Angmagssalik
Greenland lies within King Oscar Harbor, at the southern end of
Angmagssalik Island. Founded in 1894, as a Danish mission and trading-statio [ ]
by G.F. Holm, who found less than 300 Greenlanders living here, Angmagssalik
has since developed into the main trade center of the East Coast and the
foremost port of call of expedition vessels to this coast. In 1944,
the population was 1075, scattered over about 55 miles of the coast line
of the region. In addition to
a Danish storekeeper with magisterial powers, a nurse, an ordained
Greenlander missionary and a Danish radio operator with their families.
Public buildings include an administration building, a storehouse and
warehouse, and an old people's home. The radio station has been in
operation since 1925; an aircraft radio beacon operates on a beam
that may be used b
at Angmagssalik. Trade-in-production figures for 1944 (after deduction for
local consumption) were as follows: blubber 41 kg; liver 4,195 kg; [ ]
bearskins 17; blue fox skins 2; white fox skins 29; sealskins 5195.
Danish government vessels call twice a year at Angmagssalik.
1,000 ft.; the vegetation, for Greenland, is good. There are salmon
in the small river that flows through the settlement. An overland
passage, that connects Angmagssalik with points on the southwest coast,
leads through a valley which lies between the coastal mountains in the
southwest and a mountain chain to the northeastward. (For climate, topography
and history of scientific explorations see Angmagssalik Island; King Oscar
Harbor.)
Greenland 456
Angmagssalik Fjord,
between the southeastern extremity of Angmagssalik Island (65° 36′N.,
37° 30′W.) and Cape Dan, the south point of the small Kulusuk Is
eastward. From this entrance, which is about 10 miles wide, the fjord extends
north-northeastward and then northward, quickly narrowing to a width of about 3 miles
At about 30 miles from the mouth, the fjord bifurcates, sending Kingorsuak
northwestward f
both branches are narrow and hemmed in by very high mountains.
Fjord, including a narrow sound, about 20 miles long, which leads westward
to Egede and Rothe Fjord, curving around the northern end of Angmagssalik Island.
The eastern side of the main fjord is bounded by a number of
islands, separated by narrow sounds. About 22 miles within the entrance, at
a point where the main fjord turns northward to indent the mainland, a narrow
channel, named Ikerasak, leads northeastward to Ikatek Sound, which, in turn,
connects with Sermiligak Fjord, to the eastward.
near the eastern end of Ikatek, off a small landing field built by the U.S.
Army Air Forces in 1942. Several beacons mark the approach. Another anchorage
is available inside the main fjord, above the entrance to Ikerasak channel,
off the settlement Kungmiut.
to the approach of Ikerasak. Inside Ikatek they range from 200 to 15 fathoms,
the waters shoaling off close to the harbor, making it difficult for ship's
boats to land. Large bergs from Sermiligak drift into Ikatek's northeastern end.
5,
Angmagssalik Fjord cont.
various branches, and many birds breed in the area. Fish are plentiful, particularlyin Siorak, one of the west arms, where the small fish Angmagssak (from which
the district takes its name) congregate in May and June. A number of settlements
lie scattered about the shores, of Angmagssalik Fjord, the largest being Kungmiut (65° 52′N.,
37° 01′W.), with a population, in 1913, of over 100 Greenlanders.
Sixth and Seventh Thule Expedition (1931-33) which carried out surveys and
magnetic measurements here and made large botanical, zoological and ethnographical
collections. The Swiss Alpine Club (Zurich) had a camp at Sieralik Glacier,
above a bay at the confluence of Ikerasak and Ikatek sounds, whe n c
other members started their ascent of Mount Forel in 1938. During World-War II
the U.S. Army Air Forces maintained a base station
observations were carried out and flight surveys were made from here.
Greenland 660
Angmagssalik Island
of southern East Greenland, flanked on the west by Egede and Rothe Fjord (Ser–
milike), and on the east by Angmagssalik Fjord. The northern end is se–
parated from the mainland by a narrow, 20-mile sound which connects Sermilik
with Angmagssalik Fjord. The island is about 23 miles long, north and south,
and about 18 miles wide at its broadest, with many and deep fjords, branches
of Angmagssalik Fjord, cutting inland on its eastern side. The southern
end is indented by King Oscar Harbor (Tasiusak Bay) where Angmagssalik
Colony is located. A number of islets fringe the southwestern end of
the island, among them Ikatek , which has a large settlement. Anchorages
are available in King Oscar Harbor and at various points inside Angmagssalik
Fjord. Two lakes in the vicinity of Angmagssalik Colony are suitable for the
landing and taking off of aircraft.
above t
low land, rich in lakes and watercourses, alternate with mountain country, where
snow-patched peaks stand sharply outlined against the sky. The vegetation
is often luxuriant; cassiope, willow scrub,tall grasses and herbs occur even
at relatively high levels. Many species of landbirds breed in the fjord zone.
The climate, in general, is pleasant; winter and summer are usually calm;
storms occur chiefly in November and December. There is little snow and no fog,
and the temperature on the coast rarely falls below 0° F. Winter ice, i.e. firm,
solid ice, forms in the inner fjords and bays during January, and the sledge routes
across it remain passable until the end of February. The pack ice usually
arrives off the southern coast
Angmagssalik Island cont.
and leaves in July. (For discussions of the movement of the pack ice seeEast Greenland Current, Storis.)
navigators in the early Middle Ages and by Danish and other privateers in the
15th century. David Danell sighted the bl uish heights back of Angmagssalik
in 1652 and 1653. However, precise information concerning the region became
avai l able only in the latter part of the 19th century. In 1883, A.E. Nordenskiöld ,
accompanied by Nathorst and other, entered Tasiusak Bay and named it King
Oscar Harbor, and a year later G.F. Holm and V. Garde made a topographical
survey of this coast. Holm, who mingled freely with the natives, made
anthropometric observations, procured a large ethnographical collection and wrote
a brilliant account of Eskimo life. In 1894, the mission and trading-station
Angmagssalik was established by him in King Oscar Harbor. Since then the
district has been investigated by a number of scientific expeditions, among
them the Amdrup and Kruuse expeditions. 1898-1902, the Thalbitzer Expedition,
1905-06, the British Arctic Air Route Expedition, 1930-31, the Einar Mikkelsen
Sökongen Expedition, 1932, the Sixth and Seventh Thule Expeditions, 1931-33,
the Watkin's East Greenland Expedition, 1932-33, Charcot's Pourquoi-Pas
Expeditions, 1933, [ ] the Lindsay
Trans-Greenland Expedition, 1934, the P
the Anglo-Danish East Greenland Expedition, 1935, the Arne Hoygaard Expedition
1936-37, and the Swiss Alpine Club (Zurich) Expedition, 1938. During the
International Polar Year, 1932-33 Denmark and Holland maintained meteorological
stations at Angmagssalik Colony. Among the early transatlantic flyers,
who called at Angmagssalik during their east-west or west-east flights were
W.v. Gronau,1931, Colonel and Mrs. Lindbergh, 1933, John Grierson,1934, and
Thor Solberg, 1935. Good recent maps of the region have also resulted
Angmagssalik Island cont.
from continued systematic Danish and Norwegian surveys, and fromsurveys made by the U.S. Army Air Forces during and since World War II.
(See also Angmagssalik Colony; Angmagssalik Fjord; King Oscar Harbor;
Egede and Roteh Fjord.
MG 130, III, 301. Wade, Greenland Weather and Ice Stations. Friis,
History of the scientific exploration of the Arctic since the days of flying
(E.A. files) Salmondsen, Konv. Leksikon, X, 287
Greenland 144
Antarctic Sound,
leads from [ F ] aiser Franz Joseph Fjord east-
of King Oscars Fjord and the western entrance of Sofia Sound. At its
western end the sound is entered between Cape Mohn (73° 11′N., 25° 45′W.),
the southeastern extremity of Ymers Island, and the coast of Suess Land,
about 2 miles to the southwestward. The eastern end opens out on the low Ruth
Island. The banks of Antarctic Sound are steep
in the southeast where a broad stretch of lowland cuts deeply into the mountain
ranges of Ymers Island. A Nor w egian hunting hut stands close to the
the mouth of a river, off the sound's southeastern entrance point. The small
bay to the westward is named Karl Jakobsen Bay.
west northwestward of the hunting hut.
Greenland 77
Ardencaple Fjord,
C.H. Ostenfeld Land from Hochstetter Foreland. From its entrance between
Cape Reinhardt (75° 17′N., 20° 55′W.) and Cape Klinkerfuss, about
5 miles west-northwestward, the fjord trends about 16 miles northwestward
where it forks into Narrow Fjord and Broad Fjord. The steep coastal
mountains rise to elevations of over 4,000 and 5,000 ft. Fairway depths
throughout the fjord are great. Several hunting huts are located on the shores.
Fjord. C. H. Ostenfeld Land.
Greenland 101
Bernstorff Fjord or Kangerdlugsuak,
(63° 37′N., 40° 41′W.) and Cape Mösting, about 7 miles northeastward.
The fjord extends west-northwestward for 13 miles or more, its length
being uncertain because the fjord is usually, if not always, blocked
with heavy ice. The bold and precipitous inner shores are largely
covered with glacier ice, that descends down to the sea; the outer
shores are icefree and of moderate height. A sheltered position for
motorboats is said to be available in the sound between Sagiarusek
and the mainland.
Greenland 90
Bessel Fjord,
Cape Möbius (75° 56′N., 20° W.), the northeast point of Hochstetter
Foreland, and Cape Beurmann, about 9 miles north-northeastward. The
fjord extends about 34 miles due westward to two small bays, of which the
more southerly one affords good anchorage. A large island, called Troms
Island, and several small islets occupy the mouth of the fjord; of the
two passages thus formed only the northern one is used.
are located on its shores. Troms Island has Eskimo ruins.
Greenland 550
Blosseville Coast,
27° 36′W.) and Cape Dalton, a
the French naval lieutenant Jules de Blosseville, who approached this coast
in 1832, it was mapped and partially examined by Amdrup in 1900. Mikkelsen,
cruising southwestward during the summer 1932 in the
take a ship along the coast inside the pack. Mikkelsen describes the land as being
characterized by steep, rather narrow and very rough basaltic promontories,
separating fjord
Amdrup's map. The Inland Ice reaches down to the heads of the fjords, producing a
large number of icebergs. Back of the fjord heads, high mountains can be seen
projecting above the Inland Ice, among them Mount Rigny, rising to 7,823 ft.
the exception of D'Aunay, Barclay, and Knighton Bays, which cut inland for about
10 to 14 miles. The shores of the fjords recede occasionally to form a bight,
but are steep throughout. According to Mikkelsen, sheltered anchorage may always
be found somewhere, either in one of the small, shallow
of a stream, where the current forces away the drifting ice. A characteristic
of the coast are the lagoons, which are found at Cape Dalton and farther
southward, and are described by Mikkelsen as follows: "The walls between the sea
and the lagoon were formed by large rolled fragments, which seemed to indicate
that at certain times of the year there must be violent breakers along the coast;
in other words, that the pack ice disappears in autumn, so that the strong waves
from the Denmark Strait reach the land." Farther southward Mikkelsen found the [ ]
pack ice pressed closer and closer to the shore, until the vicinity of Cape
Stephenson (68° 25′N.) farther progress became impossible.
the Blosseville Coast, except for the area imme iately facing the sea, is less
Blosseville Coast cont.
barren than previously supposed. The expedition's botanis, T. Böcher, reportedstrips of rich mountain vegetation even at relatively high
Bay showed a luxuriant growth of heath and mosses. A hot spring was discovered
in Knighton Bay. Animal life was found to be sparse along the coast; traces
of foxes, [ ] hares and lemmings were seen, and a fair number of birds were
found nesting on the mountainsides or on the shores of a lagoon or some
small lake. Three species of butterflies were discovered. Hunting conditions
at sea were relatively favorable; everywhere ringed seals lay scattered on the
ice, and the bearded seal was seen in isolated specimens.
followed up by land and air surveys of the Seventh Thule Expedition in 1933.
The Kivioq , with Rasmussen on board, cruised along the Blosseville Coast
in calm weather in the latter part of August. Very little ice was met with, so
that the vessel could sail close to the shores. On the return journey,
Amdrup's depot was inspected at Cape Dalton, and a day was spent in D'Aunay Bay,
to wait for better weat er. Other surveys of the coast include those made by
the Danish Three Year Expedition, 1931-34, and Charcot's Pourq
between 1933 and 1936.
Polar [ ] ecord Nr. 31, 1946, p. 342 MG 104, IV, 4 ff XIX, 24
Cape Vedel.
Greenland 100
Carlsberg Fjord,
21° 55′W.) and Cape Wardlaw , about 14 miles to the northward. The fjord
extends first westward and then southward for about 26 miles, narrowing
toward the head. Anchorage may be obtained on the western side, about midway
into the fjord. Depths in the fairway are generally great until the head is
approached. There are stretches of lowland along the western shore of the
fjord, especially in the central part, where the chart indicates a rather wide
river delta. Several glaciers, flowing down from a local ice-cap
high, debouch on the eastern side of Carlsberg Fjord.
Greenland 556
Clavering Island,
Greenland, is bounded on the south by Gael Hamke Bay and Godthaab Gulf, on the
west by Copeland Fjord and Rudi Bay, and on the north and east by Tiroler
Fjord and Young Sound. Cape Mary (74° 10′N., 20° 11′W.),probably
the Cape Brisbane of Scoresby, about 1,800 ft. high, forms its southeastern
extremity. The island, which is about 35 miles long, east and west, and
about 25 miles broad, cannot be circumnavigated because of shoal waters at
the head of Copeland Fjord
dry-shod at low tide.
and gneiss, and attains elevations of nearly 5,000 ft. The inner part
is occupied by the large Lars Christensen Glacier and the more easterly
Vintergata Glacier, both of which extend in a north-south direction, but
are interconnected by innumerable tributaries.
places the rugged mountain masses of the interior seem extend all the way to the shores. However, along
much of the outer coast is a narrow strip of foreland, where vegetation is abundant
and there a numerous small sheltered bays. The southern coast rises evenly
from the sea to heights of from 2,000 to 4,000 ft. about 5 to 8 miles
terraces and long green slopes winding up far between the mountains. In the
northeast terraces lead up to the barren Theodolit Plateau, about 2,300 ft.
high; the flat, gravel-covered top of the plateau is considered a serviceable landing-field for
aircraft.
Danish scientific station is located at Eskimonaes (q.v.) a salient
point on the southern shore. The two harbors off this point are usually open
from August 1 to September 15, and landing facilities for aircraft are available
on a beach close to the westward. Several Danish and Norwegian hunting huts
Clavering Island cont.
are located on the island's southeastern shore , and a Norwegian hunting stationstands on Payer Land, cross the strait called Revet. Numerous Eskimo ruins
on Clavering Island include remains of a large colony around Deadman's Bay
on the southeast coast. Clavering,in 1823, still encountered 12 Eskimos
in this
been met with anywhere along the East Coast of Greenland, above the Arctic Circle.
by Clavering and the German Arctic Expedition, 1869-1870, was remapped by
1926 Cambridge Expedition and surveyed as to suitable airbases by the
Norwegian Svalbard Expedition,1932. During the winter 1932-33, the Danish
Three Year Expedition maintained a station, equipped with wireless, at
Eskimonaes, adding botanical, zoological and archeological research to
its land- and air-surveying program. Still more recent expeditions to
the area include the Sw
W. Ahlmann,
meteorological research. Complete meteorological observations were made at the
main base at Revet, and additional meteorological observations and continued glaciological
measurements were carried out on the glacial plateau at levels of from
1,600 to 3,2000 ft. K.Rodahl also worked on problems of nutrition, investi–
gating the vitamin contents in Arctic foodstuffs. During World-War II
the U.S. Army Air-Force had a weather base at Eskimonaes.
1943, 97 ffl id. Jan-Febr. 1946, llff. Polar Record,July 1933, 98 ff.
Nat. Geogr. Mag. Oct. 1946 p. 458
Indexer: list Cape Mary; Lars Christensen Glacier. Vintergata Glacier; Revet;
Deadman's Bay; Theodolit Plateau; Cape Brisbane.
Greenland 920
Clavering Strait,
Foreland from the off-lying Sabine Island, the larger of the Pendulum
Island. Its eastern entrance, between Cape Wynn (74° 29′N., 18° 58′W.)
and the southern coast of Sabine Island , is about 5 miles wide. From here Clavering
Strait trends west-northwestward for about 7 miles to the western end
of Sabine Island, and then northward for about 8 miles to an opening
on Hochstetter Bay. Its inner portion, north of the bend, narrows to
about 2 miles and then widens to about 10 miles near ots northern entrance.
Walrus Island lies in the southern approach to the strait , and a number
of islets are found along its inner shores. Soundings along the fairway
indicate depths of from 19 to 80 fathoms, with the best waters on the
Sabine Island side. The shores here consist of low rounded hills in contrast
to the higher, more rugged and precipitous western coast.
eastern entrance, has depths of 2 fathoms or less across its entrance. At the
head the ground is low and marshy. The Germania of the German Arctic Expeditio
wintered in this harbor; a hut, formerly the quarters of the expedition
was reported in poor state of repairs in 1941. Huts, stored with provisions
in 1901, were reported in good condition in 1930.
of Germania Harbor, but it is exposed and lacks protection from storms.
southwestern end of Sabine Island, north of La
and sheltered anchorage in 24 fathoms.
almost opposite Heimland Harbor, is a very shoal area except near the narrow
Clavering Strait cont.
entrance. A Norwegian trapper's hut stand close to its northern entrance point.ice, but on August 20 and 21,1941, the U.S.C.G.Cutter Northland found the roadstead
entirely clear of ice. Considering northeast Greenland in general, this
region is normally one of the most favorable approaches to the coast
from offshore through the ocean pack ice. For vessels equipped for ice
navigation, Griper Roadstead and Heimland Harbor are normally open from
July 15 to October 1.
Falske Bay.
Greenland 90
Colberger Heide, or Kangerajup-apunisia
promontory in southern East Greenland, off the southern entrance of
Gyldenlöve Fjord. Graah describes it as an enormous ice-blin
long, which rises perpendicularly out of the sea. Some peaks near the headland's
northwestern end (off a large bay which indents the southern side of Gyldenlöve
Fjord) attain elevations of 3,200 ft. or more. An islet, called Nigsiagik, lies
close southward of the promontory.
Greenland 290
Comanohe Bay,
southern East Greenland, is entered between the mainland projection
Putulik and an unnamed island, about 3 miles westward. The fjord-like bay
trends north-northwestward for about 8 miles, sending short branches
northeastward and southwestward at its head. Anchorage is afforded
in Comanche Bay Harbor (65° 03′N., 40° 18′W.), a cove on the eastern
side of the bay, about 4 miles within its entrance. The chart shows depths
of more than 25 fathoms at the anchorage, and the 10-fathom curve lies
nowhere more than 175 yards from the shore. A beacon marks the northern
entrance of the harbor, and a second small beacon stands on a small
westward projection inside the head.
October 1944, the U.S. Army had a beachhead station in Comanche Bay, from
which inland ice operations where undertaken. Li n ked to the base was a
weather reporting station on Atterbury Dome (1,200 ft.), about 2 1/2 miles
to the southward. Here weather observations were taken from October
1942 to April 1943, and from October 1943 to October 1944. During the
earlier part of the occupation a marginal station at the 16-mile point
(edge of the inland ice) was established, but not used, as a weather
reporting station. In the summer of 1944, convoys equipped with T-15
Vehicles (Light Cargo Carriers) proceeded to a point 53 miles out
on the inland ice, to which cargo was moved to the amount of 31,500 lbs.
Loads up to 10,000 lbs. were cached on the way. A weather reporting
station, temporarily located at 65° 36′N., 41° 15′W., radiod weather
reports every 6 hours. (See also Greenland In
by F.Alton Wade).
Comanche Bay continued
the crew of which helped establish the original beachhead station.Ice Cap Detachment in Greenland, 1942-44 AFCTR, ADT Branch, Orlando,Fla. 1945
Greenland 420
Crown Prince Christian Land,
and the large Danmark Fjord. From Ingolf Sound (80° 37′N., 16° W.), the outer
coast trends northwestward for about 70 miles to Northeast Foreland (Nordost–
rundingen) and thence northwestward and westward for about 75 miles to
Princess Dagmar Peninsula (81° 44′N., 18° W.), a small projection on the
eastern side of the approach to Danmark Fjord. The large peninsula thus formed
is said by Trolle not merely to narrow the gateway of the polar sea between
Spitsbergen and Greenland, but it appears to be a lifting above sea level
of that submarine ridge, Nansen, Ridge, which runs westward from Spitsbergen.
Antarctic Bay on the southeast side, and an unnamed bay southwest of Princess
Dagmar Peninsula. The broad north eastern end is occupied by the Flade Isblink,
which reaches the sea westward and southwestward of Nakkehoved, a small mountainous area
[ ] at the peninsula's northeastern extremity. Stretches of ice-free
coast occur on Amdrup Land in the southeast, b
and about 7 miles to the northward of that bay, where Kilen, a long strip
of land cuts northwestward into Flade Isblink. Nakkehoved and Princess Dagmar
Peninsula are also icefree. A long narrow north-south depression at the
western end of Crown Prince Christian Land is occupied in its northern part by
Römer Lake; the southern portion forms a river valley which connects with the
head of Ingolf Sound.
1938-39, the belt of land-fast winter ice off the outer coast of East Greenland
between approximately 80° N. and Northeast Foreland is much narrower than it is
along the coast southward of this area.In 1939 there was no land ice at all
Crown Prince Christian Land cont.
off the greater part of the eastern coast of Amdrup Land. Northward oNortheast Foreland a lane of open water close to [ ] shore extended at least
30 miles westward from the western point of Nakkehoved. Northwesterly gales are
said by Lauge Koch to be frequent here, and even in winter the ice may break
lose at any time, often close to the shore. Icebergs off this coast
are relatively small, although there are many productive glaciers.
by the Danmark Expedition, 1906-08, and by the Alabama Expedition, 1909-12.
Lauge Koch made airplane surveys of the area in 1933 and 1938, and Nielsen,
of the mentioned Danish Northeast Greenland Expedition, sledged to Nakkehoved
in the spring of 1939.
Nansen Ridge; Flade Isblink; Amdrup Land; Kilen; Antarctic Bay; Romer Lake
Greenland 130
Danell Fjord (Ilivilik),
north of Kasingortok (60° 48′N., 42° 43′W.), whence it extends west-north–
westward for about 30 miles. The 8-mile wide entrance is occupied by the large
Ilivilik Island (
part of the fjord, which narrows to about 2 miles, is nearly always blocked
by a chaos of frozen calf ice, winter ice and pack ice and is difficult to reach
by boat. Along the shores are signs of old Eskimo habitations.
in the Danish Navy, who sailed the Greenla n d Sea in 1652/53. Its Eskimo name,
Ilivilik (Ilivileq)
Greenland 360
Danmark Fjord
19° W.), off the northwestern end of Crown Prince Christian Land, and Cape
Rigsdagen, the northeast point of Valdemar Glückstadt Land, about 25 miles
westward. The fjord, which narrows considerably in its inner course, extends about
125 miles southwestward to a shoal head, close north of Lake Fyen, with which it
is connected by way of a narrow passage.
The foreshore, on either side of Danmark Fjord, is icefree, and with few
exceptions low and undulating. The southeastern shore is fairly straight,
and in its outer part is backed, at a distance of about 14 miles inland,
by the Alexandrine Mountains. Farther southward the Sjaelland Mountains
rise steeply from the shore to heights of 1,000 ft. The fjord's northwestern
side is less regular and near its middle portion, is indented by a large bay
where a river debouches through a broad delta. The river drains a chain
of glacial lakes in the steep-walled Zig-Zag Valley which leads westward through
high mountain land to the edge of the Inland Ice. Willow, heather and grasses
are plentiful in the lower parts of the valley, which to all evidence is well–
stocked with game and wild-life. Musk-oxen, hares and ptarmigans have been
reported here, and the fox and wolf appear to be present. Farther southward
the fjord is lined by a 12-mile stretch of unbroken basalt wall, rising
to heights of from 1,300 to 1,600 ft. The land near the head of the fjord is low,
and to the southward, in the vicinity of Lake Fyen, supports a rather luxuriant
should be free of ice in August of a normal summer. No icebergs were reported
in the interior, but bergs from the glaciers at the head of Independence Fjord
Danmark Fjord cont.
may become grounded near its entrance.of the
and in 1912 by members of Rasmussen's First Thule Expedition. Lauge Koch, in 1938, confirmed
the corrections made earlier by Mikkelsen that the fjord trends southwestward
for its entire length, and not westward, as reported by the Danmark Expedition.
(See also Valdemar Glückstadt Land; Independence Fjord.)
Alexandrine Mountains; Sjaelland Mountains.
Greenland 170
Davy Sound
of East Greenland. It is entered between Cape Biot (71° 54′N., 22° 32′W.)
and Cape Simpson, about 15 miles to the north-northeastward, and thence
extends about 14 miles to Antarctic Harbor, from which point it is known
as King Oscar Fjord. Antarctic Harbor (72° 02′N., 23° 05′W.), a small
bay on the southwestern side of Davy Sound, affords anchorage to vessels of
any draft,
Oscar Archipelago. A Norwegian hunting station is located on its shore, and
traces of ancient Eskimo hab
the harbor the mountains rise to nearly 3,000 ft., and the Pictet Mountains
to the northwestward attain elevations of nearly 3,600 ft. Cape Syenit, the
northwestern entrance point of the harbor, is a well-defined, sharply sloping
headland, forming a good landmark.
mapped it in 1899.
Greenland 120
Dijmphna Sound,
Greenland in about lat. 80° 05′N.,long. 17° 05′W., between Cape
H.N. Andersen, the northeast point of Hovgaard Island, and Mount
Mallemuk, the southeastern end of Holm Land. From this entrance,which
is about 16 miles wide, the sound trends westward for about 20 miles
to the eastern side of the large Lynn Island, whence Hekla Sound, an
extension, curves northwestward and southwestward around the island's
northern end
westward to a glacier at its head. The entrance of Dijmphna Sound
was found to be shallow near Mount Mallemuk, and large icebergs
from the interior may become grounded here. Between the early part
of July and mid-October lanes of open water may occur in Dijmphna Sound.
Lynn Island
Greenland 500
Dove Bay,
Land and Germania Land. Cape Peschel (76° 15′N., 20° 04′W.) forms its
southern entrance point, and Cape Bismarck, a rocky prominence at the south–
eastern extremity of Germania Land, about 38 miles northeastward, is its
outer,northern end. From this entrance Dove Bay extends westward for over
40 miles to a broad,irregular head at the confluence of two huge ice streams,
Great Stream (Storströmmen) Glacier and L. Bistrup Glacier. High nunataks
tower above the wide glacier front, westward of which rises Dronning Louise
Land. The inner, southern portion of the bay is a maze
separated by sounds and channels, from which short, fjord-like extensions
lead in westerly or southerly directions. Larger fjords, which cut inland
from the northwestern end of the bay are Borg Fjord, and the more northerly
Helle and Mörke Fjords. Across the entrance of Dove Bay extends the long
narrow Koldewey Island, with navigable passages leading past its northern and
southern end.
several good harbors. In the northern end of the bay anchorage is obtained
in the spacious Danmark Harbor, north-northwestward of Cape Bismarck, and
in a bay of Hvalrosoden, a Danish hunting station, about 25 miles west-north–
westward of Danmark Harbor; also off Mörke fjord Station, just outside
Mörke fjord entrance. [ ] Inside the bay, there is anchorage at Gefions Harbor
(76° 23′N., 20° 58′W.), on the southern side of the large Godfred Hansen
Island,
of Koldewey Island (q.v.). Hunting is good in the bay, and several major
hunting stations and numerous huts are located on its shores. The fjord ice
nearly always breaks up in the summer, and occasionally disappears completely
Dove Bay cont.
in the latter part of August. In 1935, Dove Bay was not reached by ships ap–proaching from the southward, because of difficult ice conditions around Scoresby
Sound.
Expedition, which reached Cape Bismarck, its farthest north,
1870, on a sledge journey from its base on Sabine Island. In 1905, the Belgica ,
under the command of Duke Phillippe of Orleans, set ashore at Cape Bismarck and
the off-lying Maroussia Island, and from 1906-1908, the Danmark Expedition
wintered at Danmark Harbor, whence Mörke Fjord and the interior of Dove Bay were
explored . Additional material for maps of the regions were supplied by
the Alabama Expedition, 1909-12, and by J.P. Koch and Alfred Wegener, who
had a base on Great Stream Glacier
in the spring of 1913. More recent expeditions to this coast included the
Danish Three Year Expedition,1931-34, the Louise Boyd Expedition, 1938, and
the Danish North-East Greenland Expedition, 1938-39. The latter established
Mörkefjord Station, a privately owned Danish radio- and meteorological station,
where full meteorological observations were maintained until 1942.
(See also Koldewey Island; Dronning Louise Land; Germania Land.)
Polar Record, Jan 1944, p.100
Greenland 200
Dronning Louise Land,
between lat. 76° N. and 77° 30′N., at a distance of from 20 to 50
miles from the northeast coast. Altitudes in the central part are about
5,600 ft.; on its western side are the Gefions Tinder, estimated
to be from 8,200 to 8,800 ft. high. Two huge icestreams, Great Stream
(Storströmmen) Glacier, flowing from the northward, and L. Bistrup Glacier
from the southwestward, separate the area from the various projections
and islands which form the western part of Dove Bay.
Expedition, 1912-13, which wintered at Borg (76° 41′N.,
22° 25′W.), on Great Stream Glacier, where meteorological and glaciological
observations were carried out. Koch states that the western
end of Dronning Louise Land is very barren while the eastern end has
stretches of luxuriant vegetation at relatively high levels; in several places
grass formed a close cover, and arctic willow, saxifraga,poppies and other
flower-bearing plants were met with. In the spring of 1913 the expedition,
equipped with 5 ponies and 5 sledges, achieved a crossing
Ice from their base on Great Stream Glacier to Upernivik on the West Coast.
(See Dove Bay.)
Borg Station.
Greenland 90
Duc d'Orleans Land,
Land and westward of Jökel Bay, and extends roughly between lat. 77° 50′N.
and 79° N. and long. 21° W. and 24° W. It is covered
above which rise dark peaks and ranges up to 3,000 ft. high. Moltke Mountain,
in the far northwest, attains an elevation of about 6,500 ft.
in the area in the spring of 1939 and altered the position of some
of the nunataks on Duc D'Orleans given by earlier expeditions.
Greenland 410
Egede and Rothe Fjord (Sermilik)
8-mile wide entrance immediately west of the southwestern extremity of
Angmagssalik Island (65° 07′N., 37° 55′W.) From here the fjord outs inland
in a northeasterly direction for a distance of about 42 miles, where it branches;
the main arm continue s about 9 miles northeastward to the foot of the large
Midgaard Glacier, while a second arm, called Helheim Fjord, trends about
14 miles west-northwestward. Sermilik's western side is further indented
by Tasiussak Bay, close southward of Helheim Fjord, and by a larger branch,
Johan Petersen Fjord, which leads from a point still farther southward, about
13 miles within the entrance. The eastern shoreline is relatively even,
except for an indentation at 65° 51′N., off the northern end of Angmagssalik
Island; here a narrow sound, about 20 miles long, leads in a general southwesterly
direction to Angmagssalik Fjord,
Island from the mainland to the northward. Two boat harbors are reported
in the inner main fjord, and a ship harbor is indicated close inside the
mouth of Johan Petersen Fjord.
rising to about 3,500 ft. Large glaciers discharge into the heads of the various
branches, filling the main fjord with icebergs of all sizes. The
in general, is poor, but heath and herb fields occur near some water-courses
or on some south-exposed slope. A number of Greenlander settlements are
scattered about the fjord.
after two officers of the Royal Danish Navy, who attempted a landing in the district
in 1785. Around 1900, Amdrup and Kruuse carried out botanical investigations in the
fjord, and in 1912, Quervain made his notable descent to the head of Johan
Egede and Rothe Fjord cont.
Petersen Fjord, after crossing the Inland Ice from Jakobshavn. The British ArcticAir Route Expedition(1930/31), which was equipped with two moth-planes,
had a base camp in Siportok-Kangerdlua, a bay close westward of the entrance
to Sermilik, whence investigations of the Ice Cap where undertaken. Among other
more recent expeditions which have carried out surveys and scientific investiga–
tions in or around Sermilik, were the Sixth and Seventh Thule Expedition,
the Watkins East Greenland Expedition, the Lindsay Trans-Greenland Expedition and
the French Trans-Greenland Expedition under P.E. Victor.
Glacier; Siportok-Kangerdlua.
Greenland 300
Eskimonaes
of Clavering Island, is the site of one of the two permanent
scientific stations maintained in East Greenland by the Danish Go–
vernment. The other is at Ella Island, in the King Oscar Archi–
pelago. Established in 1931, the station serves also as a base
for expeditions studying the East Coat. It consists of four buildings,
comprising the scientific station with adjoining storehouses and sheds
and a separate building for the electric generator, three radio masts
and a flagstaff. Weather reports are sent to Julianehaab for transmission
to Copenhagen. The radio is open for public correspondence, but was
suspended during Wo
obtained in depths of from 21 to 28 fathoms. A landing place for
small boats is available in the inner and westernmost part of the
harbor, south of the radio station. At times pack ice enters this harbor.
the mentioned salient point. The depths are about 35 fathoms in the
entrance, but depths of 1 to 1/12 fathoms are found mores than
yards from the sandy beach at the head of the harbor. West Harbor is
almost always free of pack ice. Both harbors are no rm ally open from Augus t
to September 15, but Eskimonaes has been reached as late as October 1.
There are excellent streams at both harbors from which good water may be
obtained by boat. (See also Clavering Island; Gael Hamke Bay.)
Greenland 140
Fleming Fjord,
entrance between Cape Brown (71° 47′N., 22° 28′W.) and Cape Biot, to the
north-northwestward. The trend of the fjord is southeasterly, the width
approximates 8 miles near the entrance, and 3 to 4 miles in the inner fjord.
A bight, which indents the western shore, southwestward of Cape Biot, affords
anchorage in depths of from 32 to 41 fathoms.
in pyramidal peaks, but stretches of lowland leading up in to fertile valleys
are found at the head of the fjord and along the shores of the aforementioned
bight. There are six hunting huts inside Fleming Fjord , and a cabin is reported
inland, about 16 miles southwestward of Cape Biot.
Greenland 310
Mount Forel
Angmagssalik District of the southeast coast, about 45 miles north-northeastward
of the head of Egede and Rothe Fjord. The giant mountain, which forms the
farthest point inland of a 40 to 60-mile belt of high coastal mountains,
attains an elevation of 11,025 ft.; surrounding it are peaks from 9,000 to
10,000 ft. high. Croft describes Mount Forel as an ice dome which caps
a rock wall rising up from a flat glacier below. Its outlet glaciers connect
with a huge glacier system farther southward, whence a number of minor
ice streams flow southwestward and southeastward in the direction of the outer
coast.
Swiss Quervain,in 1912, crossed the Inland Ice from Jakobshavn to Angmagssalik,
descending through Egede and Rothe Fjord. Measuring the peaks surrounding Mount
Forel from a distance of 70 to 100 miles, Quervain estimated their height to be
11,000 ft., at that time the highest known elevation in the Arctic. Mount Forel
thus became known as Greenland's highest mountain, until Watkins, in 1930, dis–
covered a higher range on the Blosseville Coast. The following year, members
of the British Arctic Air Route Expedition attempted to climb Mount Forel from the
west, but were turned back 700 ft. from the top. The crest was not reached until
1938, when Roch and other members of the Swiss Alpine Club (Zurich) climbed the
mountain by the southern ridge.
Expedition, 1932/33, and the Lindsay
of which carried out surveys in the region. The P.E. Victor Expedition,1936-37,
brought back 350 photographs and many sketches.
Greenland
Mount Forel
on the southeast coast,in the Angmagssalik Dirstrict,
Greenland 180
Foster Bay,
21° 52′W.) and the southern coast of Hold with Hope, is a large body of water, from
the head of which lead Sofia Sound, Dusén Fjord and Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord.
The inner eastern end of the bay is formed by the southeastern coast of
Gauss Peninsula, a 15-mile stretch of
and Cape Bennet, which is exceptionally rich in vegetation and animal life. Two
Norvegian hunting huts are located on this shore.
height of more than 1,1000 ft. Built of volcanic rock the island apparently has
been separated from the mainland in recent times. In the interior are several
small lakes, and there is some vegetation and birdlif
on the westernmost point of the island. Two groups of smaller islands occupy the
western part of the bay.
of Foster Bay filled with shore ice.
Greenland 120
Franske Islands,
northernmost of the Iles Francaises , and Norske Island, situated about
35 miles to the north-northeastward. Salient points of some of the
islands are : Cape Koefoed (78° 29′N., 18° 32′W.), the eastern
extremity of the southernmost of the islands, and Capes Bergendahl
and Bourbon, the northern ends of two of the larger islands, about
11 and 21 miles to the northward of Cape Koefoed.
in 1905 by the Belgica Expedition under Duke Philippe of Orleans.
All three capes are now placed considerably eastward of the positions
first given them by this expedition.
Greenland 330
Gael Hamke Bay,
Island, is entered between Cape James (73° 53′N., 20° 20′W.), and Cape
Mary, about 19 miles to the north-northeastward. The bay, which is
called Godthaab Gulf in its inner portion, extends about 40 miles west-northwest–
ward to the foot of the wide Wordie Glacier on Steno Land. The middle portion
is only about 6 miles wide and occupied by the Finsch Islands, which lie
close to its southern shore. Godthaab Gulf, its inner portion, widens to about
15 miles. Two branch fjords lead from the inner bay. Loch Fyne extends
southward, almost severing Hold with Hope from Hudson Land to the westward.
Copeland Fjord, and its extension Rudi Fjord, lead northward between Clavering
Island and Steno Land to Tiroler and
on the north and east, respectively. Young Sound has its eastern entrance
less than 3 miles north of Cape Mary, and for that reason,both
and Tiroler Fjord are usually considered an inte g ral part of the Gael Hamke
Bay area. However, vessels cannot proceed from Godthaab Gulf to Tiroler Fjord
by way of the inner passages, because of shoal waters in Copeland Fjord.
recommended anchorage is on the bay's northern side, in two harbors off
Eskimonaes (q.v.) on Clavering Island. The harbors are normally open
from August 1 to September 15. Hunting is good on land and at sea, the
principal
fox and polar bear. A number of hunting huts lie scattered along all coasts.
of that name, in 1654, was named by Scoresby and subsequently explored by
Clavering, Koldewey and Nathorst. Additional surveys have since been made
Gael Hamke Bay cont.
by many of the more recent expeditions visiting or wintering on ClaveringIsland or Hold with Hope. (For discussions of the movement of the pack ice off the
entrance of Gael Hamke Bay and neighboring areas see under East Greenland Current
and Storis.)
Greenland 480
Germania Land,
lat. 76° 38′N. and 77° 58′N., bounded on the south by Dove Bay and on the
north by the small Orleans Sound. Skaer Fjord, a large bay with several
arms, indents its northeast coast and almost severs the larger southern portion
from the northern one. The western side is separated from the mainland by huge
ice streams, named Great Stream and Ko e foed Hansen Glaciers.
landform prevailing in many of its parts. Its western portion forms a nearly
level plateau, about 2,600 ft. above sea level, on which there are several lakes.
In its northern and eastern parts are undulating mountain areas, rising
from 1,000 to 2,000 ft. Some fertile stretches occur in the south and on the
shores of some of the arms that lead from Skaer Fjord. The musk oxe and polar
bear, the fox and the hare are present on Germania Land, and the fjord seal and
walrus are hunted off shore. Three major hunting stations are located on the
southern shore, with good anchorages available off these stations. (See Dove Bay).
Temporary radio and meteorolo
(approximately 77° N. 18° 15′W.), on the east coast, and in Mörkefjord Station
(76° 55′N., 20° 27′W.), on the southern coast. Remains of a permanent Eskimo
village have been found in the vicinity of Micardbu.
coast of Germania Land, requiring a vessel to go out to sea in order to progress
northward; in winter, the drift ice is said to be less, giving ships a good
chance to approach, particularly during the period from February to May.
During the summer of 1938, the En Avant was able to follow an open lead along
the coast as far as 77° 10′N.; here further advance was impossible because
of solid ice.
Germania Land cont.
Edams Kulle, a conspicuous hill on the east coast, in about lat. 77° N.,appears already on a Dutch map of 1718, where it is indicated as having been
discovered in 1655. However, practically nothing was known of the region
northward of Dove Bay until Duke Philippe of Orleans touched Germania Land in the course
of oceanographical explorations in the Belgica , in 1905. Subsequent charts of this
coast were furnished by the Dan
Expedition (1909-1912), and [ ] the Danish Three Year Expedition (1931-34).
In 1938, the Louise Boyd Expedition spent the whole month of August in the vicinity
of Germania Land, and that same year Mörkefjord and Micardbu stations were established
[ ] by the Danish East Greenland Expedition and [ ]
at Mörkefjord Station were maintained until 1942. Micardbu was dismantled
in 1941.
January 1944, p. 100. MG 41, p. 20 Boyd, the Fjord Region of East Greenland.
Great Stream Glacier; Ko e foed Hansen Glacier; Orleans Sound.
Greenland 120
Graah's Islands
a 30-mile stretch of coast between the northern end of Pikiutdlek Bay
in about lat. 65° N. 40° W. and the southern entrance of Ikersuak Bay to the
northward. Among the larger of the islands are Orsted, Hornemann and
Vendom Islands, which latter was a survey base of the British Arctic Air
Route Expedition, 1930-31. Dannebrog Island or Kivdlak, the largest and
most northerly of the islands, was Graah's farthest north in 1829. Its Eskimo
name, meaning"
among the islands, the best being found on the western side of Hor
Vendom Island.
Greenland 320
Great Koldeway Island,
in northeast Greenland. Cape Alf Trolle (75° 57′N., 18° 38′W.) forms
its southern extremity, and Cape Hel
northeastward, is its north point. The island, which is less than 7 miles
wide at its broadest, is occupied by several uniform plateaux rising to
altitudes of from 2,000 to over 3,100 ft. The highest of these lies in the
northern portion, several miles south of Berg Fjord, which cuts into the
island from the west and almost bisects it, except for a low isthmus near
its head. A lower plateau in the southern part, about 2,300 ft. high, is cut
through by two conspicuous ravines, the lower of which, Trekking Pass, is near
sea level and looks like a cut for a highway or a railroad. A number of
lakes are found on the islands.
in Berg Fjord, north of an island group , which occupies the inner portion of
this fjord. Ships can also anchor close off the southern entrance point
where a good watering stream tumbles down a cliff. The fjord, however, is
reported to be open only about 2 years out of every 3. Absalon Harbor (76° 40′N.
18° 53′W.), and the small Dagmar Harbor, about 1 mile to the north-northwest–
ward, are safe and excellent harbors on the eastern side of the island.
A Danish hunting hut stands near the head of Berg Fjord.
(1906-08), which reported it to be a single island, and not 3 islands, as indicated
on a map of the Second German Arctic Expedition (1869-70). Lauge Koch
visited the island on a sledge journey in 1927, and members of the Three Year
Danish Expedition
the Norwegian-French Expedition, in connection with the weather station at
Great Koldewey Island cont.
Micardbu, Germania Land, established two sub-stations on Koldewey Island.(See also Dove Bay.)
Guidebook 1122 Friis, History of the Exploration of the Arctic by air.(Files)
Absalon Harbor; Dagmar Harbor.
Greenland 156
Griffenfeldt Island, or Umanak
Greenland, within the southern approaches to Sehesteds Fjord. The longuis t ,
heavily indented island, about 11 miles by 3, is highest in its center, where
Umanak (" the mountain in the shape of a heart ") rises to over 2,200 ft.
Nansen, in 1882, discovered some Eskimo ruins at the foot of this mountain, which
has given name to the entire district. The southern end of Griffenfeldt Island is deep
deeply indented by a fjord which opens into a circular basin, with banks green- and
beown-clad by vegetation. The Seventh Thule Expedition (1932) reports a ship's
harbor inside the fjord and several boat harbors in its short inner branches.
Ella's Havn, at the northern side of Griffen
to small boats, but is subject to swells and often packed with ice.
Griffenfeldt Sound, a channel off the island's western side was found by the
Greenland 80
Cape Gustav Holm
is the southern extremity of a long, narrow mainland projection east of
East Tasissaq Bay, a branch of Ikerssuaq Bay. The cape rises to over
3,100 ft. and is noted for its extremely varied vegetation. Plant collections,
made in this vicinity by Kruuse, in 1900, included 22 particularly
hardy and widespread species from this part of the coast; Bögvad, in 1933,
reported several rare southern species.
Greenland 156
Gyldenlöve Fjord, or Umivip-kangerdlua,
Colberger Heide (64° 0 9 ′N., 40° 50′ W.) and Upernagsivik (Upernarsuak) Island,
about 2 miles to the northward. The fjord trends northwestward and then north–
northwestward for about 24 miles, flanked on the south by glacier-covered
shores and on the north by several small ice-free islands. A narrow sound
curves northeastward around the innermost of the islands and connects Gyldenlöve
Fjord with Torsukatak Channel on the northern side of the island chain.
Upernagsivik Island, at the northern entrance of the fjord, was reported
a peninsula by the Heimen Expedition of 1931, but U.S. Aer. Chart, edition 1945,
indicates that the island is separated from the mainland by a small sound and a
bri d ge of islets. Altitudes along the
low , except near the mouth , where some peaks on Colberger Heide rise to over
3,200 ft. (See also Umivik Bay).
Greenland 400
Hochstetter Bay,
Wollaston Foreland and the Pendulum Islands on the south, and Shannon Island
and Hochstetter Foreland on the north. The principal entrance is from the
eastward between Bass Rock (74° 43′N., 18° 15′W.), off Little Pendulum Island,
and Cape Philip Broke, the southeastern end of Shannon Island, about 18
miles northeastward. In addition to this entrance, Hochstetter Bay may be
entered from the southward through Clavering Strait and Pendulum Strait,
and from the northward through Shannon Sound, between Shannon Island and
Hochstetter Foreland.
by Kuhn Island, north and south of which Hochstetter Bay branches. Lindemann
and Fligely Fjords extend from its southwestern end , and Grandjean and
Ardencaple Fjords from its northwestern end, the two latter fjords penetrating
far westward and northwestward into King Wilhelm Land.
and a number of hunting huts and one major Danish station (Hochstetter Station)
are found on the shores. Hochstetter Station (75° 09′N., 19° 47′W.),near
Cape Rink, the southeast point of Hochstetter Foreland, affords anchorage
off shore in an open roadstead; the station, which consists of a one-story
living house, and two outbuildings, is equipped with radio. Farther
westward, Peter Bay, a large indentation north of the entrance to Ardencaple
Fjord, has anchorage
A third anchorage is indicated off Cape Maurer, the eastern extremity of
Kuhn Island. The U.S.C.G. Cutter Northland anchored here on September 13,1941, in 22 fathoms.
movement of pack ice southward through Shannon Sound. It is not uncommon
Hochstetter Bay cont.
for a summer to pass without a ship being able to reach the HochstetterStation. The most favorable approach to the bay is through Clavering
Strait, although large fields of landfast ice may encircle the Pendulum
Islands as late as end of July. In normal years, the best months to reach
the bay are August and possibly early September, as there is tendency
for the sea to be open along the coast from Shannon Island southward
past Wollaston Foreland.
Grandjean Fjord; Fligely Fjord; Lindemann Fjord; Hochstetter Station.
Peter Bay;
Greenland 430
Hochstetter Foreland,
miles between Hochstetter Bay and Bessel Fjord. Cape Rink (75° 08′N.,
19° 37′W.) forms its southeastern extremity. From here to a point about
20 miles northward, the outer coast is bounded by Shannon Sound, which
separates Hochstetter Foreland from the large Shannon Island to the south–
eastward.
flat peneplain, dotted with lakes and watercourses. Farther westward
are table lands from 1,000 to 2,000 ft. high, which ultimately lead
up to the high Barth Mountain s of King Wilhelm Land. The ground at the
northern end of the peninsula, off Bessel Fjord, is higher, and to the westward
attains elevations of over 4,500 ft. The coastline, with few exceptions,
is smooth, broken only by the mouths of numerous, small streams. On the outer
coast, about 40 miles north of Cape Rink, Roseneath Bay is formed by a
small peninsula, the high outer point of which was named Haystack by
Clavering. Roseneath Bay affords anchorage, but it is known occasionally to remain frozen
over during the summer
western shore. Peter Bay, a wide indentation on the southwestern coast,
has anchorage off Jonsbu, on its western shore. Jonsbu, a Norwegian
radio and hunting station, was dismantled in 1941. A number of hunting
huts are scattered about the outer coast, and a major Danish station,
the radio-equipped Hochstetter Station, is located about 3 miles west
of Cape Rink. There is no harbor in this vicinity, only an open roadstead ,
and the coast, as such, is difficult of approach, because of ice conditions
(see Hochstetter Bay.) About 6 miles northwest of the station is an
abandoned coal mine with deposits reaching down to the beach.
supplied by the Danmark Expedition, 1906-08, although some preliminary
Hochstetter Foreland cont.
charting had been done by Clavering and the Second German Arctic Expedition.Other more recent surveys of this coast included those made by
the Danish Three Year Expedition, 1931-34, which had a temporary base
on Hochstetter Foreland and by the Lauga Koch East Greenland Expedition .
work, also carried out extensive archeological investigations.
botanical and zoological collection were made by C.G. Bird of the
British Ornithological Expedition, who spent the summer of 1938 at
Peter Bay and other points of the peninsula.
Greenland 510
Hold with Hope
by him in latitude 73° 30′N., on his voyage in 1607 along the East
Greenland Coast. The name now applies to all of the broad East Greenland
peninsula which projects between latitudes 73° 27′N. and 74° 03 N., and
longitudes 20° 20′W. and 21° 55′W., flanked on the east by the
Greenland Sea, and on the south and north by Foster Bay and Gael Hamke Bay,
respectively. To the westward Hold with Hope is bounded by Loch Fyne,
an arm of Gael Hamke Bay, and farther southward by the broad Badland Valley,
which leads from the head of Loch Fyne to Mackenzie and Foster bays.
sula, south of Cape Roer Bruys, a low projection on the east coast, about
7 miles northeastward of its southern end. To the westward and
northwestward are wide stretches of low land, yielding in the far northwest
to an extensive plateau, from 2,000 to 3,000 ft. high. North of this
plateau is the wide Tobias Valley, which cuts through Hold with Hope in a
west-east direction, dividing the peninsula into a northern and southern
part. The valley, which is drained by a large river, was found on recent
investigation to have a number of well-developed mud volcanoes, among them
the largest ever seen in Greenland (length c. 1,640 ft.; breadth c. 984 ft.;
height c. 131 ft.) The northern half of Hold with Hope is fairly
mountainous throughout. Its hilly eastern portion, named Home Foreland
by Scoresby, rises to over 2,000 ft.; the glacier-covered Spaths Plateau
in the west attains elevations of nearly 5,000 ft.
well-developed, especially in the tundra country adjoining Mackenzie Bay (q.v.
in the southwest. Game is abundant on land and off-shore. Two hunting
stations and a number of huts are located on the shores of Hold with Hope,
Hold with Hope cont.
and an additional huntinglies off Cape James, the northeast point of the peninsula. Remains
of old Eskimo habitations and graves have been found on Hold with Hope
as well as on some of the outlying islands.
East Greenland Coast which was rediscovered by Scoresby in 1822, and subse–
quently surveyed by Clavering, Koldewey and Nathorst. Among more recent
expeditions to this part of the coast
Expeditions, 1926 and 1929, the Louise Boyd Veslekari Expeditions, 1931 and
1933, several Norwegian Svalbard Expeditions, notably Orvin's in 1932, the
Danish Three Year Expedition 1931-34, and the British Ornithological
Expedition in 1936. The mud-volcanoes of Tobias Valley were investigated
by the Danish Geolo g ical Expedition to East Greenland,in 1945. In connection
with the International Polar Year,1932-33, the Norwegians carried out
systematic meteorological observations at Myggbukta Station, at the head
of Mackenzie Bay.
Skrifter om Svalbard, No. 63, p. 9 Louise Boyd, The f
Greenland 332 ff.
Jackson Island; Home Foreland; Spaths Plateau; Tobias Valley
Greenland 180
Holm Land,
Greenland, is bounded on the south by Dijmphna and Hekla Sounds, and
on the north by Ingolf Fjord. Its southeast point is marked by
the conspicuous glacier-
of steep coastal cliffs which extend westward along Dijmphna Sound. The
eastern extremity of Holm Land is Eskimonaesset, a small projection in lat. 80° 28′N.
long. 15° 30′W., where extensive Eskimo remains have been found.
Between these two points lies a stretch of broad foreshore which to the
westward slopes up to a low plateau and thence to glacier-covered mountain
land with maximum elevations of 3,400 and 3,900 ft. Carboniferous
deposits with many seams of excellent coal have been found in some hills
close to the southern shore. In summer the land in the vicinity of
Mallemuk Mountain is green, with large flocks of gulls, mallemuks and
glaucous gulls soaring above. Seals are numerous offshore.
Greenland 170
Hovgaard Island,
Greenland, lies between Nioghalvfjerds (Seventy-nine) Fjord and
Dijmphna Sound, which latter sepa
northward. Cape Anna Bistrup (79° 40′N., 18° 12′W.) is a basalt
cliff at its southeastern extremity, while Cape H.N. Andersen,
about 25 miles north-northeastward forms a salient point at its
northeastern end. Southward of Cape Anna Bistrup are some islets
called Bagatellerne.
Island as having a low foreland, bounded by an apparently fer t ile slope.
From there the land rises toward mountains from 1,600 to 2,300 ft.
high, while in the ice-capped interior elevations of over 3,000 and
4,000 ft. are indicated. The bear seems to be present on Hovgaard
Island, and traces of seals were observed among the innumerable rifts
in the sea ice.
Greenland 90
Cape Huitfeldt (Kangerujuk)
southern East Greenland, about 42 miles northeast of Cape Farewell. The cape,
which rises to over 1,300 ft., is blackish, with slanting yellowish strata.
Southward from this cape the mountains are said to have the color of melted
copper.
the reign of Christian III (1533-1559). who, together with Christopher
Walkendorff, held a Royal
Greenland.
Greenland 70
Igutsat,
between two lofty and precipitous promontories: Cape Fischer (61° 05′N., 42° 35′W.),
and Cape Trolle, about 7 miles northeastward. The fjord trends about 17 miles
west-northwestward, narrowing gradually to a width of 3 miles and than to about
1-1/2 miles. [ ]
extending northwestward to a very narrow head. Several miles east of this bay,
close to she Igutsat's northern shore, are two skerries, each about two miles long, about which
the pack ice is likely to gather.
in 1884, discovered several old Eskimo house ruins on fairly fertile land on its
inner shores. The mountains surrounding the fjord are of moderate height.
Greenland 160
Ikersuak (Ikerssuaq),
Dannebrog Island (northeastern extremity 65° 19′N., 39° 30′W.), and
a mainland projection, off Sujunikajik Island, about 14 miles northeastward.
The bay extends about 14 miles northwestward, widening somewhat near its
much indented head. A number of small fjord and bays here border directly
on the inland ice, which discharges calf ice into the main bay, making it one of
the most dangerous icefjords in the whole of the southern part of the east coast.
However, the projections between the side-fjords and bays, as well as the
islands off shore are icefree. Altitudes are low. The vegetation along the
inner shores is s parse , but a luxuriant, manured vegetation is reported by
Bøgvad (1933) around a settlement on Sujunikajik Island. The Seventh
Thule Expedition reported a ship harbor on the southwestern side of
Dannebrog Island, and good anchorage on the eastern side of Sujunikajik.
Greenland 190
Ile de France,
in northeast Greenland, is about 18 miles long, north and south, and about 6 miles
wide at its broad [ ] southern end; the northern portion tapers to a width of about
3 miles. Cape Saint Jacques (77° 35′N., 18° 12′W.) forms its southwestern
extremity, and Cape Philippe, about 8 miles east-northeastward its southeast
point. The low island, which rises to less than 700 ft., is ice - covered except
for its southern and northern end. Vegetation and animal-life seem to be
fairly abundant
been found here.
was found about 2 miles east-southeastward of Cape Saint Jacques. The U.S.C.G. Cutter
Northland anchored here in 30 fathoms. Open water in the vicinity of Cape Philippe
was reported by the Danmark Expedition, on April 23, 1907. Early in August 1938, the
Veslekari of the Louise Boyd Expedition anchored to a field of heavy polar ice, which
was pressed up against the island's northern shore. End of July and the first
week in August are reported to be the best season for a vessel to get this far
north.
Greenland 100
Iles Francaises,
lat. 78° N. and 78° n 30′N., form part of the larger archipelago
first sighted in 1905 by the Belgica Expedition under Duke Philippe
of Orleans. The salient points of some of these islands were named
from south to north: Cape Albert de Belgique, Cape Duc des Abruzzes,
Cape Mërite and Cape Princess Maud. Only Cape Mërite, the (78° 15′N. 18° 55′W.) the northeastern
extremity of the largest and most centrally located of the islands, has since
been identified, although the group has been repeatedly surveyed.
The Danish North-East Greenland Expedition, 1938/39, altered the given position
of some of the islands.
Cape Mërite; Cape Princess Maud.
96
Ilivilik or Iluileq ,
island off the coast of southern East Greenland, where it occupies the entrance of
Danell Fjord, at about Lat. 60° 46′N., Long. 42° 42′W. [ ] Cape Discord forms
[ ] its eastern extremity. The island, which is about 12 miles long, east and
west, and 4 miles broad, rises to over 2,700 ft. On the southeastern side
is a small bay, surrounded by high rocks, which, in 1870, was called Hansa
Haven by the shipwrecked crew of the vessel Hansa of Koldeway's Germania
Expedition. A group of islets lies off the southeastern end of Ilivilik.
Greenland 130
Imaersivik (Imarsivik)
about 9 miles north of Cape Juel (63°, 12′N., 41° 05′W.). The island, which
is identical with the Nukarfik** ) of Graah, who wintered here in 1829-30,
is low and has some fertile stretches. Anchorage is available in a beautiful
small harbor on its eastern shore and in the western part of Flo Sound, a strait
between Imaersivik and the mainland
lists the latter anchorage as a natural ship's harbor, free from ice and swell.
** ) Graah's latitude for Nukarfi k [ ] is 63° 31′38′N. which corresponds
to that of Imaersivik's southern end. The place-name Nukarfik (Nukarbik) indicates a region
where one gets spoiled or dulled and probably refers to good and constant
hunting conditions. (Ostermann).
Greenland 300
Ingolf Sound,
Land. From its entrance between Eskimonaesset (80° 28′N, 15° 30′W.)
and Cape Jungersen, about 12 miles northwestward, the wide outer portion
of the sound curves n o rthwestward and then southwestward for over 25
miles to a floating glacier tongue (Spaerre Glacier), which projects
from the southern shore and appears
Actually the sound continues beyond Spaerre Glacier for a considerable
distance , terminating in two small heads in about lat. 80° 32′N.,
long. 18° 40′W. (AAF Aer. Ch. (9), 1943) . At the head of the north–
western terminal branch two long narrow valleys open out from the west
and north, the former connecting with the head of Trold Lake and the latter
extending to the large Romer Lake. The interior of Ingolf Sound is
flanked by a markedly alpine landscape, with the glaciers of Amdrup Land
calving extensively into the interior portion of the sound. The bergs,
however, never drift beyond Spaerre Glacier. Several small islands,
named Wegener Islands, occupy the middle of the outer sound. The ice near
the fjord's mouth appears to break up in summer.
visited the outer part of Ingolf Sound in the spring of 1907, and additional
material for maps of the region was supplied, among others, by Lauge
Koch, on two flights in 1933. The first party to visit the interior
portion
was the Danish North-East Greenland Expedition , in 193
made a number of geological and geographical observations and named
numerous ranges and salient points.
Indexer: list Eskimonaesset, Cape Jungersen; Spaerre Glacier; Romer Lake;
Amdrup Land; Wegener Islands; Trold Lake
Greenland 170
Jökel Bay,
Greenland, which offlies the greater part of Duc d'Orleans Land , It is
bounded on the east by a rim of islands, the Iles Françaises and Franske
Islands, first sighted in 1905 by the Belgica Expedition. Schnauder
Island, northwestward of Franske Islands, lies at its northern end,
abreast of Zacharia e s Glacier, which separates Duc d'Orleans Land
from Lambert Land to the northward.
times, found
to a large extent was afloat. Lauge Koch, from ice-observations made
in 1933, concludes that no bergs are produced on Jökel Bay, that the glacier
ice floats on the water and is bounded on the east by skerries.
The Danish North-East Greenland Expedition altered some of the given positions of
the islands in Jökel Bay.
Greenland 780
Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord,
Greenland, is entered between Cape Graah (73° 14′N., 23° 13 W.), the
eastern end of Ymer Island, and Cape Franklin, the southeast point of
Gauss Peninsula, about 20 miles to the eastward. The main fjord terminates
more than a hundred miles to the westward at the foot of the productive
Nordenskiöld Glacier (73° 08′N., 27° 57′W.); its branches reach
northward to lat. 73° 57′N. and southward to lat. 72° N. Tracts of
land along its northern side are from east to west: Gauss Peninsula, Strind–
berg Land, Andrée Land and Fraenkel Land; along the southern shore extend
Ymer Island, Suess Land and Goodenough Land.
trends west-northwestward for about 40 miles, with North Fjord (and its
tributary Muskox Fjord) and the more westerly Geologist Fjord branching
to the northward. The main fjord then narrows to about 4 miles and
trends about 20 miles southwestward to the mouth of Antarctic Sound (q.v.)
a small branch on its southern side, which connects Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord
with the head of King Oscar Fjord. About 10 miles west of Antarctic
Sound entrance, Icefjord, a fourth arm, branches to the northward,
terminating at the foot of the Gerard de Géer and Jaette
The inner most portion of Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, west of Icefjord entrance,
curves southwestward, then northwestward and finally westward to
Nordenskiöld Glacier, issuing a southward trending
about 7 miles from the head. [ ] Nordenskiöld
Glacier, practically an extension of the head, leads westward to the
foot of Mount Petermann, a huge ice-covered pyramid, about 9,650 ft.
high. Little Petermann to the southwestward, and Nathorst Peak, to the
northeastward, rise to 7,900 ft. and 7,780 ft., respectively.
land north and south of the inner and central portions of the fjord
Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord cont.
attains great elevations throughout, with many of its peaks and localice-caps rising to 6,000 and 7,000 ft. In many places vividly colered,
canyon-like walls rise steeply from the sea and there are some spectacular
rock formations along the fjord's northern side, including the Devil's Castle, a
huge cubic rock about 4,400 ft. high, about 10 miles west of Geologist
Fjord entrance, and Attestupan, a tremendous cliff, rising to 6,000 ft.
west of Icefjord entrance. Glaciers pour over the summits of some
of these walls and cliffs; or else cut through them, debouching directly into
the fjord. The outer portion of Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord is largely
flanked by hilly terrain, intersected at intervals by wide valleys, often
rich in vegetation and well-stocked with game. Hunting is good in the
outer parts of the fjord. Ringed and bearded seals are numerous in the
sea near the mouth, and occasionally walrus and narwhal are encountered
as far westward as North Fjord and Muskox Fjord. Hunting stations are
located [ ] inside North and Muskoxe Fjords, and a hut
[ ] is in Blomster bay, an indentation close to the northwest point of
Ymer Peninsula, about 40 miles west of Cape Graah. The interior of the
western section is little known. Vegetation along the outer shore of
Kjerulf Fjord is poor; near its head Louise Boyd saw dwarf willows, 2 or 3
ft. high, the largest that she had seen anywhere in East Greenland.
is found close to the shore, and in the middle of the fjord are depths
from 400 to 500 fathoms. Many and large icebergs fill the fjord, but
navigation is possible in August and September, and anchorage may be
obtained as far westward as Kjerulf Fjord. Ideal shelter from easterly
winds is available in the mentioned Blomster Bay. During the summer of
1941, this harbor was used on several occasions by the U.S. C.G.S. North
Star , and at one time, three vessels, the Northland , the North Star
Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord cont.
and the Bear anchored here together.in 1870, and made fully known by Nathorst in 1899, has since been
visited by many expeditions, among them the Second and Third Cambridge
Expedition of 1926 and 1929, several Norwegian Svalbard Expedition between
1929 and 1932, Louise Boyd's
Danish Three Year Expedition, 1931-34. An outstanding achievement
of the Third Cambridge Expedition was the ascent of Mount Petermann.
Extensive archeological research in the region, initiated by Koldewey and
Nathorst, was followed up in the 1930's by V.C. Glob and Sören Richter.
Fjord Region of East Greenland, 331 ff. MG 130 III, p. 300
Land, Suess Land; Goodenough Land; Ymer Island; Blomster Bay; Cape Graah;
Cape Franklin; North Fjord; Muskoxe Fjord; Geologist Fjord; Ice
Fjord; Antarctic Sound; Kjerulf Fjord; Nordenskiöld Glacier; Gerard de Geer
Glacier; Jaette Glacier; Mount Petermann; Little Petermann; Nathorst Peak;
Devild's Castle; Attestupan.
Greenland 87
Kangerdluarak (Mortens Fjord)
fjord trends almost due west for about 12 miles from the northern side of
Cape Wallöe. A submarine ridge across its entrance does not hinder navigation,
but does keep icebergs out of the bay. The shores are mountainous and increase
in height in the interior where several glaciers are visible. Vegetation about
the fjord is rich, and there are numerous seabirds and some eider ducks. The
winters are mild and rainy.
Greenland 96
Kangerdlugluk,
wide, enters the coast south of Cape Fisher (61 i 05′N., 42° 35′W.), a lofty
promontory projecting between Kangerdlugluk and Igutsat Fjord to the northward.
Kangerdlugluk extends northwestward to a head circled by a number of peaks,
the highest of which rises to over 5,000 ft. Holm, in 1884, found an old
Eskimo dwelling on the northern side of the fjord, close to a small bay. The
steep Kangerdlugluk Mountains b eyond had an abundance of crowberries and
blueberries.
Greenland 510
Kangerdlugssuak (Stor Fjord),
Cape Deichmann (68° 03′N., 32° 05′W.) and Cape Hammer, the southern tip
of Rocky Reef Peninsula (Skaergaardshalvø), about 12 miles to the east–
northeastward. Its length is about 45 miles; the trend is northwesterly.
Several arms branch eastward and northwestward, with Amdrup Fjord
leading from the western side , and Watkins Fjord, and the more northerly
Courtauld Fjord extending from the eastern side. The inner fjord, after
narrowing down to a width of about 5 miles, widens out into a large basin
which issues a final arm, the short North Fjord, at its northeastern end.
rise on either side of the fjord, the sombre basaltic rock of the coast
to the northward here changing to gneiss and gabbro, interspersed with broad
basaltic dykes; deposits of the interesting Nepheline syenite occur on the
western side of Kangerdlugssuak and around the bottom of Amdrup Fjord. Many
glacier tongues flow from the inland ice, filling the fjord with a mass of
icebergs. The vegetation is scarce, but animal life is richer than elsewhere
along this coast. Greenland seals occur in large flocks; common seals and
narwhal are fairly general, and many bears and foxes have been reported.
Birds observed included waders and eiderducks , and among landbirds were ravens
and turnstiles. The fjord is difficult to enter, however, because of its
large amount of ice, and because of its great depths and strong currents.
Vessels may anchor in Uttental Sound which leads from the outer part of the
eastern side, south of the small Kramer Island.
surveys of the fjord area were first carried out in 1930, by the British Arctic
Air Route Expedition. In 1932, the Einar Mikkelsen Søkongen Expedition entered
the fjord to examine the geology, fauna and flora of the country, and in the
same year a meteorological station was set up at Kangerdlugssuak by the
Kangerdlugssuak cont.
Norwegian Polaris Expedition, which carried out observations within theschedule of the Second International Polar Year. In 1933 and 1935, respectively,
the Seventh Thule Expedition and the Anglo-Danish East Greenland Expedition came [to]
to Kangerdlugssuak for cartographical work and investigations in the meteorological, botanical
zoological and archaeological field. Meteorological data, furnished by the
Anglo Danish Expedition, and covering the period from August 1935 to August 1936,
indicated a total precipitation of 25 inches, on 119 days, and a total depths
of snow of 15 1/2 ft. Maximum temperatures of 62° F. were reported in May, June and
July; a minimum of s-22° F. occurred in February.
of archaeological objects originating from graves and house ruins on Rocky
Reef Peninsula (Skaergaardshalvø). The old Eskimo settlement here, which is
fairly extensive, is believed to date back to the fifteenth and sixteenth
century.
Sept. 1936, p. 193 and May 1933, p. 385 Polar Record No. 11, Jan 1936
p. 32. Geogr. Journ. Mov. 1937, p. 420
Kramer Island; North Fjord (Kanterdlugssuak); Rocky Reef Peninsula (Skaergaards–
halvø).
Greenland 330
Kangerdlugsuatsiak,
between the northeastern end of Stor Island (66° 15′N., 35° 26′W.), and a large,
mountainous mainland projection, about 4 miles to the eastward, which has
Cape Japetus Steenstrup at its eastern end. From here the fjord extends west–
northwestward and northwestward for over 20 miles, terminating at the
face of the very active de France Glacier, which connects with the vast glacier
system surrounding Mt. Forel, about 40 miles to the northwestward. Short arms
branch from the outer southern and northern sides of Kangerdlugsuatsiak, with
North Fjord, the northern arm, leading to Sieralik Glacier.
of which Ingolf Fjeld, a superb pinnacled mountain in the northeast, rises to
7,300 ft. (In the opinion of Nansen and Gustav Holm this mountain is identical
with the Blåserk of the Norse accounts; other place Blåserk in the vicinity of
Mt. Rigny.) Farther inland some peaks attain elevations of 8,000 to 9,000 ft.
A number of glaciers enter the southwestern side of Kangerdlugsuatsiak; at other
places along this side glacial ice is said to be balanced precariously on the
steep hillsides. The vegetation, in general, is scattered and scarce except near
the head; Bøgvad (1933) collected a number of plants here on the slope of a small
gully.
the B ritish Arctic Air Route Expedit i on, the Watkins East G reenland Expedition,
During the winter 1936/37 the French T r ans-Greenland Expedition under P.-E.Victor
[ ] had a base camp on Stor Island whence surveys and ethnological investigations were carried out.
MG 106 II,31 MG 56, 32-33
Greenland 108
Kangikitsuak (Anoretok)
of a narrow peninsula called Akia. The fjord trends west-northwestward to a head
which is circled by peaks up to 4,600 ft. high; on the southern side of its
entrance are several deep bays. A number of glaciers, some of which produce
large bergs, flow into the fjord. On its northern shore, near the entrance
is a considerable plain, at the foot of low mountains, where Holm (1884)
found the ruins of the old Eskimo settlement of Anetorek (meaning "the windy"), , from which the
entire area takes its name. [ ]
Greenland 100
Kempe Fjord,
small Maria Island (72° 57′N., 24° 55′W.), off the northern end of King
Oscars Fjord. The fjord runs nearly 50 miles inland, flanked on the south by
Ella Island and Lyell Land, and on the north by Suess Land. Of its three branches
the outer ones have extremely steep coasts , whereas the middle one runs through
a narrow but pleasant strip of open country and thence continues into a long
broad valley; a hunting hut stands on the southern shored of the middle fjord, about
midway in its course; another hunting hut fronts the southern entrance of the
southernmost of the three arms.
Nr. 63, p. 15
Fine! Greenland 750
King Christian IX Land,
(63° 50′N., 40° W.) and the southern shore of Scoresby Sound, over 600 miles
to the northeastward. It was formally named on September 20, 1884, by the Holm and
Garde Topographical Expedition.
(66° 15′N.), numerous and often widely ramified fjords cut deeply into the
land, producing a maze of peninsulas and islands, separated by narrow channels.
The central portion, generally known as Angmagssalik district, is ice-free over large
stretches and comparatively fertile, but the land everywhere is rocky and mountainous
(gneiss and granite), with numerous peaks rising above 5,000 ft. Mount Ingolf,
the highest point on the outer coast, reaches 7,320 ft. Mount Forel, in the hinter–
land of Angmagssalik district , rises to 11,000 ft.
(68° N.), where the coast is formed by an alternation of steep promontories and of
fjords, the interior of which are reached by productive glaciers that flow down from
the Inland Ice. Here rises Gunnbjørn Mountain, likely the highest peak in all
Greenland, with an ele
with intrusions, in the more northerly part, of basalt.
includes the glacier-covered Blosseville Coast and a somewhat more ice-free area to the northward.
The shores
is the predominating rock here.
than it does to the southward, but numerous icebergs are discharged by the fjords. Off
the Blosseville Coast the pack-ice tends to set against the shore; currents are very
Christian IX Land cont.
strong and add to the hazards of navigation. The ice may vary,however; the coast,one year may be blocked and the next year prove to be almost free of ice, with corres–
ponding differences in heat and precipitation.
approximately by temperature data furnished by the Mikkelsen Søkongen Expedition. In
1932, the monthly maximum mean for Angmagssalik and Scoresby Sound was 43,7° F.
and 39.4° F., respectively; the monthly minimum mean was 14° F. and -3.3° F.
Precipitation is nearly three times greater in Angmagssalik than in Scoresby Sound.
Both climate and soil conditions favor a comparatively rich vegetation in the
Angmagssalik area, while the coast north of Kangerdlugssuak is barren over large
stretches. Only the polar fox is found throughout the entire coast; hares, lemmings and
ermines occur in the northern part, while the polar bear is more frequent in the
more southerly regions. Ringed and bearded seal are common inside the indentations ,
and narwhal and occasionally walrus are encountered off shore.
ern portion, notably the Angmagssalik district, is , on the contrary, well settled,
with over 1,000 Greenlanders living at or around Angmagssalik Colony. Fairly exten–
sive
15th century, occur in the southern and central part of King Christian IX Land.
century Dutch, Danish and English navigators, but the first white man
have set foot on this coast, was Nordenskiøld, who visited Angmagssalik Island in
1883. During the following year Holm and Garde made a survey of the coast as
far north as Angmagssalik, and Amdrup, in 1900, drew a first rough chart of the
stretch between Angmagssalik and Scoresby Sound. Detailed land and air surveys of
coast were first made between 1930 and 1933 by the British Arctic Air Route, the
Mikkelsen Søkongen , and the Seventh Thule Expedition s . In 1932 and 1933, M.Spender,
King Christian IX Land cont.
cartographer of the Mikkelsen and Thule Expeditions, mapped the entire coastfrom Scoresby Sound to Umivik (68° N.), using the next recent
developed techniques. By the extensive use of the short-base method and photo–
grammetry, the whole mountainous area was mapped as far inland as the ice cap.
Other recent expeditions to this coast include the Watkins East Greenland Expedition,
the Lindsay East Greenland Expedition, the Anglo-Danish East Greenland Expedition
and finally, Charcot's various
Angmagssalik Island and Blosseville Coast; for trade-in-production figures see
Angmagssalik Colony.)
Geogr. Journal, May 1933, p. 385 Geogr. Journ. July 1935, p. 32
Greenland 720
King Christian X Land,
side of Scoresby Sound (70° 09′N. 22° 30′W.) and the northern side of
Dove Bay (76° 42′N., 18° 36′W.), belongs among the most diversified and ,
in some ways , among the most favored of the East Greenland coastal tracts. Much
of the region, except for local glaciers, is ice-free, the strip of ice-free
land back of the coast reaching a maximum width of 175 miles in the vivinity
of Scoresby Sound. Across it cut large and widely ramified fjords, such
as King Oscar Fjord and the Kaiser Franz Joseph system, or wide bays with
numerous, fjord-like extensions, such as Gael Hamke, H o chstter and Dove Bays.
Range and groups of mountains, over 6,000 and 7,000 ft. high, alternate
with low-level areas, dotted with lakes and watercourses; shallow [ ]
inlets are flanked by steep walls of rock. On some of the outer projections
and islands, where altitudes, in general, are more moderate than in the
interior, plants grow with a luxuriance seldom matched anywhere in the Arctic,
and there is an abundance of animal-life. The musk-oxe, and polar bear, the wolf,
fox, hare, ermine and lemming live
includes ringed and other seal, walrus and narhwal. Seabirds occur over
a wide area, and of landbirds, the raven, hawk, snowy owl and ptarmigan
are seen. The whole coast is much frequented by Danish and Norwegian
trappers, and unnumerable hunting huts and more than 20 major hunting
stations lie scattered over the region. Many remains of ancient house-sites
and grave s give evidence of former Eskimo occupation of the area,
although Eskimos were encountered here only once, in 1823, by Clavering.
and precipitation is slight throughout the year. In winter, however, the
region is a repos
which sweep together masses of dry [ ] snow from the Inland Ice. Warm föhn winds
King Christian X Land cont.
from the northwest are frequent. Annual mean temperatures are around 12° F.At Scoresby Sound Colony, during the coldest months, the temperature may
average - 5° F., and occasionally may drop to an absolute minimum of - 33° F.
During the warmest months the temperat u re may average 40° F., and may reach
an absolute maximum of nearly 60° F. In Danmark Harbor, Dove Bay, temperatures
are slightly lower, and according to data available, may average - 12° F.
during January and February, and 36° F. during July and August.
portion of the East Greenland Coast, for the pack ice usually lies farther
offshore than its does to the southward. It has long been believed that the pack
ice is usually more scattered between the parallels of 73° N. and 75° N., and
that vessels approaching from the east had best penetrate the ice belt in these
latitudes. However, since 1924, there have been a number of years when ice
conditions have permitted ships from Denmark to proceed directly to Scoresby
Sound instead of taking the longer route.
sketched this coast from 69° 15′N. to 75° N., and from 73° N. to 75° 20′N.
respectively. More definite information concerning the fjord region was
acquired by the Second German Arctic Expedition, in 1869-70, which discovered
Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord, and sledge d to Cape Bismarck, at the northern
end of Dove Bay. Addi
from 1891 to 1924, were made by C. Ryder, A.G. Nathorst, Mylius-Erichsen,
J.P. Koch. A. Wegener and Einar Mikkelsen; the latter, in 1924, laid the
foundation of Scoresby Sound Colony. Since that date Danish, Norwegian,
British, American
King Christian X Land cont.
and French Expeditions have come to this coast in close succession, themost notable ones including those under Wordie, Hoel, Orvin, Lauge Koch,
Charcot and Louise Boyd.
Louise Boyd, the Fjord Region of East Greenland.
Greenland 750
King Frederik VI Land
and extends between Prince Christian Sound (60° 02′N., 43° 05′W.) and
[ ] Dannebrog Island (65° 19′N., 39° 30′W.) , near the southern entrance
of Ikersuak Bay. Graah, who claimed possession of this coast for the
Danish Crown in 1829, named it after the then reigning King Frederik VI.
majesty. The landforms are generally alpine, the mountains high and
massive in outline. Farther inland the Inland Ice quickly attains
great elevations, with ice-cap levels close to the 9,000 ft. mark about
60 to 70 miles from the shore. The coast, too, is largely covered
by ice, except in its middle portion, north and south of the Skjoldungen
area, where the snow-free outer land attains a maximum breadth of about
40 miles. A number of small fjords, running inland almost at right angles,
indent the coast's more southerly portion. Between them are large penin–
sulas, many of them covered by lobes from the Inland Ice or local nėvės.
In the northern portion, the incisions widen and form bays such as
Umivik, Pikiutdlek and Ikersuak Bays. A number of glaciers flow
into the fjords and bays, the most productive ones occurring in the
north er n portion of the coast, where the Inland Ice reaches the sea along
a broad front. The bordering ice pack along this part of the east
coast of Greenland is not of great width, but it nearly always lies
fairly close to the coast, and even a heavy off-shore storm is able
to move it only a mile or two farther out to sea.
other rock). Complex signs of land rise are to be seen in various places,
raised terraces sometimes occuring at several levels. The vegetation
inside the numerous incisions is often rich, including willow, dwarf birch,
angelica and several kinds of berry-producing plants. Of mammals
King Frederik VI Land cont.
only the polar bear and fox occur in addition to various types of seals.Cod, halibut and shark are reported in the more southerly fjords, and
some of the rivers are rich in salmon. Land and seabirds nest in the coastal
cliffs.
Frederik VI Land. The Norwegian station Torgilsbu, situated at 60° 33′N.,
43° 13′W., showed the following average temperatures (C o ) for the year
1936: Jan. - 0.7°; Feb.: -0.3°; March: -2.2°; April: 1.4°; May:3.7°;
June:6.9°; July: 9.6°; August: 8.6°; Sept.:6.3°; Oct.: 3.1°; Nov.: 0.3°;
Dec.: -4.0° A minimum temperature of -26.2° was recorded in February 1933;
a maximum of 21.6° in August 1936.
people reaching the East Coast of Greenland and wintering there, but no
reference is made to a permanent settlement. However, ruins of Icelandic
settlements, dating back to the early Middle Ages, have been found in the
southern part of this coast, notably in Lindenow Fjord and Prince Christian
Sound. Late medieval sources indicate that some freebooting was carried on
along this coast. In the seventeenth century, enterprising Dutch whalers
hunting in Denmark Strait may have effected a landing in some of the fjords,
and it is known that David Danell skirted the coast in 1652. In 1723,
the Danish missionary, Hans Egede, visited the East Coast of Greenland from
West Greenland by umiak, reaching the 60th parallel, and in 1752, Peter
O.Walløe, a West Greenland skipper, traveled northward to Lindenow Fjord, furn–
ishing the first certain information about the East Greenland Eskimos. In
1806, the German mineralogist Giesecke inspected the coast as far northward
as 60° 09′N. Finally, Graah, in 1829-30, explored the whole of the coast
up to lat. 65° 16′N., with Holm and Garde amplifying his early observations
during their topographical expedition, in 1883-35. Surveys have since been
made by a number of expeditions
King Frederik VI Coast cont.
from Norway, Denmark and Great Britian, foremost among them the Sixth and SeventhThule Expedition (1931-33). Good recent charts have also resulted from air surveys
of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World-War II.
Graah reported about 13 dwelling places with a total population of 550
Greenlanders [ ] on King Frederik VI Coast. Holm, in 1884, found only
about 135 people living here. Since 1900, the coast has been
of its people having em i grated to the West Coast where European trade
available.
MG 107, Nr. 3 Salmonsen's Konversations Leksikon (1923) XIV, 410
Greenland 430
King Frederik VIII Land,
northern side of Bessel Fjord, in about lat. 76° N., to Northeast
Foreland (Nordostrundingen), in lat. 81° 22′N. Among its numerous subdivisions
are Germania Land, Duc d'Orleans Land, Hovgaard Island, Holm Land
and the southern part of Crown Prince Christian Land.
northeastward for almost 350 miles and is less deeply indented than that of the
Fjord Region farther south. The islands, which lie offshore, are smaller than
those to the southward. In places the Inland Ice comes down to the sea, and the
icefree land consists mainly of isolated promontories and nunataks. In many
instances it has not been ascertained whether these promontories are connected
with the mainland or whether they are islands separated from the mainland
by glacier-filled channels. Altitudes along the outer coast are moderate
with only a few peaks attaining elevation of over 3,000 ft. In the ice-covered
hinterland some nunataks rise to over 6,000 ft. The vegetation, in general,
is sparse but a southexposed hill or some sheltered valley occasionally
supports a luxuriant growth of grasses, herbs and dwarf shrubs. In the southern
part of Frederik VIII Land, the musk-oxe, fox and hare are present, while
animal life, in the northern portion, appears to be limited to seals and polar
bears. Various specious of sea-birds visit the coast in summer, and of land birds
the snow bunting has been reported as far north as 80° 10′N. Of the more
southerly incisions only Dove Bay (q.v.) is open in summer. In the fjords and
sounds of the northern portion lanes of open water appear near the mouths
in July. (For the discussions of the moving pack ice off this coast
see GREENLAND CURRENT, STORIS, or under individual headings such as Dove Bay,
Germania Land, ect.)
King Frederik VIII Land were the Danmark Expedition, 1906-08, and the Alabama
King Christian VIII Land cont.
Expedition, 1909-12, and in more r ecen t years, the Danish Three Year Expedition,1931-34, and the Danish North-East Greenland Expedition, 1938-39. Among ships
which succeeded to reach the southern coast of King Frederik VIII Land, were the
Belgica , in 1905, under the command of Duke Philippe of Orleans, the Gustav Holm ,
of the Danish Three Year Expedition, the Veslekari of the Louise Boyd Expedition,
1938, the En Avant of the French Norwegian Expedition, likewise, in 1938,
and the U.S. C.G. cutter Northland , in 1941. The more nort h erly part of the coast
has not as yet (1948) been reached by ships, but has been explored and mapped
by some of the mention
Region of East Greenland.
Greenland 360
King Oscar Archipelago
along the eastern coast of Greenland. It consists of a great number of
islands and peninsulas between Carlsberg Fjord (71° 30′N.) on the southward
and Hold with Hope (73° 30′N.) on the northward. These islands and peninsulas
are separated from eachother by the greatly ramified sounds and fjords that make
up the two vast fjord systems, King Oscars Fjord and Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord.
Most of the passages are navigable, and shelter may be obtained in many places.
The land portions close to the outer coast are often fertile, hilly and well
supplied with game; bird life is varied during the summer. Farther westward
the land gains in elevation;, attaining levels of over 7,000 ft.; a number of
lo cal ice-caps discharge glaciers into the sea. There are no permanent
settlements in this area, but a number of Norwegian and Danish [ ] hunting huts are found along the
shores. A Danish scientific station, equipped with radio, is on the northern
side of Ella Island,
remains of older Eskimo settlements, are numerous [ ] in the region.
expedition under Koldewey and Payer in 1869-70, and explored by the Swedish
Antarctic Expedition under Nathorst (1899) and under Hartz (1900).
Later expeditions to this stretch of the Greenland coast include Wordie's Heimland
Expeditions, Louise Boyd's Veslekari Expeditions, the Norwegian Svalbard Expeditions
under Orvin and Hoel , and a series of Danish expeditions under Lauge Koch. Captain
R. Bartlett repeatedly visited the coast during his archaeological and zoological
cruises. Intensive archaeological research, [ ] initiated by Koldewey and
Nathorst, was continued, in the 1930ies, by Sören Richter and P.V. Glob. Up to
King Oscar Archipelago cont.
[ ] world-war II, the hunters and scientists stationed in the region wererelieved by Norwegian Svalbard expeditions, which called here once a year.
Greenland 380
King Oscar [ ] Fjord,
Harbor (72° 02′N., 23° 05′W.). The fjord, which is about 55 miles long and
from 8 to 14 miles wide, curves northwestward between the southwestern side of
Traill Island and the northern shore of Scoresby Land, and then north-northwestward
between the western end of Traill Island and Lyell Land, a large mainland promontory.
About midway in its course, it issues Segelsallskäpets Fjord, which extends from its
western side and cuts inland for about 14 miles; Alps Fjord and Forsblads Fjord
lead from the inner end of this arm. The head of King Oscar
by the triangular-shaped Ella Island, beyond which other channels and fjords
extend in
and skerries front the more southerly shores of the main fjord.
(72° 10′N., 23° 40′W.), a small bay on the southwestern side of King Oscar
Solitaer Bay, on the northwestern side of Ella Island, affords good anchorage
in 24 to 31 fathoms. About 10 Norvegian hunting hut s lie scattered
land to the west of the fjord. On Ella Island,
scientific station, consisting of one
station, a radio tower and a flagstaff are in the vicinity.
6,000 ft.; but there are stretches of low foreshore, and several deltas are formed
by rivers which enter from the east and west. A number of glaciers fill the
valleys on the fjord's western side, some of which flow into Segelsallkäpets Fjord and it
its tributaries, and into Narwhal Sound, a channel west of Ella Island, at the head
of the main fjord. Ella Island, which rises to over 4,000 ft., has some fertile
spots on its northern side , and game is plentiful here; Sör e n Richter reports
several ancient graves and Eskimo sites along its eastern shore.
King Oscars Fjord cont.
investigated by a number of Danish, Nor w egian, British and American Expeditions.Colonel and Mrs. Lindbergh flew over the fjord in 1933, landing on Ella Island
after their flight across the Inland Ice from Holsteinsborg on the West Coast.
(See also King Oscar Archipelago; Davy Sound).
Fjord Region of East Greenland p. 335 355
Segelsallskäpets Fjord; Narwhal Sound; Alps Fjord; Forsblads Fjord; Mesters
Cove; Solitaer Bay.
Greenland 300
King Oscar Harbor (Tasiusak) ,
southern coast of Angmagssalik
cipal settlement of East Greenland , (65° 36′N., 37° 38′W.), lies on its western
side, about 2 miles within its entrance.
leads northward for about 1 mile and then broadens into a 3-mile wide bay,
with three very short arms branching off at the head. The total length
of the harbor is about 6 miles; the trend is north-northwesterly.
Charted depths within the inner bay are from 40 to 100 fathoms, except
in its southwestern part, off Angmagssalik settlement, where the waters
shoal abruptly. Least charted depths in the southward leading channel
are 8 to 10 fathoms near its northern end, and 38 fathoms elsewhere.
Anchorage in about 28 fathoms, hard bottom rock, is available off the small
islet that blocks the entrance to the settlement cove, and vessels up
to 240-ton may find a sheltered berth in the western arm , at the head of the
bay. The harbor as such can accommodate vessels of practically any size and
draft.
October and leaves in July; however,
maggsalik as late as mid-November.
pedition report good anchoring ground for aircraft in the vicinity of Tasiusak.
Stor Lake, several miles to the north, is said to be suitable for the landing
and taking off of even the largest seaplanes; Basis Lake , about 3 miles
southwest of Stor Lake, may be used by smaller planes.
Greenland 200
Kuhn Island,
end of Hochstetter Bay, between Wollaston Foreland and Hochstetter
Foreland. Cape Maurer (74° 52′N., 19° 44′W.) forms its eastern
extremity. To the westward the island is bounded by Fligely Fjord, a
20-mile strait, which separates it from Th.Thomsen Land. The island,
which is about 23 miles long, north and south, and about 18 miles wide
at its broadest, is little indented except in the northeast, where
the L-shaped Bastion Bay cuts inland between Cape Maurer and Cape
Bremen. The outer coast israther steep, but a depression runs through
Kuhn Island from north to south, and there are some long, hilly slopes here, rich
in vegetation. Eastward of this depression the mountains rise to nearly
3,800 ft. Trappers frequent the island and both Danish and Norwegian
hunting huts are located on its shores. A Norwegian hunting station, located
about 2 miles outh of Cape Maurer, affords anchorage offshore. There is
no harbor, merely an open roadstead. The Second German Arctic Expedition
(1869-70) discovered coal seams west of Cape Hamburg, the southeastern
extremity of Kuhn Island.
Cape Hamburg
Greenland 120
Kulusuk,
of southern East Greenland, immediately east of the mouth of Angmagssalik Fjord.
It is easily identified by a dome-like elevation (about 1,970 ft. high ), which rises
at its eastern end. Cape Dan (65° 31 'N., 37° 10′W.) forms its southwestern
extremity, with as large bay to the eastward opening out on the sea. Greenland er
dwellings and settlements are scattered over the west coast and are found on
the islets off this coast.
one at Kulusuk, close to the island's northwest point, where a mission was
established in 1909. It is the largest permanently inhabited native settlement
in the district outside of Angmagssalik colony, with a population, in 1931, of
173 Greenlanders. Fields of pack-ice often lie around Cpe Dan, sometimes
extending southward for 20 or more miles.
rock , which resembles the back of a bird.
Greenland
Kulusuk,
southern East Greenland, immediately east of the mouth of Angmagssalik Fjord.
[ ] The island,
the name of which a place or rock
Greenland 89
Kutsit (Kutseq),
(60° 41′N., 42° 33′W.), whence it trends about 7 miles southwestward and
thence about 12 miles west-northwestward. At the bending point Kutsit issues
a small sidearm which extends about 1-1/2 miles in a south-eastern direction.
The land surrounding the head of the main fjord is largely covered with Highland Ice. above which
rise a few prominent peaks.
the fjord is encumbered by a number of islets.
Greenland 700
Lake Fjord or Tugtilik,
fjord in the Angmagssalik District of southeastern Greenland. Its 3-mile
wide entrance lies close westward of Cape Wandel (66° 18′N., 34° 54′W.),
whence Lake Fjord extends northward for about 4 miles, bifurcating at its head.
The east arm, which forms a more or less square bay, leads to a 100-foot wall of ice,
the front of an active glacier, which comes down the steep valleys of the
hinterland. The slightly longer west arm narrows gradually and ends in a flat
expanse of marshy ground through which meanders a small salmon r [ ] ver, drain–
ing the lake from which the fjord takes its name. Near the river mouth is a
hut, usually stored with provisions for Greenlanders, which travel up and
down this coast. A monument to Watkins, who lost his life while kayaking in the
east branch, stands on the southern entrance point. Mountains rise precipi–
tously on both sides of the main fjord, but the vegetation, especially in the
vicinity of the mentioned lake, is extremely varied, with herbfield s occurring
at levels of 1,800 ft. or more. Seals, fish and birds, including
many species of land- and seabirds, are plentiful. Ruins of five Eskimo
house-sites and several tentrings have been discovered in the fjord.
and [ ] russe, who investigated some of the flora of the fjord, but the region
was little known until surveyed from the air by the British Arctic Air Route
Expedition , in 1930/31. Watkins, the leader of this expedition, re turned here
for further investigation in 1932. The object of his second expedition, the
Watkins' East Greenland Expedition of 1932/33, was to study flying conditions
for Panamerican Airways,Inc., to carry out meteorological observations and
to survey the whole of the region, including the neighboring Nigertusok Fjord.
Lake Fjord cont.
survey of the vicinity, including the neighboring Nigertusok Fjord.
was constructed on a dry piece of land at the head of the west branch of Tugtilik, Local
surveys extended over an area of 225 square miles, while meteorological work was
confined to fixed time observations at the base, the hours coinciding with
those of the expeditions of the Second International Polar Year (q.v.)
Complete observations covered a period from September 1932 to August 1933. Highest
and lowest temperatures recor d ed were 63° F. in September 1932, and -14.5° in
January 1933. There were no gales and the direction of the wind was largely
regulated by the formation of the fjord (south and north and north and south).
Precipitation occurred on 147 days
to August and 4 days of fog from September to March.
except for local brash, the fjord having remained fairly full of its own ice until
July. In 1932, the lake remained open and could have been used by pontoon
aircraft until October; in 1933, it was clear of ice by June 28th. The pack-ice
off the coast was thought to disappear by the end of August and to re-appear
in December; however there had been no opportunity to observe autumn ice
conditions, since it had been the practice for ships to leave this coast in
August, when the pack-ice is still prevalent.
including poppies, saxifrages orchids, gentians, dwarf birch and dwarf willows,
dwarf azaleas and various kinds of ferns. 50 or more varieties of insects
were collected, among them many different kind of flies, one buterfly, a weevil
and four species of moths.
visits of members of the Einar Mikkelsen Sökongen Expedition and of the
Seventh Thule expedition. Bögvad a member , of the latter expedition, collected a large
part of 82 known species of plants in the fjord.
Greenland 210
Lambert Land,
Land in northeast Greenland. Lying roughly between lat. 79° N. and 79° 30′N.
and between long. 19° W. and 22 ° W., it is bounded on the south by
Zachariaes Icestream, and on the north by Nioghalvfjerds (Seventy-nine)
Fjord. Westward of Lambert Land is the Inland Ice; eastward is floating sea ice;
two isolated land portions at the eastern end are separated from the main portion
by a narrow icefjord. The island is steep and has elevations of from
2,300 to 3,200 ft. on its northeastern side. Its land ice is heavily
fractured, with crevasses often 50 to 60 ft. wide. Aside from a few ptarmigan
no animal life was observed here.
that it was "opened up" in 1670, was first charted by the ill-fated Danmark
Expedition, 1906-08, which established a depot at its eastern end. Close by
the depot is Brönlund' Grave, the last resting place of Jörgen Brönlund, a
member of the expedition, who succeeded in reaching the depot in the autumn
of 1907, although he later perished. E.Mikkelsen, of the Alabama Expedition,
and members of the Danish North-East Greenland Expedition, reached lambert Land
by sledge in 1909 and 1939, respectively. Lauge Koch, in 1933,
surveyed the region from the air.
Greenland 80
Langonaes,
63° 17′N., separates North Fjord from Tidemann and Devolds Fjords
to the northward. Heimen Harbor, a small bay on its northern side, is
excellent for small ships and is said to provide a desirable place
for wintering. Finnsbu, on the northern side of Heimen Harbor, was
the temporary radio-meteorological station of the Devold Expedition
of 1931-32.Langenaes terminates in peaks about 3,600 ft. high.
Off its southeastern end lies a group of islets or rocks.
Greenland 450
Lindenow Fjord or Kangerdlugsuatsiak
43° 13′W., close southward of the rugged Nanusek peninsula. The fjord
trends west-northwestward for about 24 miles, narrowing from a width
of about 3 miles near the entrance to about 2 miles at the had. About
midway, arms branch southward and northward, and on the outer, eastern side
are two small bays, Peersvig the more easterly Kangerdlurujik,
which offer, ice-free well-protected harbors when the fjord can be navigated.
in the interior rising to over 7,000 ft. A number of glaciers debouch
on either side of the fjord. Fertile stretches occur in a wide valley
near the head, and along the outer northern shore, back of Narsak headland, a low,
ruins, and several expeditions had winter-quarters here. The fjord
is frequented by Greenlanders, who come here in summer to hunt seal,or
to fish. Some cod and halibut occur in the waters, and the shark is
frequent. Land-mammals include polar bears and foxes.
the northern fjordarm, west of Narsak. At its head Lindenow Fjord has
charted depths ranging from 216 to 164 fathoms. The strong outward going
urrent and frequent storms are likely to keep the fjord
especially in its outer part. The pack-ice from the north appears off
the mouth toward the end of January and slacks up in July.
Godske Lindenow, who sailed the Greenland waters with the English n
Cunningham and Hall between 1605 and 1612. Peter O. Walløe, the first
Linedenow Fjord cont.
definitely known to have visited the region, pitched his tent on Nanusekpeninsula in 1752, but more accurate information about the region and
the interior of the fjord was available only after Graah (1829) and
Holm and Garde (1881-84 had visited the coast. An attempt made by the
Herrenhut missionary Brodbeck,in 1881, to found a mission station at Narsak,
came to nought. Among more recent expeditions, which visited the fjord
or wintered at Narsak were a Danish hunting expedition under H.C. Christensen,in 1925,
the British Arctic Air-Route Expedition, 1930-31, the Heimen Expedition,1931
and the Sixth and Seventh Thule Expedition, 1931-33. The latter extended
its researches into the ethnographical and archeological field; the
Christensen expedition, which spent a year in the fjord, brought back
extensive plant collections.
Greenland III, 344452 MG 106 III 11, 14,18 Grønland 601
Greenland 90
Little Koldewey Island,
9 miles, lies off the northeast coast of Greenland, eastward of the
northern end of the Great Koldewey Island. When viewed from the distance
it appears like a single, ernomrous reddish rock, rising out of the sea.
Cape Christian (76° 37′N., 18° 40′W.) is its southern extremity, and
Cape Bornholm forms its northernmost points. Anchorage is obtained
in Sonja Harbor, a small cove close westward of Cape Christian.
a cairn here and made measurements. During World-War II,Little Koldewey
Island served temporarily as a German weather base. A patrol from the U.S.C.G.
Cutter Eastwind captured its staff.
Greenland 100
Liverpool Coast (Liverpool Kyst),
to Cape Glaöstone, about 75 miles to the northward; the stretch of coast forms
the eastern side of Liverpool Land. From the sea the land presents a rugged,alpine
appearance, with peaks rising steeply from a shore that is often inaccessible
although not very, high. The best landmarks northward of Cape Swainson are:
Cape Lister, sharp and high; the Parker Islands, small and clearly defined islets
due east of Cape Høegh; Cape Greg, T-shaped and just northward of a large glacier;
Cape Topham, a sharp point of bare rock with a peculiar stratification ; and finally
Reynolds Island and Murray Island, both small and sharply defined, lying off Cape
Gladstone.
(See also Scoresby Sound).
Reynolds Island; Murray Island.
Greenland 400
Mackenzie Bay or Myggbukta,
about 7 miles long and 7 miles wide, has Cape Bennet (73° 23′N.,
21° 35′W.) as its southwestern entrance point. The inner bay is very
shallow, and vessels can approach only as far as the small Tern [ ] sland,
which lies about 1 1/2 miles from the head. A number of streams empty
into this inner end, whence the broad Badland Valley extends northward
through Hold with Hope to the head of Loch Fyne and northwestward to
Muskox Fjord, a branchfjord of the Kaiser Franz Joseph system.
The route, which leads through this valley, is used by trappers the year
round. The land here is relatively fertile and dotted with lakes
and watercourses. In summer luxuriant grass, dotted with clumps of willow, grow
grows along the river courses and ranunculus, saxifrage, poppies, yellow
papavers and many others occur in thick patches. Foxes, hares and lemmings
occur, and the musk ox grazes here, singly or in herds. Birds include
falcons and snowy owls, ptarmigan, wild geese, king eider, glaucous gulls
and thousands of terns and long-tailed ducks.
Meteorological station at the head of the bay, first established in 1922, was
dismantled in 1940. Meteorological data furnished by the station during the
period 1926 to 1940, indicate a mean annual temperature of 13° F.; the
absolute minimum was -49.9° F. (1927); the absolute maximum was 72° F.
(july 1939). The total number of days with frost average 309. There is
little precipitation, most of its being in the form of snow. The prevalent
winds are from the southeast in summer, and from the north in winter; the
latter, at times, are so strong that large tracts in Badland Valley are
swept clear of snow.
Mackenzie Bay cont.
fathoms well offshore. Ice, brought in by the wind or tide, often blocks
the shallow inner end, but the shore near
be ice-free and always accessible to boats during the ebb. The freeze-up
usually begins early in October, and the break-up comes late in May.
(See also Hold with Hope.)
Polar Record No. 17, Jan. 1929, p. 27
Greenland 200
Miki Fjord,
of Cape Hammer (68° 06′N., 31° 25′W.), the eastern entrance point of the
large Kangerdlugssuak Fjord.
and 1 mile broad, trends northwestward and then sharply eastward. The western
and northern shores are ice-free and gently sloping, while the southern side
is steep and studded with
generally great, but anchorage , in lo fathoms or more ,
near the bending point of the fjord and close to the head,
Greenland Expedition (1935) carried out extensive observations in the fjord.
Mikkelsen called it the most friendly fjord which he had seen along this coast.
Animal and bird-life as well as vegetation were found to be comparatively rich
in the vicinity. A rather large Eskimo settlement, very old and entirely in ruins
with a number of graves, meat depots and fox traps, yielded
of archaeological objects. The ruins are believed [ ] to date back to
about 1400-1500.
Greenland 130
Mogens Heinesen Fjord (Kangerdlugsuattsiak) ,
has its southern entrance point at lat. 62° 17′N., long. 42° 12′W,
about 14 miles due east from the northern tip of the large Ikermiut Island.
The fjord, which has an average width of about 3 miles, trends northeastward
to a head encircled by some lofty and snow-free mountains, rising considerably
above the ice-clad country around-them. Kasingortok, a snow-free pre c ipitous
point close off the northern entrance of the fjord, was found by Graah (1829)
to be alive with sea-birds, in flocks of thousands, which had built their
nests about it. Holm, who investigated the fjord in 1884, found some
Eskimo house-ruins and graves on the northern side of the inner fjord.
whose offer,in 1581, to search for Greenland " at his own cost and risk" was
[ ]
accepted by King Frederic II. of Denmark and Norway. Heinesen saw the East
Coast , but did not land.
H.O. 75, 87 Graah, Voyage to Greenland, 82 Guidebook 844 Greenland, I. 7
Indexer: list Ikermiut Island
Greenland 140
Cape Moltke
Greenland, about 21 miles north-northeast of Cape Juel, has reddish–
brown cliffs which slope upward to about 1,500 ft. On the southwestern side
of the cape is a small, well-protected and ice-free motorboat harbor
and on its northwestern side is a ship harbor, the entrance to which
resembles that of a fjord; the harbor is thought to be safe. The coast
to the north-northeastward is fringed by a number of islets, among them
the low Kemisak Islet , described by Graah as one of the prettiest
and most fertile spots on the coast. The neighboring Sagiarusek Island has
Eskimo ruins. The Sixth Thule Expedition,1931, considered this an
excellent hunting and fishing locality.
Greenland 120
Nansen Fjord,
of southern East Greenland between
Island and Cape Nansen (68° 13′N., 29° 26′W.), to the east-northwastward.
The fjord trends northwestward to a broad head into which flows the great
Christian IV Glacier. (This glacier, which is about 120 miles long and
about 11 to 13 miles wide, is a valley glacier and not part of the ice cap. The
Courtauld-Wager Expedition [ ] crossed it on their way to Mt. Gunnbjorn ,
which they ascended on August 16, 1935.) Small local glaciers discharge along the
eastern shore of Nansen Fjord. Cape Nansen, at the mouth of the fjord, rises
steeply to 2,000 ft. and forms a good landmark. The fjord can be
entered freely on a general mid-channel course.
Greenland 70
Napasorsuak Fjord (Kangerdlugsuatsiak)
is entered at lat. 61° 45′N., long. 42° 10′W. close southward of
Cape Rantzau. The fjord curves in a northerly and northwesterly
direction to a narrow inner end. At times the ice becomes closely
packed under Cape Rantzau.
the shore of the fjord rise sheer from the sea.
Greenland 80
Nathorst Fjord
Land (71° 45′N., 22° 12′W.) and Cape Brown, about 5 miles to the northwestward.
The fjord, which extends over 16 miles in a southwesterly direction, widens in
its inner part, where lies the small flat Depot Island. According to Lauge Koch,
a sledge route leads from the head to the neighboring Carlsberg Fjord. Three hunting
huts are located inside Nathorst Fjord. The western shores are steep, the
mountains here rising terrace-like to heights of over 3,000 ft.
Greenland 110
Norske Islands,
northeast coast of Greenland in about lat. 79° 12′N. long.
17° 50′W., eastward of the southern end of Lambert Land.
The main island rises to about 1,640 ft.; its north-eastern part
is a flat coastal plain.Much of the land is covered with snow and the
vegetation is poor. Fog seems to be a frequent phenomenon during
the greater part of the summer.
summer of 1933, states that the land ice formed a peninsula
between Norske Islands and Hovgaards Island, more than 60 miles to
the northward, leaving only the northernmost point of Hovgaard free of ice;
however, a broad lead extended northwestward through the area.
Greenland
Cape Nordenskiøld
extremity of the mainland peninsula which forms the western side of Ode
Sound. The latter, which extends about 7 miles north-northwestward to [ ]
West Fjord, a branch of Kangerdlugsuatsiak, separates the peninsula from
Stor (Great) Island to the eastward. According to Holm (1884) a small
cove on the southern side of Stor Island would make a good harbor.
Greenland 120
North (Nord) Fjord,
coast of southern East Greenland, separates that island from the
peninsula Langenaes to the northward. Cape Juel (63° 12′N., 41° 05′W.)
forms its southern entrance point. The northwestern continuation of the
fjord was named Botn (Bottom) Fjord by the Heimen Expedition, in 1931.
A local glacier reaches the head of Botn Fjord, which is surrounded by
steep mountains. Along the shores are stretches of very dense vegetation,
especially near Eskimonaesset, the site of some old house ruins. This
locality, which is also called Ruinnaes, is on the northern side of the
channel and was an important working place of the Sixth and seventh
Thule Expeditions, 1931-33.
Greenland 210
Oyfjord (Kanusek),
of Lindenow Fjord, at about lat. 60° 30′N. The fjord trends northwestward
to a narrow head, but widens in its inner parts, where a large arm or bay extends
northward from its northern shore. Torgilsbu, at one time the site of a
Nor
of Oyfjord is occupied by the elongated, razor-backed Nanusek island,
over 2,100 ft. high.
are characteristic for the land surrounding the fjord, but some fertile
stretches occur on its southern side and in a valley leading northward from
Torgilsbu. Depths within the fjord are great except near the entrance, but tempe–
ratures of the waters are so low that the occurrence of food fish is excluded.
Air temperatures here are relatively moderate
reporting a mean of about 35° F. between 1932-1940. The fjord is open from
late in July to some time in December. Anchorage in 19 fathoms may be obtained
off Torgilsbu, and in two small bays on the southern side of the fjord: at Mannes
Havn, close to the mouth, and at Sandbuktu, about 6 miles within the entrance. Accord–
int to reports of the Seventh Thule Expedition Oyfjord is suitable for the landing
and taking off of (pontoon) aircraft.
Greenland 48
Patursok (Patussoq),
at about lat. 60° 44 ! N., immediately north of Kutsit Fjord. The trend
is northwestward. The surrounding land is covered by glaciers
that reach down to the sea; here and there a black peak shows above the ice.
Greenland 480
Pendulum Islands,
the East Coast of Greenland close northward of lat. 74° 30′N. Sabine Island ,
the larger and westernmost of the two, is bounded on the west by Cla [ ] ering
Strait, which separates it from Wollaston Foreland. Between Sabine and Little
P [ ] dulum Island extends Pendulum Strait.
impression of barrenness and desolation. Neither is very high. Mount Keferstein,
on Sabine Island , rises to about 2,300 ft; Crown Mountain, a conspicuous,
cone-shaped peak to the southwestward, and Hare Mountains, to the southward, attain
elevations of about 1,800 ft. Stretches of low and occasionally marshy foreshore
occur on the southern and western coasts, off Clavering Strait. Fair anchorage
is obtained almost anywhere in the vicinity of the southern shore, the main
harbors here, from east to west, being Germania Harbor, Griper Roadstead and
Heimland Harbor. (For positions see Clavering Strait) Germania Harbor is a Danish trapper station, and huts stocked with
provisions are located here. Hansa Harbor, a rather large indentation on the
northeast coast, has a hunting hut on its eastern entrance point, south of
which excellent anchorage is reported (1943) in depth of 11 fathoms.
easily identified because of its distinctive appearance. It rises steeply from
the sea on all sides, attaining its greatest height in the center, where
Mount Sonnenkopf rises to about 2,000 ft. Bass Rock, a low, triangular-shaped
island, lies off its northeastern end. Two Danish hunting huts are located on the
island, one near its north point, and the other near its southern extremity. Anchorage
in about 4 fathoms was obtained by the German Arctic Expedition and by the
1926 Cambridge Expedition close southward of Cape Stufenberg, the island's
southwestern extremity.
Pendulum Islands, cont.
Clavering, in 1823, and renamed by the German Arctic Expedition, in 1870.Captain Sabine, a member of Clavering's Expedition, conducted pendulum
experiments, probably on the west side of Germania harbor - experiments
which were repeated by the German Arctic Expedition during the winter of 1869-70.
Corrective topographic surveys were made by the Danmark Expedition, 1906-08,and
Expedition, which also carried out surveys and geologi
investigations. An astronomical determination of Sabine Island, made
by the Norwegian Svalbard Expedition in 1931, indicated a westward movement
of at least 820 ft. in comparison with position data furnished by Clavering
and the Germans.
the U.S. Army Airforce, after a secret German station here had been eliminated here
by U.S. AAF planes.
Boyd, The Fjord Region of East Greenland. MG 92, Nr. 6 p 1. Nat. [ ] ogr. Mag.
October 1946,472.
Indexer: list Sabine Island; Little Pendulum Island; Pendulum Strait;
Mouny Keferstein; Crown Mountain; Hare Mountains; Germania Harbor;
Griper Roadstead; Heimland Harbor; Hansa Bay; Mount Sonnenkopf; Bass Rock; Cape
Stufenberg
Greenland 300
Pikiutdlek,
by a sharp recession in the coast between Gerner Island (64° 20′N.,
40° 12′W.) and Akitsek, a small island, about 42 miles north-northwestward.
The bay trends northwestward for about 50 miles and in its inner part is
called KJOGE Bay or Pikiutdlip-ikera.
winding Island, nearly 40 miles long, which has Cape Löwenörn (Kangek)
at its southern end. The island is snow-covered, with some of its
nunataks rising to 3,500 ft. A channel to the westward is called
Katertak. West of the channel the ice-covered mainland rises to heights
of nearly 4,000 ft.
of the bay are relatively moderate.
shores of Kjöge Bay in the northwest, while the northeastern shore is
partly ice-free. Here a number of low promontories are separated by
fjords or bays, among which are the centrally located Uvkusigssaqarfik
Fjord and Comanche Bay (q.v.) to the eastward. A number of ice-free
islands lie off this stretch of coast; Römer Island, the largest
of the group, rises to about 1,000 ft. K. Rasmussen was informed in 1931
that about 31 natives were living in the Pikiutdlek area.
Arctic Air Route Expedition surveyed the area in 1930-31. Additional
material for maps was supplied by Danish and Norwegian expeditions
and by the U.S. Army Air Forces, which had a beachhead station inside
Comanche Bay during World-War II.
Römer Island; Kjöge Bay (Pikiutdlip-ikera).
Greenland 120
Puiagtok (Auarkat),
of the small Taterat Peninsula, at about lat. 61° 15′N., whence it trends
west-northwestward for about 17 miles. A short branch, where anchorage
is obtained, extends from the southern side, west of Taterat. On the northern
shore, close to the mouth, is the old Auarkat settlement, near a deep fertile
valley. Fertile stretches also occur on Taterat; a large, vault-like grotto
here has a remarkable echo.
living on Taterat, all good-looking and some distinctly European in type.
An old whaler gun, stranded in the interior of the fjord was re-discovered
by g. Holm, in 1884, and late transferred to Julianehaab by members of the
Seventh Thule Expedition.
Greenland 100
Puisortok (Puissortoq) (" the diving-up place"),
frontage on the sea, lies close southward of Cape Billé (62° 01′N.,
42° 03′W.) [ ] Puisortok is described by Graah (1829) as rising perpendicularly
from the sea for about 600 ft., at which elevation it strikes off
at an angle of about 30° to the inland ice which covers the high land
farther back. Because of its frequent calvings the glacier is considered
dangerous. Cape Bill
a yellowish, rocky projection, beyond which the coast [ ] recedes
westward for a distance of about 7 miles.
means "the diving-up place", that is where the masses of ice, which have fallen
out and shoot out on the glacier emerge like a marine animal. (Ostermann).
Greenland 1120
Scoresby Sound,
175 to 185 miles, is entered on the East Coast, between Cape [ ] rewster (70° 09′N.,
22° 03′W.), and Cape Swainson, about 20 miles to the north-northeastward. The
outer sound, or Scoresby Sound proper, trends west-northwestward for about 70 miles,
maintaining a width of about 23 miles; it issues only one arm, the narrow Hurry Inlet,
which leads from the northern side, close within the entrance. Farther inland,
Scoresby Sound bifurcates. One large fork extends west-southwestward for about 29
miles, where Gaase and Föhn fjords branch off to the southwestward and westward,
respectively; Röde and West fjords lead from Föhn Fjord. The other fork, called
Hall Inlet, which has a breadth of about 25 miles, extends about 45 miles northwest–
ward, issuing ö Fjord and Northwest Fjord. ö Fjord, the more southerly of the two
arms, connects with Röde Fjord.
number of large and small islands, as well as peninsulas, separated by sounds and
narrow channels. Almost in its middle is Milne Land, a large, glacier-covered
island, rising to over 6,200 ft. Off its southern shore lies the small
Danmark Island, where Ryder anchored in 1891-92 (Hekla Harbor.) Gaase Land,
a large tongue of land bounded by Gaase and Föhn fjords, projects to the southward
of Milne Land, while Renland, an island-like peninsula, occupies most of the north–
western portion of inner Scoresby Sound. The mainland coast, too, is divided into
a number of "lands," of which Scoresby Land extends along the sounds
innermost northern shore, with Jameson Land and Liverpool Land lying to the eastward;
Knu [ ] Rasmussen Land forms the southern shore of Scoresby Sound.
consisting of glacier-covered uplands, from which rise peaks up to 6,500 ft. high.
Only Jameson Land is ice-free; the coast here is low and undulating
Scoresby Sound cont.
and indented by numerous short rivers which form deep chasms often roofed with ice.Elsewhere the shores are for the most part steep and inaccessible. In the whole
inner part of Scoresby Sound and on the outer coast of Liverpool Land the rock is
mainly gneiss. On Jameson Land Rhaetic plant beds are abundant; on top of these
are layers of sandstone containing animal fossils of the Jurassic. Basaltic rock
predominates on the southern shore. of Scoresby Sound.
65 fathoms, and to the southward the depths increase rapidly. Within the sound
there is a least fairway depth of 38 fathoms. Currents in the interior seem to
be both surface and subsurface; floating bodies of little draft are carried along
with the tidal current, while those which draw several fathoms appear little , if
at all , affected . Vessels may obtain anchorage in several places, the best
being Scoresby Sound Anchorage (70° 28′N., 21° 58′W.) in Rosenvinges Bay, on the
north side of the sound. The fjord can be navigated for 4 to 6 weeks from the end of
July, but even then it is necessary to keep constant watch for drift ice, as the
many calving glaciers in the Scoresby Sound region, combined with the winter ice,
put great obstacles in the way of navigation.
the period 1925-31 , monthly mean temperatures were lowest in January (3.4° F.)
and highest in July (40.1° F.); in 1937 the absolute minimum was -32.8° F., (Febr)
and the absolute maximum 59° F. (July). In the winter months the prevalent
wind direction is northerly along the outer coast, often reaching a high velocity. In
the inner regions warm föhn winds, descending from the In
both summer and winter. Precipitation is slight, but fog is frequent on the outer
coast.
and the scrub willow is found everywhere; in summer there is a wealth of flowers.
Scoresby Sound cont.
Marine animal life is abundant and includes various seal and whale types. Amongland mammals are polar bears, musk oxen, reindeer, wolves, foxes,hares,lemmings
and ermines. Fowling cliffs are found on the islands and on the Liverpool Coast.
The land seems to have been fairly well settled in former days, and is rich in
ruins and relics of former E
end of the 12th century, and may have continued to be known until the 14th century.;
the old name Ollumlengri, which occurs in Ivar Bararson's account of Greenland (mid 14th
century) connotes a fjord longer than all other fjords and seems applicable only to
Scoresby Sound, the longest fjord in the world. Some 17th and 18th century maps also
indicate a certain knowledge of the coast,but no landings have been recorded during
that period. In 1781, the Danish Whaler Volquard Bohn drifted into Scoresby Sound,
thinking it a strait. The sketch he drew of the outer coast was, however, not included
in later maps. Consequently William Scoresby,jr., who partially explored the sound
in 1822, was credited with its discovery, and was, so far as is known, the first
European to have set foot on this shore. Scoresby named the fjord after his father,
William Scoresby, sr., whose ship, the Fame , accompanied the son's vessel during part
of the trip. The inner fjord b
Expedition, 1891-92, which wintered on Danmark Island. The outer part of the fjord was
explored by the Nathorst Antarctic Expedition, 1899, and by the Carlsberg East
Greenland Expedition, 1900, under Hartz. In 1924, E, Mikkelsen laid the foundation of
a colony in Rosenvinges Bay near the sound's northern entrance, and the following
year eighty-five Greenlanders were transferred from Angmagssalik to Scoresby
Sound settlement with all their possessions. In 1926 Lauge Koch used the settlement
as a base for his geological exploration of the coast between Scoresby Sound and Danmark
Harbor on Germania Land, and between 1927-29, Alwin Pedersen, Mikkelsen's companion
in 1924, made valuable observations of the fauna of the region. Between 1925-36,Charcot
Scoresby Sound cont.
repeatedly visited the sound for biological, physical and oceanographic work, hisship, the Pourquoi-Pas also carrying the Cambridge East Greenland Expedition
to Scoresby Sound in 1933. Other expeditions, which have called here
a number of Danish ship and airplane expeditions under Lauge Koch ,
the Wegener Expedition, 1930-31, the Louise Boyd Veslekari Expeditions, 1931 and 33,
the Mikkelsen Sökongen Expedition and the Seventh Thule Expedition, in 1932 and 1933 ,
respectively. The Wegener Expedition had two observation stations in Scoresby
Sound, and during the Second International Polar Year (1932) meteorological
observations were carried out here by French and Danish Expeditions.
Scoresby Sound see East Greenland Current and Storis.)
Greenland I. 32, 40. S [ ] monsen's Konversations Leksikon (1926) XXI, 146
MG Nr. 56, Lysstreif over Noregssveldets Historie, Oslo 1944. A.Pedersen, Der
Scoresby Sund 24 Breiffuss, Die Arktis 175
Gaase Fjord; Gaase Land; Föhn Fjord; Röde Fjord; West Fjord; Northwest Fjord;
Hall Inlet; Milne Land; Renland; Jameson Land; Scoresby Land;
Liverpool Land; Knud Rasmussen Land; Danmark Island.
Greenland 320
Scoresby Sound Colony
coast of Greenland, lies on the north side of Scoresby Sound, in a small bight on
the eastern side of Rosenvinges Bay. Founded in 1924, by Einar Mikkelsen with means
provided by the Scoresby Sound Committee, a private Danish committee, the colony,
from small beginnings,developed into East Greenland's second largest settlement,
with a population, in 1944, of 240 Greenlanders. The latter live divided between
the colony and three small outposts, Cape Tobin (Unarteq), Cape Hope (Igterajivit),
and Cape Stewart (Ivssorigseq). The buildings consist of a church with a steeple,
administrative buildings, storehouses, coal- and worksheds, a store and a number of
dwellings. There is a
less station, erected in 1927, is open for public communications. Some coal is mined
in the vicinity of Cape Hope, and warm springs occur near Cape Tobin. The natives
are engaged in fishing and hunting, and there is an abundant supply of seal, walrus,
narwhal, etc. in the waters off Scoresby Sound, and of land-game on the shores.
Trade-in-production figures for 1944-45 , after deductions for local consumption , were as
follows:
157; sealskins 130. A Danish government ship calls once a year. During world war II
the population was supplied by the U.S. Armed Forces which maintained a weather
station and airbase in Scoresby Sound.
Sound, is in a small bight immediately off the settlement. When icefree, it provides
excellent shelter, and there is a convenient watering stream nearby. Depths, on the
anchor range, are about 14 to 16 fathoms 600 yards from the front range mark.
The 5-fathom curve lies from 50 to 175 yards offshore.
which is marked by a beacon composed of an inverted yellow triangle set on a post
about
Scoresby Sound Colony cont .
10 ft. high.shallow for icebergs to enter , but pack-ice drifts in from Scoresby Sound. The
bay is usually open for navigation from July to September.
Cape Tobin (Unarteq); Cape Hope (Igterajivit); Cape Stewart (Ivssorigseq).
Greenland 40
Schweizer Land
District in southern East [ ] reenland. The area extends approximately
from [ ] at. 66° 05′N. to 67° N. and from
elevations of over 11,000 ft. (See under Mt. Forel).
Greenland 220
Sermiligak
approached between the southern extremity of Qianarteq Island
(65° 38′N., 360 38′W.) and Erik the Red Island, about 9 miles to
the eastward. A number of islets lie off its entrance. The fjord, which
narrows to about 4 miles in its interior, extends about 11 miles northward where
it branches. One arm extends westward for about 3 miles to a glacier at its
head; the other arm trends northeastward about the same distance to Knud
Rasmussen glacier. Only the inner portion of Sermiligak indents the mainland;
the outer eastern shore is formed by a chain of islands of which Leif
Island and the more southerly Erik the Red Island are the largest. Qianarteq,
which flanks the outer western side of Sermiligak, is separated from the mainland to
the northward by Ikateq sound, which leads southwestward to Ikerasak, a channel
opening out on Angmagssalik Fjord. Altitudes close to the head of Sermiligak are
over 4,900 ft.; about 10 miles farther inland some peaks in the heavily glaciated
area attain elevations of nearly 6,000 ft. The Seventh Thule Expedition (193 2 -33)
reported scattered fell vegetation near the out of shores of the fjord. Some valleys
farther northward, in the wild mountainous tracts of land between Sermiligak and
Angmagssalik fjords, are rich in vege t ation which includes willow, crowberries
(Sermiligak).
Greenland 380
Shannon Island,
offlies
Cape Philippe Broke (74° 56′N., 17° 35′W.) is its southeast point,
and Cape David Gray, its southern extremity. The wide Shannon Sound extends
between its western side and the mainland to the eastward; the southern shore is
bounded by Hochstetter Bay.
of about 1,000 ft. in Meyerstein Mountain, near its northeastern
end; the major portion, however,is only a few feet above sea level, and the
lowlands, when not covered with snow, consist mostly of muddy swamp. The
irregular coastline is indented on its southern side by Freeden Bay,
on its eastern side by a large indentation from which lead Frosne Bay
and Nordenskiöld Bay, and on its northern side by Sengstacke Bay. Two level
areas, close eastward of the Tellplatte, a low range in the vicinity
of Cape David Gray, are reported to be excellent natural landing fields
for planes. Three Danish hunting huts are located on the island.
made a landing on its northern shore, and partially
by the Second German Arctic Expedition, 1869-70, which named several
of its prominent points and bays. The Danmark Expedition, 1906-08, carried
out some initial archeological research, as the island abounds in traces of
former Eskimo occupation . Mikkelsen's Alabama expedition, 1909-12, had a three
years' base in Alabama Cove, inside Norde
the spring of 1910, as a result of damage suffered the preceding August when
she had been caught in the ice pack east of Shannon. Other, more recent
expeditions to the area include the Danish Three Year Expedition, 1931-34
which had a temporary base on Hochstetter Foreland. The program of the
Shannon Island cont.
expedition, apart from cartographical work, included extensive botanicaland archeological research.
eliminated a German-held position here.
Nat. [ ] eogr. Mag. Oct. 1946 pp. 459 472 Second German Arctic Expedition, vol.II
p. 326
Frosne Bay; Nordenskiöld Bay; Sengstacke Bay; Meyerstein Mountain; Tellsplatte;
Alabama Cove.
Greenland 130
Skjoldungen,
of southern East Greenland, flanked on the southwest by South Fjord and on the
northeast by North Fjord. Actually only the island's eastern end faces the sea
proper. Here , at skjoldungen's southeastern extremity,
(63° 12′N., 41° 05′W.) rises to over 1,700 ft., slanting to seaward to an
elevation of about 120 ft. A wide cleft near the tip gives the cape the shape
of a V, with arms opening outward. The island affords anchorage in North Bay,
a large well-protected harbor on the island's southern side. A small glacier
near the head of the bay appears to have a slow discharge of small chunks.
U.S. Army personnel, maintained at Skoldungen during World War II reported a snowfall
of 50 ft. during the winter 1944-45. (See also South
stand guard in Greenland.")
Greenland 150
Sofia Sound,
extends west-southwestward between Geographical Society Island and Ymers
Island, connecting Foster Bay on the east with King Oscars Fjord and Antarctic
Sound on the west. The eastern entrance, which is about 4 miles wide, is
encumbered by the low Robertson Island, and of the two channels thus formed
only the northern one is navigable. Sheltered anchorage in depth of
about 30 fathoms is obtained at Sofia Sound Anchorage, about 2 miles west
of the island. Cape Humboldt (73° 06′N., 23° W.), the northern entrance
point of Sofia Sound at its eastern end, is a conspicuous, eastward facing
basalt rock which rises sheer from the sea. One of the best Norwegian hunting stations
is found about 1/2 mile north of this cape; anchorage in 32 fathoms is available
off the station. (See also Ymers Island).
Sofia Sound Anchorage.
Greenland 440
South (Sör) Fjord or Inugsuarmiut
(63° 08′N., 41° 12′W.), and Cape Juel, about 7 miles northeastward, whence
it extends northwestward for about 34 miles. The northern shore is formed
by the elongated Sk j oldungen Island , the southern side by the mainland proper.
The innermost fjord, which narrows to about 1 mile, issues a branch, the small
Ida Fjord, which leads northeastward to North Fjord, a channel on the northern
side of Sk j oldungen.
with Dunderbreen , (The Thundering Glacier) , sending huge masses of ice down a ravine
on the southern side of the head. To the northestward the inland ice retreats suffi–
ciently to give way to a broad and luxuriant valley, Queen Marie Valley (Dronning
Marie Dal), so named by Graah, in 1829. The valley is noted for its vegetation
which inc [ ] udes willow, dwarf birch, angelica and several kinds of berry-pearing
plants; a river here, flanked by grass-covered banks, abounds in salmon.
To the northward stands a Nor [ ] egian trappers hut which , in 1941 , was occupied by
a Greenlander family.
the northern side, about 7 miles within the entrance; at Caroline Amalie Harbor,
a small bay on the southern side of the fjord, about 6 miles within the entrance,
and in a cove off Queen Marie Valley. North Bay, which opens into a broad basin
with two coves at its head, is a well-protected ship harbor, accessible as a refuge
for vessels sailing Denmark Strait. Vogt of the
describes both South and North Fjord as deep and clean, and says that even the
largest ships could go through them and find good, safe harbors. A continuous
series of soundings taken around Sk [ ] oldungen show a depth of at least 26 fathoms
in Ida Fjord, the connecting channel; the depths increase on either side, toward
South and North Fjord.
South Fjord cont.
medium-sized icebergs.
expeditions have called at the fjord, among them the British Arctic Air Route
Expedition, the Heimen Expedition, Iversen's Polarbjørn Expedition and the
Sixth and Seventh Thule Expedition. The latter, which carried out
out
flora and fauna, and in addition, made excavations both in South Fjord and in the
more northerly North Fjord. The
from the region.
of the populous place") was much visited, at one time, by the Greenlanders, who came
here to, hunt salmon and lay in a stock of berries for winter use. It is little
frequented by the Greenlanders of to-day. (See also Sk j oldungen Fjord; North Fjord.)
Guidebook 852 MG 106, III, 34 ff.
Dunderbreen.
Greenland 180
Tidemann Fjord
(63° 17′N., 41° 08′W.) and Imaersivik Island to the northeast . About
10 miles from the entrance the fjord bifurcates to form Devold and Troll
Fjords. Devold Fjord, sometimes called Lang e naes Fjord, extends northwestward
for about 9 miles and then forms two short arms, of which the more northerly
terminates in an inner basin, off a small fertile valley; the basin
provides a well-protected harbor, suitable even for larger ships . On the south
side of Devold Fjord, close to its entrance, is Heimen Harbor, a small bay,
excellent for small craft and a desirable place for wintering.
was the temporary radio-meteoro–
logical station Finnsbu of the
Devold expedition of 1931-32.
the more easterly branch of Tidemann Fjord, extends about 11 miles north–
northwestward to several glaciers at its head. The shores of both Troll and Devold
Fjords are steep, with altitudes rising to 3,600 ft.
was the temporary radio-meteoro–
logical station Finnsbu of the
Devold expedition of 1931-32.
Greenland 290
Tingmiarmiut,
and Ausivit, at about Lat. 62° 35′N., Long. 42° 12′W., whence it cuts inland
in a northwesterly direction for about 27 miles. The wide outer part has three
ramifications on its northern side, named,in turn, East, Johan Kjaer, and
West Fjords. Close off and parallel to the relatively straight southern shore
lies the long, narrow Takisok Island, fringed on the southeast by a number of
islets. West of Takis
by large icebergs which are discharged from glaciers in the interior. The
inner shores are bounded by a grandiose
to over 4,000 ft.
in the northern approaches of the fjord, was first investigated by of Holm, in
1884, and has since been explored by a number of expeditions, among them the
British Arctic Air Route Expedition (1930/31), the Heimen Expedition (1931),
and the Sixth and Seventh Thule Expedition (1931/33). Holm described Takisok
Island as a pleasant place, [ over ] grown with heather and grass. The
Expedition, which sent a motorboat into the inner fjord, reported patches of
rich and colorful vegetation a long its shores. (See also Tingmiarmiut Island.)
West Fjord.
Greenland 380
Tingmiarmiut Island
Land, southern East Greenland, in the northern part of the approach to Ting–
miarmiut Fjord. It covers an area of about 13 by 8 miles. The smaller Ausivit
Island and a number of islets lie off its southern shore. Close northeastward of
Tingmiarmiut is the precipitous
channel which separates Tingmiarmiut from the mainland to the nort [ ] ward is called
Ikerasak.
mountains decrease in height toward the southeast where the long, low Akitsok
(peninsula), juts out into the sea. Tingmiarmiut settlement, which is now abandoned,
is on a plain at the head of a bay which indents the Island's southeastern tip;
there is a trappers station here, erected by the Heimen in 1931. The Seventh
Thule (1932-33) Expedition reported an ice-free and well-protected harbor in the bay off the
old settlement and
taking off of (pontoon) aircraft. The Heimen Expedition found an anchorage
in a well-protected basin at the western end of the channel Ikerasak.
Tingmiarmiut the obvious place to winter, as game abounds here and berries are
prolific to profusion. The vegetation is rich, in spots, including willow,
angelica and blue bells. Bøgvad of the Seventh Thule Expedition who spent some
time in the vicinity of the old settlement, brought back a large collection of
plants.
(" the people of the place where there are birds") was originally the
Tingmiarmi t Island cont.
name of a small steep bird cliff on the southwestern tip of TingmiarmiutIsland, near where the Greenlanders had a dwelling place. Eventually the
island, the fjord to the southward, the islands and islets in the approach
to the fjord, and the surrounding region assumed the name. (See also
Tingmiarmiut Fjord.)
Greenland 100
Cape Tordenskjold (Kunerinak)
Greenland. The cape rises to about 2,225 ft. and consists of two mountains separated
by a cleft; the inner mountain, which is round-topped and glacier-covered, is consider–
ably higher than the outer mountain which is black rock and has a flat summit.
According to the Seventh Thule Expedition, there is a harbor suitable for
motor-boats behind the cape. The anchorage is said to be safe, but the entrance
is narrow and access difficult, because of icebergs which ground in the bay off
the harbor.
naval hero.
Greenland 170
Umanap-kangerdlua or Sehesteds Fjord
between Griffenfeldt Island and Uvivak, a small island over two miles to
the northward. The fjord extends about 25 miles northwestward, bifurcating near
its head. About midway, short arms branch northward and southward, the
northern, lateral fjord offering well-protected anchorage off the fertile
Pilerquit valley at its head. A third arm or inlet, named Inn Fjord, extends
northwestward from a point close to the northern entrance of the main fjord; it
has an island at its mouth. Inside is an exceptionally good harbor (for small
craft), which was used by the Heimen in 1931 and by the Veslekari in 1932
whole of the fjord is reported to be the best place along this stretch of the
coast for pontoon aircraft to land and take off. [ ] rom 1931 to 1940 the Norwegians
had their radio and hunting station Vogtsbu inside Inn Fjord.
rise s to over 6,700 ft. The surrounding land is largely buried under glaciers.
Greenland 280
Umivik Bay,
between the eastern end of Colberger Heide (64° 02′N., 40° 32′W.)
and a high mainland promontory (Kiatak), about 19 miles to the
northeastward. Inside the bay are a number of islands, among them
the large Upernagsivik Island, which separates Gyldenlöve Fjord (q.v.) from
Torsukatak channel to the northward. Both Gyldenlöve Fjord and Torsukatak
are usually considered part of the wide r Umivik Bay area. The surrounding
shores are largely covered by inland ice, which comes down to the sea
in smooth, even waves, with only now and then glimpses of bare rock.
The islands, with the exception of Upernavigsik, and some of the peninsulas
in the bay are ice-free. Several of the smaller islands southwest of
Kiatak Promontory are inhabited. There is a ship harbor
in the sound between Kiatak and the off-lying Gerner Island. The
Seventh Thule Expedition reported the position free from ice at the beginning
of August, 1932.
set out across the inland ice from a small nunatak west of Kiatak
promontory. However, charts of the area were relatively inaccurate
until the British Arctic Air-Route Expedition (1930-31) and the Heimen
Expedition (1931) investigated the bay and adjacent fjords by
motorboat. In 1933, M.Spender of the Seventh Thule Expedition
made a survey of the whole coast from Umivik to Kangerdlugssuak,in lat. 68° N.
1945
Greenland 200
Vega Sound
Greenland, where it extends northwestward and then westward between
Traill Island and Geographical Society Island. Its eastern entrance, which
opens out on the Greenland Sea, is between Bratthuken (72° 29′N.,
21° 58′W.) and Cape Mac Clintock, about 13 miles to the northward. The
western end connects with King Oscar Fjord, opposite the northern end of
Ella Island. Two island groups, the Norde n skiöld Islands and the more
westerly Scott Keltie Islands, occupy its eastern portion.
Anchorage in 25 fathoms is obtained off the Sverresborg Hunting Station,
northward of the Scott Keltie Islands, about 1/3 of the way from the sound's
eastern end.
anchored here, there was no ice in the sound.
land near its outer end, is noted for its varied bird-life. Ringed and
bearded seal are plentiful in the sea to the east. Ruins of very ancient
Eskimo dwellings occur along the northern shore of Vega Sound.
Fjord Region of East Greenland, p. 335
Scott Kelties Islands; Nordenskiöld Islands; Sverresborg Hunting Station.
Cape Warming
off the coast of southern East Greenland, about 35 miles northeastward
of Cape Gustav Holm. The island, which has the shape of an inverted book,
rises to about 1,640 ft. Its cape was named after the botanist Eugen Warming,
a member of the Fylla Expedition, 1884.
Greenland 480
Watkins Mountains,
35-mile stretch of coast that lies between Cape Nansen (68° 13′N., 29° 26′W.)
and Cape Ravn. From coastal peaks of about 7,000 ft., the range rises to Gunn–
bjørn Mountain (68° 55′N., 29° 54′W.), which attains an elevation of 12,139 ft.
and is probably the highest point in Greenland. Several peaks,over 11,000 ft. high,
rise immediately to the southeast of Gunnb j ørn Mountain. Farther to the south–
ward and eastward three giant icestreams - Christian IV, Rosenberg, and Kronborg
Glaciers - together with innumerable tributaries, furrow wide valleys leading
to the outer coast.
Route Expedition discovered it from the air ; its precise levels were first
established in 1935 by members of the Courtauld-Wager Expedition, who that summer, ascended
Gunnbjørn Mountain and other peaks in the vicinity. That
Tornoe, in an article in
Watkins Mountains might be identical with "Hvitserk", the legendary landmark
of the Norse. The old sailing directions state that , in clear weather , it is
sometimes possible to see Hvitserk (Greenland) and Snaefell (Iceland
time. Accor d ing to Tornoe's records , the only part of the Greenland coast
enough to Iceland, and high enough to be seen from the middle of Denmark Strait,
are the high mountains of the Watkins Range. Courtauld and the cartographer
Spender, who was the first to map the entire coast of Kin
to lend support to this theory. Others (see C.C. Rafn in
advocates the theory that the name applies to the Inland Ice on the south and
east coast or else to Ingolf Mountain near Angmagssalik.
or "Huptsark" is usually identified as a mountain on the East Coast of Greenland ,
Watkins Mountains cont.
thus on Hendrik Doneker's "Zee-Atlas", printed in 1660, on J.v. Keulen'srather detailed map of Greenland, issued in 1709, and on maps drawn by Hans
and Poul Egede, in 1740 and 1788, respectively. Most of these place "Hvidserk" north
west of what approximates the Scoresby Sound region. On still earlier maps,
(Oleus Magnus' map, 1539) "Hvetssargk" is identified as an island, west of
Iceland., due possibly to accounts of the journeys of Pining and Poth o urst
(15th century), current xxx in the literature of that day.. The two Danish
pirates were said to have erected a huge shipman's quadrant on "Weyszarch", an island
between Greenland and Iceland. However, Norse sailing directions of the mid
14th century (Ivar Bardarson) specifically call "Hvitserk" a cliff, lying a
day's voyage north of Hvarf, which is reached by sailing directly west from
Iceland.
veldets Historie, Oslo 1944. Stefansson, Introduction to the Three Voyages
of Martin Frobisher P. XXXV, LVI. Greenland I, 145, 452 (maps)
Kronborg Glacier; Hvitserk or Huptsark.
Greenland 440
Wellaston Foreland,
south, and about 35 miles wide at its broadest, projects between Young
Sound and Hochstetter Bay. Cape Borlase Warren (74° 16′N., 19° 32′W.)
a low, narrow rocky promontory, forms its southeastern extremity; Cape Wynn,
a precipitous headland, about 20 miles to the northeastward of Cape Warren,
is its extreme east point. North of Cape Wynn the east coast recedes some–
what to form Clavering Strait, which separates the peninsula from the off–
lying Sabine Island.
where the broad Albrecht Bay extends southward for about 10 miles to a river
delta at its head. A broad depression continues south-southwestward from
this head to the vicinity of Young Sound, narrowing as it proceeds inland.
Elsewhere the land is mostly mountain country, attaining its highest elevations
near the center where Needle Mountain rises to over 3,700 ft. Off Clavering
Strait the shore is precipitous, rising steeply to elevations of from 700
to 1,600 ft. South of Cape Wynn and around Cape Borlase Warren, the open
country is somewhat more extensive. Two large valleys traverse the south–
eastern end of the peninsula, one running in a north-south, the other in an
east-west direction; between them the mountains attain elevations of over
3,500 ft. Mount Herschel, the Cape Herschel of Scoresby, close to the
southern extremity of the peninsula, rises to 2,200 ft. The land,in general,
is barren and the vegetation poor, but hunting is good offshore. A number of
One of the main Norwegian stations liess off Cape Herschel, and is usually
made the first port of call when the yearly relief ship arrives from Norway.
greatly. In July 1931, and again in 1937, the Polarbjörn spent two weeks
Wollaston Foreland cont.
going through the pack ice.. In 1932, and in 1933, the same vessel enteredthe pack in 74° 06′N., 14° W., on July 19, and reached Cape Herschel,
in 74° 14′N., 19° 42′W., two days later.
and the German Arctic Expedition, was remapped by the 1926 Cambridge
Expedition. Other more recent expeditions which [ ] ave done outstanding
scientific work here, include a number of Danish and Norwegian Expeditions,
notably those under Hoel ,
Strait; Gael Hamke Bay).
Geogr. Journal, Sept. 1927, p. 243
Albrecht Bay.
Greenland 300
Ymer Island,
its southern side by Sofia and Antarctic Sound, and on its northern side
by Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord. The island, which is about 55 miles long,
east and west, and from 12 to 25 miles broad, is almost cut in two by the
long, narrow Dusén Fjord, which comes in from the east. Only a narrow strip
of land separates the head of this fjord from Blomster Bay, a wide bay indenting
[ ] the island's northwestern end.
lakes. However, altitudes are higher in the southern part, where Angelin
Mountain, the island's highest peak, rises to about 6,200 ft. The eastern
portions flatten down to two low spits of land, the more northerly one termi–
nating in Cape Graah, and the more southerly one , off the southern entrance
of Dusén Fjord, terminating in Cape Wijkander. Plant life is rich in the
northwestern portion of the island, particularly around the head of Dusėn Fjord,
where the damp ground is a mass of blossoming flowers in July. Muskoxen,
foxes, lemmings and many hares are found here. The southern part is said
to be less well-stocked in wild life, except in the east, where there are
extensive area of fertile soil.
most important one standing cloe to Cape Humboldt, several miles south of
Cape Wijkander. Several old house-sites and Eskimo graves are reported in the
vicinity; others are found inside Dusėn Fjord.
(See also King Oscar Archipelago; Sofia Sound; Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord).
Mountain.