[Illustration]
A few days later the first stop in Greenland was made at Godhavn, the
capital of the country. Just outside the harbour the pilot, an Eskimo in
his tiny skin canoe or kayak, met the ship and was hoisted on board,
canoe and all. Here Captain Sam expected to get some seal-skin clothing
which had been ordered for AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S father.
[Illustration:
“_The Pilot in His Skin Canoe_”
]
The sun now shone throughout the twenty-four hours, so there was no
night at all.
[Illustration:
“_Godhavn, the Capital of Danish Greenland_”
]
When AH-NI-GHI´-TO’S mother told her Godhavn is the capital of Danish
Greenland, AH-NI-GHI´-TO said, “Just as Washington is the capital of the
United States? Oh, mother, how funny it is to look over there and see
only a few frame houses one and a half stories high, a tiny frame church
with a school-bell on top, and then only mounds of turf with a window
stuck in the end of each and a chimney put on one side, —— and to think
this is a capital city!”
But it is true. The Inspector of Danish Greenland, the Governor of
Godhavn, and an assistant with their families are the only white people
in the “city.”
[Illustration:
“_Huts like Mounds of Grass on which the Dogs sleep_”
]
“The mounds of turf” as AH-NI-GHI´-TO calls them, are the native huts.
They are only one story high and built of stone and turf half in and
half above the ground. The turf with which the stones are chinked is
allowed to grow until the stones can hardly be seen for grass. Some of
the dogs belonging to the household are nearly always asleep on top of
the huts, and this makes the huts look still more like mounds of grass.
The Danish Governor requires the children of these natives to go to
school and to church. The schoolmaster is also the preacher, and he is
usually a native Greenlander who was taught in this same school when he
was a boy.
AH-NI-GHI´-TO was disappointed because it was two o’clock in the morning
when the anchor went down and every one on shore was asleep.
The Captain said we had no time to spare, and he would go ashore at once
without waiting for rising-time, and see if the Governor would receive
him. While he was gone a few of the natives, who had been roused by the
tooting of the “Windward’s” whistle, came on board to find out whose
ship it was and whether there was any chance for them to trade their toy
kayaks (boats) and sledges for coffee, sugar, and biscuit.
[Illustration:
“_Broberg_”
]
Among them was an old native, named Broberg, who had seen AH-NI-GHI´-TO
when she was a baby, and again when she was four years old. He first
knew her father in 1886, and asked about him in his broken English.
AH-NI-GHI´-TO was much amused, and later wrote in her diary:
“_August 10._—Came to Godhavn at two o’clock this morning. Could not
go ashore. Saw some old Eskimos I had seen before. One old man was
very funny. His name is Broberg. He came toward us and shook hands
with mother and me and said, ‘Me very glad see you. You plenty big
now. All you look plenty well. Me hope you find Peary all same well.
Me go my house catch you kamiks. You pickaninny feet keep plenty
warm in good kamiks. No cold, you wait, me see.’
“Mother teases me by saying that he said, ‘You plenty bad now,’ and
not ‘plenty big,’ but I know he did not because he doesn’t know me
well enough.”
While old Broberg had gone to see if he could “catch” a pair of warm
kamiks (fur-lined boots) for AH-NI-GHI´-TO, she saw a few of her old
friends, who as soon as they heard it was Peary’s ship, and that
AH-NI-GHI´-TO was on board, showed their delight by bringing her the
best they had, and they wanted her to come ashore and visit their
pickaninnies.
[Illustration:
“_Eskimo Family at Godhavn_”
]
One man brought his family close to where the ship lay, that
AH-NI-GHI´-TO might see what fine children he had. The little girl, a
child of three years, had on short, white leather kamiks (boots) with
long seal-skin stockings coming to the thigh, but the tops of the
stockings above the boots were covered with snow-white, lace-trimmed
pantalettes made of muslin. Her little seal-skin trousers had bands of
white leather embroidered in red, down the front of each leg, and her
top garment made like a sweater, was of red and white figured calico,
trimmed about the neck and wrists with black fur and lined with the
soft, warm breasts of the eider duck. The baby was dressed very much
like the babies at home, only the feet and legs were put into a fur bag
covered with bright calico.
AH-NI-GHI´-TO pleased them by taking their pictures as they stood there
hand in hand.
Nearly all the natives of Danish Greenland wear clothing made of woven
material, for which they trade their furs and blubber with the Danish
people who govern them and teach them.
In a short while Captain Sam returned. With him came the Inspector and
the Governor. AH-NI-GHI´-TO heard that the Danish children whom she met
here on her last visit were now living somewhere else, and of the two
Danish families in Godhavn now only one had children. To these she sent
fruit and sweets and said she hoped to see them on her return, for now
the Captain was in a hurry to be off while the good weather lasted, and
there was no time for visiting.
Old Broberg returned, but had not been able to “catch” a pair of kamiks
to fit AH-NI-GHI´-TO. He felt sorry about it and wished the Captain to
wait until his daughters could make a pair, as he said “they plenty
quick sew.” But of course this was not to be thought of.
[Illustration:
“_Ivory Necklace, carved from Walrus Tusks and Narwhal Horns_”
]
Just as the “Windward” was ready to leave and had blown her “good-bye”
whistle a messenger from the Governor’s wife climbed over the ship’s
side and handed AH-NI-GHI´-TO a beautiful ivory necklace as a keepsake.
[Illustration]