OPINIONS OF GREENLANDERS, ON THE PRACTICABILITY OF LAYING THE
TELEGRAPHIC CABLES UPON THE COAST OF SOUTH GREENLAND.
The following extracts are taken from letters written in Greenland by
residents there, who have had much experience upon the coast. They
prove that the floe-ice is seen off the coast of Julianshaab in January
or February, and that sometimes during the summer months there is none
off the coast, and that every year, from and after the month of August
until January, “the coast is free from ice.” During the months that are
free from ice a steamer can enter or depart with the cable, and lay
it without the slightest interruption. The floe-ice runs north, along
and within sight of the coast, unless driven to sea by extraordinary
gales, which circumstance is always known. When it is driven to sea it
clusters together in small patches of a few hundred yards in length.
The year 1860 was a remarkable era; there was a greater quantity of
ice, and it remained longer upon the coast, than ever before within
the memory of man or traditional accounts. Even during this year the
cables could have been safely landed in Julianshaab and other fiords.
Severe seasons occasionally occur in all climates, and so it has been
in England the present winter (1861). The first fourteen days were
colder than has been experienced since 1839, and it has been the third
occurrence of severe cold within this century.
_Extracts from a Letter dated Godthaab, Greenland, September 4th,
1860, from Dr. Rink, Inspector (Governor) of South Greenland._
“I need not tell you how interesting your letter from Julianshaab,
of October, last year, was to me, and how much I regretted the
impossibility of meeting you.
“I have thought much on your grand enterprise, and though I doubt very
much that the telegraph line can be carried across Greenland from
the east side, I am convinced that it can be landed in some of the
inlets (or fiords) in the vicinity of Cape Farewell, without fear of
interruption from ice.
“The drift ice has been very bad this summer, and has deprived me of an
opportunity to meet you.”
* * * * *
_Extracts from a Letter dated Julianshaab, November 2nd, 1860, from
Mr. Möller, Governor of the Julianshaab District, a resident of
Greenland since 1825._
“As a general rule the first drift ice appears in the months of January
or February, but it is seldom of such extent as to reach further north
than this district. When it does so, it is in the spring months.
“The Spitzbergen ice this year (1860) has beset the coast of this
district from the month of January, but at some times not so much as to
prevent vessels coming into this port.
“The worst months were June and July and a part of August. The
reason that Col. Shaffner’s vessel was able to run into this port so
successfully in the autumn of last year (October 2nd, 1859), was that
the ice had long before entirely left the coast; in fact the ice had
gone away in August.
“The Colonel’s ship, without the slightest hindrance, navigated the
coast in the month of September, and put to sea from near this harbour
in October 1859. But this year the ice has remained upon the coast
longer than ever before within my memory. The coast is usually free
from ice during the autumn months.”
* * * * *
_Extracts from a Letter dated Frederickshaab, October 11th, 1860,
from Mr. Twede, Governor of the Frederickshaab District, a resident
of Greenland since 1850._
“The ice off this coast has continued later this year than it has ever
before during my residence in Greenland. During the past ten years, and
before this season, the ice on the coast of this and the Julianshaab
Districts, with but one exception, has never prevented the Julianshaab
vessels from sailing direct to this place, and they have generally
arrived by the middle of August, and in 1855 on the 5th of July. Last
year the vessels proceeded direct from sea to Julianshaab, the ice
having disappeared off the coast early in the summer.
“In September 1855, I sailed along the coast of Julianshaab District
beyond Cape Farewell to Itiblik, without having encountered any
floe ice whatever. In September 1859, Col. Shaffner’s ship was seen
steering along the coast, and subsequently anchored at Kaksimiut, in
the Julianshaab District, without any interruption from ice. The coast
during the autumn months is nearly always free from ice.”
* * * * *
_Extract from a Letter dated Frederickshaab, October 11th, 1860, from
the Rev. F. P. Barfoed, a resident of Greenland since 1852._
“During my residence in Greenland, I have never seen so much ice as
during the present year. Dr. Rink, the Inspector (Governor) of South
Greenland, and all other Danes and Greenlanders with whom I have
consulted on the subject, are unanimous in declaring that never before
within the memory of man has there been a year of so much ice as that
of 1860.
“It is my opinion that both the east and the west coasts are every
year, at times, free from ice, but possibly not on both coasts at the
same time; and it is my decided opinion that a steamer will almost
always find an opportunity to proceed unobstructed, direct from and to
Julianshaab District, either from or to Labrador and Iceland, after,
and many times during, the month of August. In the month of September
1859, I saw Col. Shaffner’s vessel coasting southward, and in a few
days afterwards we heard that he had anchored at Kaksimiut in the
Julianshaab District. There was but little ice last year, and in an
especial manner was the Julianshaab District free from ice.”
* * * * *
_Statement of Mr. Motzfeldt, Superintendent at Kaksimiut, one of the
oldest residents in Greenland, November 1860._
“The year 1860 has been one of the worst ice years that we have ever
had. Last year (October 2nd, 1859), Colonel Shaffner’s ship entered
Kaksimiut without difficulty. In the months of September, October, and
November, generally, this coast is free from ice, and a steam vessel
can enter from the sea and depart from the coast almost any day, and
not be interrupted during the autumn months. I am now over fifty years
of age, and do not remember ever having seen an ice year as bad as this
(1860). Even this year the coast of the Julianshaab District has been
free from ice during the past and present months.”
* * * * *
_Extract from a Letter dated Julianshaab, November 3rd, 1860, from
J. Anderson, Captain in the Royal Greenland Commercial Service since
1848._
“During eight years, I was boatswain to a merchant vessel trading
to this district, and during the last twelve years commander of the
district schooner ‘Activ,’ of 22 tons burthen. During those periods, I
have as an old sailor (for I have been forty years at sea) made many
careful observations as to the nature of the ice along this coast. I
have also kept a correct log (book which is now in the possession of
the Board of Management of the Royal Danish Commercial Institution of
Greenland), ever since the year 1849.
“Having gone through that log book, and compared it with my own views,
I now express the opinion that, as a general rule, the ice mostly lies
on the coast during the months of April and May, and that, on the other
hand, the months which are free from ice are September, October, and
November. It may be taken as a general rule, that during the months of
September and October, even in what are called ‘bad ice years,’ this
coast is free from ice.
“My own experience enables me to state positively--and my log book
will bear me out in the statement--that steam-vessels can run straight
into the settlement from the sea, with certainty, during the months
before mentioned; and, as a proof of the correctness of this opinion,
reference may be made to this very year, which, in regard to ice, to
my own knowledge, has been the worst and the longest in duration of
any ‘bad ice year’ since my arrival here in the year 1841. The large
vessel, ‘Bulldog,’ came straight to this place from sea; and since the
date of its arrival, up to the present time, any ship, be it what it
may, might have been equally able to make this port, from the sea, and
to leave it again without interruption from ice.
“Last year (1859) an American barque came straight into Kaksimint,
which is a little to the north of this settlement; but that is not to
be wondered at, as last year was what we call here an ‘ice-free year;’
and if the captain of that vessel had been acquainted with the coast
navigation, he might have easily come in and gone out more than twenty
times, and from as many places.”
* * * * *
_Extract from a Letter dated Julianshaab, October 23rd, 1860,
from Mr. Dorph, retired assistant from Nennortalik; I. Holm,
superintendent at Sardlok; M. Schonheyder, superintendent at East
Proven; and S. G. Lund, superintendent at South Proven._
“In compliance with the request made to us, we hereby declare that the
present year has been what is called, in Greenland, a ‘bad ice year.’
“The large ice remained an unusually long time at the shore. Neither of
us, nor any of the old Greenlanders with whom we have conversed on the
subject, remember ever having seen, in the course of our lives, the ice
remaining for so long a period along the coasts.
“The ice lay so thick for so long a time that the hunters were
prevented thereby from performing their usual work, even in their
Kayaks. In the present year the ice set in from the first month, and
remained until September, when it disappeared. This coast is usually
free from ice during the autumn months, and vessels can enter and
depart without interruption from ice.
“One of the undersigned, Mr. Dorph, who has resided in this district
during forty-one years, remembers well the year 1825, which was a
remarkable ‘bad ice year,’ but it was not such a ‘bad’ one as the year
1860.”
* * * * *
_Extract from a Letter dated Frederickshaab, October 12th, 1860, from
T. Ordrorpe and C. Fotel, Captains of vessels from Denmark._
“On the 19th of June (1860), at about eight miles from land off Cape
Farewell, we found much ice; on the 22nd, off Julianshaab, there was no
ice. The ice was in patches, more north, and the greater part of our
voyage on the coast, it was near to land. We were informed by the old
people of Godthaab, that during the past thirty years there has not
been any year with as much ice on the Greenland coast as the present,
1860.”
_Opinions of Lieut. von Zeilau, of the Royal Danish Army, and Arnljot
Olafsson, Member of the Icelandic Diet (both of whom accompanied
the “Fox” Telegraph Expedition in 1860), Commissioners appointed by
the Royal Danish Government, on the practicability of the proposed
telegraphic route._
“We concur in the opinion that it is practicable to submerge or land
telegraph-cables at the places selected on the Færöe Islands, and also
to construct a line over-land there, and that in our opinion, cables,
when landed, will remain undisturbed.
“We have the same opinion in regard to the landing and maintaining
cables on the coast of Iceland, and also that a line can be constructed
across Iceland with all reasonable prospects of permanency.
“As regards Greenland, we give it as our decided opinion, based
upon our own observations and received information from the best
authorities, that cables can be safely laid from Greenland during the
autumn months, for instance, at the Igalikko (Julianshaab) Fiord, where
cables can be submerged beyond the reach of icebergs.”
* * * * *
Transcriber’s Notes:
Footnotes have been moved to the end of the chapter and relabeled
consecutively.
Illustrations have been moved to paragraph breaks near where they are
mentioned, except for the frontispiece map.
Punctuation has been made consistent.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in
the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors have
been corrected.