Greenland

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

a region in North-eastern America of unknown extent northwards, stretches from its southern extremity; Cape Farewell, along the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans on the east, and Davis's Strait, Baffin's Bay, and Smith's Sound on the west. It obtained its name from an Icelander, Eric Rauoi (the Red), who led thither an expedition in 985 or 986, and founded two settlements on the west coast, called the Oestre and Westre Bygd (the east and west colonies). About four centuries afterwards, the Westre Bygd was destroyed by the pestilence called the "black death," combined with the attacks of the aborigines; and a century after this, the Westre Bygd suffered the same fate. Greenland was visited, and its west coast explored, successively by Frobisher, Davis, and Baffin, the latter having advanced as far as lat. 78 N. (the limit of the inhabited country). More recently Dr. Kane has extended his explorations as far as lat. 82 30', or within 520 miles of the north pole. In 1868 and 1869 new expeditions to explore the coast were sent out from Germany. The most important incident in connection with this bleak region is the settlement, in 1721, of Hans Egede (q.v.), a Norwegian clergyman, at Godthaab (lat. 64 N.), and with him a colony of 43 men. The colony was supported by the Danish government: till 1731, when the supplies were stopped; but a few years afterwards a pension of 2000 rix dollars a year was granted to the mission. Since that time the Danes; have established thirteen different colonies or factories along the west coast, seven in North Greenland (north, of lat. 67 N.), and six in South Greenland; the total population of the colonies being about 10,000, inclusive of 250 Danes. The Danish (Lutheran) Missionary Society seeks to sustain various institutions formed in, Greenlard in eight different places. The Moravians, in 1866, supported in Greenland stations, 25 missionaries, 56 native assistants, and their congregations had a total membership of 1801. See Chambers, Cyclop.: s.v.; Newcomb, Cyclop. of Missions; Schem, American Eccles. Almanac for 1869. (A.J.S.)

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

An extensive but imperfectly defined territory lying mostly within the Arctic circle to the NE. of North America, from which it is separated by Davis Strait and Baffin Bay; the area is variously estimated from 512,000 to 320,000 sq. m.; the land lies submerged beneath a vast plain of ice, pierced here and there by mountain tops, but it is conjectured to consist of one large island-continent engirt by groups of smaller islands; only on the S. coast, during the meagre summer, is there any appearance of vegetation; there is a great variety of birds, and the animals include the wolf, fox, bear, reindeer, musk ox, and Arctic hare, while whales, seals, and many kinds of fish are found; the inhabitants are chiefly Esquimaux, but there are some Danish settlements, begun in 1721, and the trade is a Danish monopoly; the country was known in early times to the Scandinavians (of whose settlements there are interesting remains), and was rediscovered by John Davis in 1585.