2-996-089 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The North Atlantic Telegraph - Julianshaab, Capital of South Greenland, 1860. 'Julianshaab is the capital of the district embracing the southern end of Greenland. It contains about 350 inhabitants, and it is the residence of the Governor. It has a very good church, with an organ, and some very fine paintings. A courthouse has been recently erected, though there is but little use for a court of justice, and the building is principally for a place of keeping the records. On the completion of the telegraph it is expected to be made the capital of all Greenland. The town is situated on a small bay of a wide fiord, about ten miles from the sea. It is surrounded by very high mountains, which protect it from the northern winds. A fresh-water lake supplies it with water and salmon. The houses of the whites are of stone, mostly covered with slate. Double windows are not required. The Esquimaux mostly live in stone huts, covered with earth...There is a school at this place, and the Esquimaux are taught to read, write, and to praise their God the same as Europeans'. From "Illustrated London News", 1860.