646 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEAXNETTE. 



By 5.50 A. m. we had advanced everything three 

 quarters of a mile, and then had come to a smooth place 

 for camping, the only suitable place except one at a 

 much greater distance than I thought we could make 

 in reasonable time. Camped therefore and very for- 

 tunately, for no sooner were the tents pitched than it 

 commenced to rain steadily. The wind had backed to 

 west northwest, the sky had become covered with 

 clouds, generally in north and south lines. 



The seal comes in splendidly for two things, — food, 

 and grease for our leaking boots. Before camping I had 

 Iversen break off from boat-hauling, and set to work 

 on the preparation of pussy. Removing the backbone 

 and blubber the meat was cut up into small pieces 

 for convenience in stewing, and the amount, twenty 

 lbs., proportionally divided among the five tents. A 

 similar division was made of the blubber, so that I am 

 sure each man got his share for his food and for greas- 

 ing his boots. Extra alcohol for cooking (2 oz. of salt), 

 and a potful of broken bread to each tent, — seemed 

 to promise a good supper. At 7.15 A. m. we sat down 

 in No. 1 tent to a simply delicious repast. After our 

 long diet of pemmican the change alone was a luxury. 

 We did not stand upon our ship ideas of hanging the 

 seal up until the animal heat had departed, or keeping 

 it for a few days. The seal was shot at 2.30, skinned 

 at four, and eaten at seven, and we feel as if we had 

 dined at Delmonico's. Our seven thirty-thirds of 

 twenty lbs: were cut up in small lumps, boiled in water, 

 three and one half ounces Liebig added, one pint bread 

 crumbs added to that, and salt to the extent of one 

 ounce, and for a feast I shall long remember it. No. 4 

 tried to fry their six thirty-thirds, and so very success- 

 fully that Melville says the taste was like fried oysters ! 



