hall's ESQUIMAUX. 181 



" spears were put in order, at the head of our couch, for immediate 

 " use, if occasion should require it. As I needed an explanation of. 

 " some of these movements of my Innuit companions, so my readers 

 " may require one of me. I thus give it. The reason of going to 

 " such a distance from the scene of the bear-hunt before making our 

 *' encampment has already been given. The sharp turn — nearly re- 

 " versing our course — was designed, as the Esquimaux explained it, 

 " for a safeguard against pursuit by the enraged old bear. If she 

 *' should attempt to pursue on our sledge track, her movements 

 " would be rapid ; and, finding the track nearly in a straight line 

 '*for so long a distance, she would become somewhat confident, 

 " ' thinking' that the same undeviating course had been kept till the 

 *' end : therefore, on her reaching the place of the sharp turn, it 

 " might be unnoticed and unscented, and she would continue her 

 " course sometime longer before discovering her mistake. But in 

 *' case she should track us to our igloo (our sixteenth, seventeenth, 

 "and eighteenth encampments were igloos or snowhouses), then the 

 " first thing she would do would be to throw down the sledge (one 

 " of many things that Polar bears do not like to see standing), and 

 " thus we should be awakened and put on our guard against the 

 " ferocious beast." 



Next to the walrus and the seals, the bear is the animal of 

 greatest importance to the northern Esquimaux. Its fur is largely 

 used for clothing, and the flesh, with the exception of the liver, which 

 they regard, and apparently with reason, as poisonous, is a staple 

 article of diet. It is surprising indeed, according to our notions, 

 how largely carnivora are used as food by different nations. The 

 dog was kept for the purposes of the table by many of the South Sea 

 Islanders, and was even preferred to pork by our early voyagers. 

 But, as in this instance, the animals were fed entirely on vegetable 

 food, it is perhaps hardly a case in point. Among the northern 

 travellers, however, the fox seems to have been quite a favourite 

 article of food. Hoss found it a very good dish. McClintock pre- 

 ferred it to preserved meat, and Lyon thought it very good eating. 

 So again, as regards the bear, Capt. Hall assures us, though we 

 confess that in the matter of food we should not ourselves be much 

 guided by his opinion, that its flesh is excellent, " appearing and 

 tasting like veal." Kane became quite a connoisseur in bears. 

 Those in a " lean condition," he says, " are much the most palatable 

 " food. The impregnation of fatty oil through the cellular tissue 



