THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 233 



of varied nationality generally agree that in point of palatability 

 the fats of the caribou should be ranged as follows: 



The least agreeable is the back fat. When tried out and made 

 into tallow, it is harder than that from any other part of the animal. 

 Next are the intestinal fat and the fat found in the interstices of the 

 meat, as on the ribs, etc. The fat near the bone on the brisket is 

 considered somewhat better than the last two varieties. Next would 

 come the kidney fat. Best of all are the fat behind the eyes and 

 the little lump of fat on the hind leg near the patella. 



If these fats are tried out the ones considered preferable in 

 taste generally make the softest tallow. Kidney fat, for instance, 

 is softer than intestinal fat, and intestinal fat is softer than back 

 fat. However, the fat from behind the eyes and from the leg are 

 no softer than the kidney fat, although considered of a better flavor. 

 This discussion refers to fats eaten after being brought to almost or 

 quite the boiling temperature of water; in other words, underdipne 

 boiled fat. 



Marrows are usually eaten raw by the northern Indians and 

 almost always by the Eskimos and by experienced white hunters, 

 although the femur and humerus are sometimes either roasted or 

 boiled. In palatability the marrows are simple to classify, for the 

 preferred ones are nearest the hoof, the ones farther away the least 

 agreeable. While delicious, the marrow of the small bones near the 

 hoof is seldom eaten because it is bothersome to get at and there 

 is so little of it. In the long bones the marrow is not only pref- 

 erable nearer the hoof when you take it bone by bone, but there 

 is a distinct difference between the upper and lower end of each 

 bone, the marrow of the lower end being better. 



More exactly than in the case of the fats, the various marrows 

 agree in hardness and palatability; that is, the softer the marrow 

 the more palatable. This means also that the softest marrows are 

 nearest the hoof and get harder and drier as you go up. We are 

 speaking of their consistency at ordinary house or summer tempera- 

 tures, say 70° F. At this temperature the marrow of the small bones 

 near the caribou hoof is a clear liquid, of about the appearance 

 of melted lard that is almost cold enough to congeal. We use it 

 sometimes for gun oil if we run out of the commercial kinds. Not 

 only are the marrows harder away from the hoof but the same 

 applies to the fat after it is tried out. Tried-out fat from the 

 phalanges is a thick liquid; tried-out fat of the humerus or femur 

 is a tallow about as hard as if made from kidney fat. 



Apart from those already discussed, there remains but one im- 



