THE FUR-SEAL ISLANDS OF ALASKA. 75 



descends on tbe limbs this blubber thins out very perceptibly; and, wheu reaching the flippers it almost entirely 

 disappears, giving way to a glistening aureolar tissue, while the flipper skin finally descends in turn to adhere 

 closely and firmly to the tendinous ligamentary structures beneatb, which constitute the tips of the Pinniped ia. 



The flesh and the muscles are not liued between, or within, by fat of any kind. This blubber envelope contains 

 it all with one exception — that which is found in the folds of the small intestine and about the kidneys, where there 

 is an abundant secretion of a harder, whiter, though still offensive, fat. 



Flesh of fur-seal as an article of diet. — It is quite natural for our people, wheu they first eat a meal 

 on the Pribylov islauds, to ask questions in regard to what seal meat looks and tastes like ; some of the white 

 residents will answer, saying that they are very fond of it, cooked so and so; others will reply that in no shape 

 or manner can they stomach the dish. The inquirers must needs try the effect on their own palates. I frankly 

 confess that I had a slight prejudice against seal meat at first, having preconceived ideas that it would be fishy 

 in flavor, but I soon satisfied myself to the contrary, and fouud that the flesh of young seals, not over three years 

 old, was full as appetizing and toothsome as most of the beef, mutton, and pork, I was accustomed to at home; the 

 following precautions must be rigidly observed, however, by tbe cook who prepares fur-seal steaks and sausage 

 balls for our delectation and subsistence — he will fail, if he does not: 



1st. The meat must be perfectly cleaned of every vestige of blubber or fat, no matter how slight. 



2d. Cut the flesh, then, into very thin steaks or slices, aud soak them from six to twelve hours in salt and 

 water (a tablespoon of fine salt to a quart of fresh water) ; this whitens the meat, and removes the residuum of dark 

 venous blood that will otherwise give a slightly disagreeable taste, hardly definable, though existing. 



3d. Fry these steaks, or stew them a la mode, with a few thin slices of sweet "breakfast" bacon, seasoning with 

 pepper and salt; a rich brown gravy follows the cooking of the meat; serve hot, and it is, strictly judged, a very 

 excellent meal tor the daintiest feeder — and I hereby recommend it confidently as a safe venture for any newcomer 

 to make. 



Meat of the sea-lion. — The flesh of young sea-lions is still better than that of the fur-seal, while the natives 

 say that the meat of the hair-seal {Phoca vitulina) is superior to both, being more juicy ; fur-seal meat is exceedingly 

 dry, hence the necessity of putting bacon into the frying-pan or stew-pot with it ; sea-lion flesh is an improvement 

 in this respect, and also that its fat, strange to say, is wholly clear, white, and inodorous, while the blubber of the 

 "holluschickie" is sickening to the smell, and will, nine times out of ten, cause any civilized stomach to throw it up 

 as quickly as it was swallowed. The natives, however, eat a great deal of it simply because they are too lazy to 

 clean their fur-seal cuts, and not because they really relish it. 



In this connection it may be well to add, that the liver of both CallorMnus and Eumetopias is sweet and whole- 

 some; or, in other words, it is as good as liver usually is in Fulton market; the tongues are small, white, and fat; 

 they are regularly cut out to some extent, and salted in ordinary water-buckets for exportation to curious friends; 

 they have but slight claim to gastronomic favor. The natives are, however, very partial to the liver; but, though 

 they like the tongues, yet they are too lazy to prepare them. A few of them, in obedience to pressing and prayer- 

 ful appeals from relatives at Oonalashka. do exert themselves enough every season to undergo the extra labor of 

 putting up a few barrels of fresh salted seal meat, which, being carried down to Uloolook by the company's vessels, 

 affords a delightful variation to the steady and monotonous codfish diet of the Aleutian islanders. 



Other authorities on hair-seal meat. — An old writer, in describing men and things in the western 

 islands of Scotland (Martin, 1716), does not give the same evidence of appreciation. He says that the Scotch there 

 "salt the seals with the ashes of burnt sea-ware [algoid melanosperma-], and say they are good food. The vulgar 

 eat them commonly in the spring time, with a long pointed stick iustead of a fork, to prevent the strong smell which 

 their hands otherwise would have for several hours afterward. The flesh and broth of fresh young seals is, by 

 experience, known to be pectoral. The meat is astringent, and used as an effectual remedy against diarrhea and 

 dysentery. The liver of a seal being dried and pulverized, and afterward a little of it drank with milk, aquavitae, 

 or red wine, is also good against fluxes". 



Again, "the seal, though esteemed only fit for the vulgar, is also eaten by persons of distinction, though under 

 a different name, to wit, ham''; also, a pleasant smile involuntarily arises to the face of the naturalist, wheu he learns 

 from the same old writer that "the popish vulgar of the islauds to the southward from this [island] eat these seals 

 in Lent instead offish". Martin refers to Phoca fvetida, I think. 



Natives' use of fue-seal flesh medicinally. — I could not learn from the natives on the Pribylov islands 

 that they held any notions of medicinal virtue whatever in regard to the flesh of the fur-seal or other pinnipeds 

 indigenous. They do make certain special uses of the liver, gall, testes, etc., but the exact application I could not 

 satisfactorily determine. They considered the establishment of our surgeon and pharmacy as a direct vote of censure 

 upon their therapeutics, and were too willing to forget what they knew whenever I asked leading questions on the 

 subject. 



First establishment of a pharmacy : Natives their own surgfons. — The natives, prior to the transfer 

 of the territory, as well as the agents and employes of the old Russian company, were compelled to do their own 

 doctoring and surgery as best they knew how, and with the scanty supply of natural and artificial resource at their 

 command. They may be, therefore, truly described as haviug been helple s in the presence of serious physical ailment. 



