nZ A TUSKI FEAST. 



as if carefully chopped up, and this was also hard 

 frozen. To it was added a lump of blubber, which 

 the lady presiding, who did all the carving, dexte- 

 rously cut into slices, with a knife, like a cheese- 

 monger's, and apportioned out, at different quarters 

 of the huge tray before mentioned, which was used 

 throughout the meal, together with a modicum of 

 the grass-like stuff, to the company ; the only 

 distinction in favour of the strangers and guests of 

 high degree being that their slices were cut much 

 thinner than for the rest. We tasted this compound, 



and we didn't like it ; at this no one will 



wonder ; the blubber speaks for itself, and the other 

 stuff, which really was not very unpalatable, we 

 discovered in after-times to be tZ/e unruminated food 

 of reindeer which had been slaughtered ; at least, so 

 we were told, but I am not quite clear on this point. 

 Om* dislike to the dish had no offensive effect upon 

 our host, who only seemed to be astonished at our 

 strange want of taste, and with the rest of the guests, 

 soon cleared the board, the managing dame putting 

 the finishing stroke by a rapid sweep of her not too 

 scrupulously clean fingers over the dish, by way of 

 clearing off the fragments, to prepare for the 

 reception of the next delicacy. After this interesting 

 operation she conveyed her digits to her mouth, and, 



