GASTRONOMY. 297 



But as there was notlimg else, we managed to eat it ; 

 and after all were no worse off than the ancients, who 

 esteemed asafetida a delicacy when mixed with their 

 food, except that they fared thus from inclination, 

 we from necessity ; and this is the case at many of 

 the posts in the Hudson's Bay territory, where meat 

 is not abundant. Flour, bread, and such like, seem 

 to be considered matters of extreme luxury : a bag of 

 flour is the entire allowance to some of the officers ; 

 but this proceeds mainly, I imagine, from the difficulty 

 of transport through so wild a country and great 

 distance. I lived with Mr. Mac Kenzie while here, 

 and fared as he did. We had two meals a day ; one 

 between nine and ten, the other about six. Our bill 

 of fare was tolerably unvarying : dry meat boiled, or 

 fish roasted with the scales on, which, from want of 

 custom I suppose, I found disagreeable when they 

 got in my mouth ; tea, either black or green, as the 

 packet might happen to be ; sugar, and occasionally a 

 water pancake or fritter; — but these were "like 

 angels' visits," and appreciated accordingly. At first, 

 I sadly missed a bit of bread ; but habit reconciles one 

 to everything. For all this, there were occasional 

 delicacies. Reindeers' tongues we often tasted ; I 

 need not remark upon their excellence ; also beaver 

 and bear's meat, which are fat, — the tail of the former 



