46 THE INLAND PASSAGE. 



and daily growing better, a vast consumption of pro- 

 visions was continually taking place. While each 

 was at heart assured that their own productions 

 were a little the best, and tempted the others to 

 admission of the fact by the offering of special deli- 

 cacies where delicacies were not needed, there was 

 no one mean enough to . repudiate the work of a 

 brother or sister artist, even if it were ruined in the 

 preparation or burned to tastleseness in the cooking. 

 Christmas was by common consent set apart as the 

 day on which each and every member of our briny 

 household should cook whatever they found best in 

 their own eyes. The store-room was thrown open 

 and free liberty of selection was given to all. 



To the male kitchen genius the most difficult 

 article to prepare, is the most necessary one, bread. 

 Within the realms of civilization the staff of life 

 seems, as it were, to grow of itself. It can be found 

 on every corner ; stares in fat complacency at you 

 from the shop windows on every block ; there is 

 never any dearth of bread so long as there is a penny 

 to purchase it ; delicate-minded tramps scorn it, and 

 in every well-regulated household enough of it is 

 thrown into the waste pail to feed another house- 

 hold of equal numbers. But at sea this is different, 

 and when man, though he pride himself on the bril- 

 liant hue of his blue ribbon, is required to make 

 good the deficiency, he is apt to come to grief. So 

 the queen of our marine family announced that she 

 would make a big batch of bread for that special 

 festivity. 



