548 FAMILY PHOCID^. 



ing after-effects. Its colour is almost black, from the large 

 amount of venous blood it contains, except in very young seals, 

 and is, therefore, very singular looking, and not inviting, while 

 its flavour is unlike anything else, and cannot be described except 

 by saying delicious ! To suit European palates, there are cer- 

 tain precautions to be taken before it is cooked. It has to be 

 cut in thin slices, carefully removing any fat or blubber, and 

 then soaked in salt water for from twelve to twenty-four hours, 

 to remove the blood, which gives it a slightly fishy flavour. The 

 blubber has such a strong taste, that it requires an Arctic 

 winter's appetite to find out how good it is. That of the bearded 

 seal {Phoca barbata) is most relished by epicures. The dain- 

 tiest morsel of a seal is the liver, which requires no soaking, 

 but may be eaten as soon as the animal is killed. The heart is 

 good eating, while the sweetbread and kidneys are not to be 

 despised. 



"The usual mode of cooking seal's meat is to stew it with a 

 few pieces of fat bacon, when an excellent rich gravy is formed, 

 or it may be fried with a few pieces of pork, or ' white-man,' 

 being cut up with the seal, or 'black-man.' 



"The Esquimaux make use of every part of the seal, and, it 

 is said, maifee an excellent soup by putting its blood and any odd 

 scraps of meat inside the stomach, heating the contents, and 

 then devouring tripe, blood and all with the greatest relish. 



" For my own part, I would sooner eat seal's meat than mut- 

 ton or beef, and I am not singular in my liking for it, as several 

 of the officers on board the Pandora shared the same opinion 

 as myself. I can confidently recommend it as a dish to be tried 

 on a cold winter's day to those who are tired of the everlasting 

 beef and mutton, and are desirous of a change of diet. It is 

 very fattening, and if eaten every day for several weeks together 

 is likely to produce rather surprising effects 



" Seal's meat is a panacea for aU complaints among these 

 primitive people. Our Esquimaux interpreter, 'Joe,' had a 

 most troublesome cough when we left England, and was con- 

 vinced he should not get rid of it until he had seal's flesh to eat. 

 He would not look at any medicine offered to him on board, 

 but shook his head and said, ' By-and-bye, eat seal, get well.' 

 His prescription turned out to be a very good one, for he had 

 not long been feasting on his favourite food before he lost his 

 cough, and we heard no more of it. For delicate persons, and 

 especially young ladies and gentlemen who cannot succeed in 



