220 



THE SEA. 



away all the dogs; nor was it till after the fireworks were let off and the traitor 

 consumed that they crept back again. It was school-night, but the men were up for 

 fun, so gave the Doctor a holiday/'' 



On November 15th Captain Young shot the fiftieth seal, an event which was 

 celebrated by the drinking of the bottle of champagne which had been reserved for the 

 occasion of reaching' the North Water an unhappy failure, the more keenly felt from 

 being so very unexpected. On November 16th "Petersen saw and fired a shot into a 

 narwhal which brought the blubber out. When most Arctic creatures are wounded in 

 the water, blubber more frequently appears than blood, particularly if the wound is 

 superficial ; it spreads over the surface of the water like oil. Bills of fare vary 

 much in Greenland. I have inquired of Petersen, and he tells me that the 



ESUriMAUX CATCHING SEALS. 



Greenland Esquimaux (there are many Greenlanders of Danish origin) are not agreed 

 as to which of their animals affords the most delicious food; some of them prefer rein- 

 deer venison, others think more favourably of young dog, the flesh of which, he asserts, 

 is 'just like the beef of sheep/ He says a Danish captain, who had acquired the 

 taste, provided some for his guests, and they praised his mntlou ! After dinner he sent 

 for the skin of the animal, which was no other than a large red dog ! This occurred 

 in Greenland, where his Danish guests had resided for many years, far removed from 

 European mutton. Baked puppy is a real delicacy all over Polynesia; at the Sandwich 

 Islands I was once invited to a feast, and had to feign disappointment as well as I 

 could when told that puppy was so extremely scarce it could not be procured in time* 

 and therefore sucking-pig was substituted ! " 



On December 2nd an event occurred which cast a gloom over the little party. 

 One of the engineers, Mr. Scott, had fallen down a hatchway, and died shortly after- 

 wards from the effect of internal injuries then received. " A funeral at sea," says 

 M'Clintock, " is always peculiarly impressive ; but this evening, at seven o'clock, as 

 we gathered around the sad remains of poor Scott, reposing under a Union Jack, 



