116 The Inmiits Fond of Ardent Spirits. [December, i864. 



friends, the following expressions show his appreciation of the change 



in diet now experienced : 



O, my detir Mr. Griuuell and Mr. Brevoort, wluit a glorious supper we bavo 

 liad to-uigbt; a cluiuge now and then in bis food is wbat a wbite man likes. In- 

 deed, tbe Innuits tbemselves like a cbange from their food to that of civilization 

 after getting a little accustomed to it. 



The journal of the 24th contains the record of a second indul- 

 gence to the natives in his serving- out to all who had assisted in build- 

 ing his new igloo a quantity of Bourbon whisky, diluted with hot water 

 and sweetened with sugar. This was dealt out contrary to his previous 

 resolutions, but under the idea that, as they had acquired a taste for it 

 from the whalers, it would be of service to him to indulge them occa- 

 sionally. He adds: ''I have found that I can do without liquor, and I 

 do not touch a drop of anything stronger than tea or coffee. I will not 

 say the Innuits shall not have a few drops once in two or three weeks, 

 but the quantity to each shall be very small." 



The sledge journey to the ships, 135 miles distant, had been made 

 in ninety -nine hours, and the return journey in seventy-eight; allow- 

 ing, as did Ebierbing, one of the party, one-half of the time on their 

 return as spent in stoppages, the average distance traveled had been 

 about three and a half miles an hour. Captain Chapel sent back to 

 Hall a letter of cordial good feeling, offering him further assistance. 

 It has been already noticed as a fact, well known in New London, 

 that the whalers wintering in this region understood the instructions 

 of their employers as authorizing them to assist him very freely. 



Chapel's letter, in speaking of the temperature where he was win- 

 tering, said : 



Tbe mcrcuiy lias been from 36° to 56° below zero for tbe last fifteen days. 

 The ;^l;iss lias ii«)t l>eeM al>()ve —.'W'^' for twenty days, and Ibc large spirit (liei- 



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