212 The Living at Fort Hope. (janaary, isoo. 



from tlie depredations of the bears and the wolves, and the heather 

 which had been gathered, was mainly used, toward spring, in browning 

 a supply of coffee for use on the proposed sledge journey. Coffee 

 was served only wlien Hall wished specially to please his visitors. 

 A corn-meal pudding was not relished, because of his long-continued 

 use of raw meat. "A reindeer-head, with a complement of tood-noo 

 and the paunch-contents stewed in water and reindeer-blood, was a rare 

 and savorv dish" Oil was sipped, and tallow and marrow in consider- 

 able c^uantity eaten every day with the raw frozen venison. He was 

 thus enabled to bear much cold without suffering; and he says, with 

 a dry humor, that sometimes while feasting on tood-noo^ he was appre- 

 hensive of a like fate with the Innuit who, after drinking a large quan- 

 tity of water with his melted tood-noo, died from the formation of a 

 hu"-e tallow candle in his stomach. 



So much for often sipping train-oil and eating whale and seal blubber; all of 

 \\ hicli three articles are to Innuits and myself what butter is to those in civilized 

 lands. Besides, I frequently feast on tallow candles, which word I use as a fig- 

 lue lor pure deer's tallow ; but really I have made excellent dip-candles of tood- 

 noo, and, not having use for them, have eaten them with the same good relish as 

 though the tallow was not made into candles. 



The water-supply at Fort Hope was obtained from North Pole 

 liiver, through a hole chiseled in the ice about six inches in diameter. 

 Fi-om the surface of the ice to the water was three feet. When snow 

 tilled this hole, new ice formed daily to the depth of three inches; at 

 other times, six inches of ice were removed before water could be 

 nbtaini.Ml. On one occasion, when the temperature had fallen 20°, 

 ll;ill was surprised to find but half an inch of ice under the snow. 

 Oil tlif >aiiit' day tiic heather-fuel was with difficulty ignited, although 

 the circumstances were the same as at other times; he did not under- 



