TO THE TIMBER'S EDGE 175 



ians ; so long as there is any meat they eat half a dozen 

 times a day, and on the slightest provocation, such as the 

 entrance of a visitor or the return of some one from a 

 hunt. And I never beheld the equal of their capacity. I 

 saw one lodge eat an entire caribou at a sitting head, 

 hoofs (with outside horn covering removed), entrails, stom- 

 ach, heart, liver, lungs, parts of generation, marrow, every- 

 thing but the hide and bones. The head is quite a deli- 

 cacy, and is always reserved for the successful hunter. 

 Caribou tongue is really rich, and many is the meal I made 

 on the eyes and ears, which are very good at least, they 

 seemed so then. 



I suppose really I am not fitted to pass an opinion on 

 these Northland dainties, because at the time I ate them 

 anything filling would have seemed delicious. Some of 

 the intestines when boiled, the large one particularly, are 

 fat and satisfying, but, even though starving, I detected a 

 marked difference when they were eaten raw out of the 

 caribou or musk-ox stomach. I could never tolerate, 

 probably because I never had a chance at it when really 

 hungry, one of their greatest delicacies blood-pudding, I 

 call it, for a better name. This was made by taking the 

 stomach of the caribou, with its half-digested contents, 

 cut up the liver into it, adding some fat, and then hanging 

 the whole mess over the fire. By the way they fell upon 

 it, it must be very toothsome. There was never a period 

 of my starvation when I could attempt the womb of the 

 caribou, which the Indians devoured raw, and without 

 washing, and not until I had gone three days without put- 

 ting anything into my stomach but tea could I eat the 

 unborn calf. I have no doubt some of my readers will be 

 disgusted by this recital ; and as I sit here at my desk 

 writing, with but to reach out and push a button for din- 

 ner, luncheon what I will I can hardly realize that only 



