232 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



and about six miles into the straits it fell calm, and 

 we encountered such a strong current from the east- 

 ward that we could make no head against it, and, 

 it being now 9 P.M., we went ashore in a little 

 sandy bay to spy out the land, and see whether it 

 afforded any thing for supper. I took my rifle and 

 my glass, and ascended to the top of a neighboring 

 hillock, and from there I soon discovered our even- 

 ing meal provided to our hands in the shape of a 

 fat stag, grazing by himself on the slope of a hill 

 about a mile distant. I therefore announced to the 

 crew that we should sup there, and set two of them 

 to gather wood and make a fire, while the other 

 two accompanied me to carry down the stag, who 

 was still quietly engaged with his own supper, and 

 in a happy state of unconsciousness of how soon he 

 would be called upon to conjugate the verb to $up 

 in a passive instead of an active sense. 



A beautifully developed terrace of trap rocks con- 

 ducted me within forty yards of the stag, and in 

 twenty minutes more he was at the side of the fire, 

 which, like those of the cannibals in Robinson Cru- 

 soe, had been lighted for him while yet alive. 



I shudder to think how many pounds of this 

 meritorious animal we consumed in the shape of 

 chops, marrow-bones, and kabobs. The latter I have 

 found on such occasions to be the best mode of 

 cooking fresh-killed meat The mode of preparing 

 them is as follows : 



First catch a fat deer, then cut a number of 



