THI WORLD'S WONDEIIS. 723 



regions, and are therefore generally in trouble, for which reason 

 they are extremely vigilant. Schwatka was anxious to open com- 

 munication with them, hoping thereby to learn something about 

 the lost explorers. A firing of guns brought the Esquimaux out 

 of their huts, and seeing a party, of whites near their camp, they 

 quickly formed in line of battle. After forming, they sent out 

 an old woman toward Sehwatka's party, with the purpose of 

 testing whether the strangers were bent on hostilities ; if they 

 should kill the old creature, the act would reveal their intentions, 

 but if she should be received with a friendly spirit, it would be 

 construed as a desire for amicable relations. After Schwatka 

 met the Netchilliks, he asked them why they sent an old woman 

 to him. " Oh," they replied, in effect, " if you had killed her 

 it would have been a small gain to us, for there would have been 

 one less woman to care for, while if we had sent a man, and you 

 should have killed him, it would have reduced our fighting strength 

 and proved a serious loss." 



While the Esquimaux are usually reliable, peaceable, and hos- 

 pitable, tnree very commendable characteristics, they are certainly 

 as far removed from cleanliness as are pigs left to their own 

 resources in small quarters. We can excuse them somewhat for 

 indul^in^ foul habits of eating, on account of the precarious and 



CO C ' A . 



often limited diet upon which they are compelled to subsist. 

 Raising no vegetables, they are confined to flesh, which is obtained 

 entirely by hunting ; as a consequence, at times they are luxuri- 

 ating in great abundance, while again they have nothing. Every 

 particle- of the animals which they kill, excepting the skins or 

 horns, is eaten, and that, too, with the keenest relish. It is true 

 that they will not eat a bear's liver, but purely from the fact that 

 it is poisonous, or, at least, it produces the most intense nausea, 

 which no amount of physics can relieve under a week of dosing. 

 The intestines of animals are esteemed a delicacy, especially 

 when stuffed with tallow, and frozen. A dish made of the stom- 

 ach of a raindeer, or seal, and mixed with seal-oil, is the Esqui- 

 mau substitute for ice-cream. Lieut. Schwatka thus describes 

 the preparation of this confection : 



