IF£ AIAKE A START 125 



This preparation of meat and fish was, therefore, the 

 only kind we took with us. The meat was muscular 

 beef, taken from the ox, and freed from all fat, gristle, 

 etc. ; it was then dried as quickly as possible, in a com- 

 pletely fresh condition, and thereupon ground and mixed 

 with the same proportion of beef suet as is used in the 

 ordinary preparation of pcmmican. This form of food, 

 which has been used for a considerable time on sledQ-e 

 .expeditions, has gained for itself much esteem, and 

 rightly ; if well prepared, as ours was, it is undeniably a 

 nourishing and easily digested food."' One ought not, 

 however, to trust to its always being harmless, as, if care- 

 lessly prepared — i.e., slowly or imperfectly dried — it may 

 also be very injurious to the health. 



Another item of our provisions, by which we set great 

 store, was Vage's fish flour. It is well prepared and has 

 admirable keeping c|ualities ; if boiled in water and mixed 

 with flour and butter or dried potatoes, it furnishes a 

 very appetizing dish. Another point which should be 

 attended to is that the food be of such a kind that it can 

 be eaten without cooking. Fuel is part of an equipment, 

 no doubt ; but if for some reason or other this be lost or 



* I had also had prepared a large quantity of pemmican, consisting of 

 equal parts of meat-powder and vegetable fat (from the cocoanut). Tiiis 

 pemmican, however, proved to be rather an unfortunate invention ; even 

 the dogs would not eat it after they had tasted it once or twice. Perhaps 

 this is accounted for by the fact that vegetable fat is heavily digested, and 

 contains acids which irritate the mucous membranes of the stomach and 

 throat. 



