398 



FOOD. 



then cut large pieces off the cheeks, and laid these within the 

 reach of the great man, who swallowed them with as much 

 satisfaction as we should do raw oysters. When he had 

 done, the remains of the head were cut in pieces, and given 

 to the attendants, who tore off the meat with their teeth, 

 and gnawed the bones like so many dogs." 



Captain Lyon gives an even more disgusting account of 

 an Esquimaux meal. "From Kooilittuck," * he says, "I 

 learnt a new Eskiinaux luxury : he had eaten till he was 

 drunk, and every moment fell asleep, with a flushed and 

 burning face, and his mouth open : by his side sat Arnalooa 

 (his wife), who was attending her cooking pot, and at short 

 intervals awakened her spouse, in order to cram as much as 

 was possible of a large piece of half-boiled flesh into his 

 mouth with the assistance of her forefinger, and having 

 filled it quite full, cut off the morsel close to his lips. This 

 he slowly chewed, and as soon as a small vacancy became 

 perceptible, this was filled again by a lump of raw blubber. 

 During this operation the happy man moved no part of him 

 but his jaws, not even opening his eyes; but his extreme 

 satisfaction was occasionally shown by a most expressive 

 grunt, whenever he enjoyed sufficient room for the passage 

 of sound. The drippings of the savoury repast had so 

 plentifully covered his face and neck, that I had no hesita- 

 tion in determining that a man may look more like a beast 

 by over- eating than by drinking to excess. The women 

 having fed all their better halves to sleep, and not having 

 neglected themselves, had now nothing to do but to talk and 

 beg as usual." 



A feast among some of the more civilised Esquimaux of 

 Greenland is thus described by Crantz.f "A factor being 

 invited to a great entertainment with several topping Green- 



* Lyon's Journal, p. 181 ; see also Ross, I.e. p. 448. 

 f History of Greenland, vol. i., p, 172. 



