CHAP. III. THE OX-CIIEEK OF CHICAGO. 61 



returned at the end of the afternoon particular pains were taken 

 to keep them in a good humour. They were well fed and petted, 

 provided with wraps, had shelter rigged up for them, and a good 

 fire made. Yet I fully expected they would desert us, and was 

 quite surprised in the morning to find that they were remaining. 

 The minimum temperature in this night was again 20°. 5 Faht. 



It will be inferred from the last paragraphs that we were 

 now in a somewhat better condition. The more disagreeable 

 symptoms of our mountain-sickness had disappeared, the gasp- 

 ings had ceased, and headache had nearly gone. Still, although 

 improving, we found ourselves comparatively lifeless and feeble, 

 with a strong disposition to sit down when we ought to have 

 been moving, and there was plenty at that time to keep us moving 

 — mainly owing to the unpleasant discovery that some of our 

 tinned meat had gone bad. 



I had invested in a quantity of ox-cheek, and one tin of it 

 had been placed in each case. Upon opening the very first case 

 it was noticed that the ends of the ox-cheek tin were convex, 

 and knowing what this meant, I had it thrown away at once. 

 With one after another we found the same and acted similarly ; 

 but at last, upon opening another case, a most appalling stench 

 rushed out, and we found that the ox-cheek had burst its bonds, 

 and had not only become putrid itself, but had corroded the other 

 tins and ruined almost the whole of the food in the case. It 

 then became necessary to examine each case seriatim, to know 

 exactly how we were off for food, and the end of the matter was 

 we found ourselves obliged to hurl over the cliffs a mass of pro- 

 visions which had cost endless trouble to prepare.^ 



1 I promised the manufacturer of that horrible stuff an advertisement upon 

 my return, but 1 am deprived of the pleasure of fulfilling ni}^ promise. I am 

 advised that it might be considered libellous to publish the name of a person 

 who has sold putrid meat, and I much regret that it cannot be given the publicity 

 that he deserves. He caused much loss and severe labour. The whole of the 

 provision cases had to be opened and his goods ejected. In instances where the 

 ox- cheek had burst, its stench rendered it necessary to scrape and cleanse all 



