THE ESKIMOS. 133 
blood, being considered very fine,is dipped up with skin 
cups or horn spoons, and consumed with the flesh. 
The blubber, or outer layer of fat, which is found on 
most Arctic animals, is separated from the skin and cut 
into long strips about an inch square. Thus prepared 
it 1s swallowed, though not eaten. It is simply lowered 
down the throat as one might lower a rope into a well. 
During the summer season the blubber is not used as 
food, but is saved for oil, to be used for ighting purposes 
during the long dark nights of the succeeding winter. 
An Eskimo appears to have no idea of a limited capa- 
city for food, but usually eats until the supply fails. I 
knew of one exception, however, where an old woman, 
after doing heroically, was forced to yield. 
A party of Eskimos were having a big feast on the 
carcase of a whale, which they consider very good food, 
when this woman, in her ambition, overestimated her 
_ capabilities and ate until she became quite torpid. Her 
friends, supposing her to be dead, trailed her out and 
buried her in the snow, but a day or two afterwards she 
kicked off the snow that covered her and rejoined her 
astonished companions. 
Next to stowing capacity, an Eskimo’s stomach is 
noted for its powers of digestion. For instance, both 
the flesh and hide of the walrus are common articles of 
food with them, and yet these are so hard and gritty 
that when skinning or cutting up the animal one has 
to be continually sharpening his knife. 
The skin of a walrus is a good deal like that of an 
elephant, and is from half an inch to an inch and a half 
in thickness; but, notwithstanding this, and the hard- 
ness of its structure, the little Eskimo children may 
