266 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



abrupt inundation produced no serious damage, though it gave 

 work to the females of the igloo, who hurriedly secured the fur 

 dresses and other valuables from the salt water. 

 . It was strange to me to see them cleaning or currying the seal- 

 skins. The mouth of the female currier served as a deposit for 

 all the scrapings, and the tongue was kept in constant requisition 

 to keep free the scraper, a dish being by to receive the contents 

 of the mouth when full. 



The scrapings of board, hands, etc., all went first to the mouth, 

 then to the dish, and thence to the dogs ! 



The storm continued during the following day, and I remained 

 where I was, studying more and more the habits of this strange 

 people, and endeavoring to give some elementary instruction to 

 the children. 



Our breakfast and dinner were both excellent; for the former, 

 raw frozen walrus, of which I had a piece for my share of about 

 five pounds, and at the latter, seal. The portion of this allot- 

 ted to me and Sterry was the head. We complied with the In- 

 nuit custom. Sterry took a mouthful, then passed it to me, and 

 when I had done the same it was returned to him, and so on. Of 

 course fingers were all in all. "No knives and forks are found 

 among the Innuits ; fingers and teeth are more than their equiv- 

 alent. 



When the meat, skin, and hair were all dispatched — even the 

 eyes, except the balls, which were given to the youngest child of 

 Sampson — we "tapped" the brain. I was surprised at the amount 

 of a seal's brains, and equally so at the deliciousness of them ! 

 The skull was almost as thin as paper. Shoot a seal in the head 

 and it dies. Shoot a walrus in the head, and the damage is to the 

 ball, which immediately flattens, without effecting any injury what- 

 ever to the walrus. 



Later in the day I attended another feast in the igloo of Koo- 

 kin, who had invited his old mother, Shel-lu-ar-ping, and two oth- 

 er venerable dames, and I must say that if my friends at home 

 could then have seen how like an Innuit I ate, they would have 

 blushed for me. 



First came a portion of seal's liver, raw and warm from its late 

 existence in full life. This, with a slice of ooksook (blubber), was 

 handed to each, and I made away with mine as quick as any of 

 the old adepts. Then came ribs inclosed in tender meat, dripping 

 with blood. How ambrosial to my palate ! Lastly came — what? 



