478 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



rushed in. The position of the ladies was, of course, upon the 

 bed platform, and I drew off my boots and took a place among 

 the "fair of creation ;" all others of my sex had to take standing 

 seats wherever they could find them down on the snow floor. 

 Fully thirty souls were crammed into our igloo. I was sand- 

 wiched between the wife of Koo-kin and the wife of New-wat- 

 che, the latter being the sister to Sampson's wife. 



Sampson was the master of ceremonies; he first made the la- 

 dies on the bed give way so as to clear a space whereon he might 

 do the carving ; then he placed on this spot the table-cloth, a 

 huge sealskin, and upon that put the carcass of a large deer ; he 

 then took a boat hatchet and began to carve the deer. Slabs of 

 its side were chopped and peeled off ; chips of ice flew here and 

 there into the very faces of the guests at each stroke of the axe. 

 As fast as Sampson rolled off the venison other men took the 

 pieces, and by means of a saw and seal-knives reduced them to a 

 size adapted for handling; then Sampson distributed these bits, 

 one to each, till every mill had grist to grind. Thus for half an 

 hour Sampson carved ; then his hatchet handle broke off close up 

 to the head. Another axe was sent for, and meanwhile, with the 

 half of a saw, the two saddles were divided into the proper num- 

 ber of pieces, ready for distribution ; the carcass was then once 

 more attacked, and the shell was broken, split, and sawed into 

 pieces. In it was the " kernel," to which all looked with anxious 

 eyes ; this was at last divided into as many pieces as there were 

 pieces of saddle, and then one of each was given to every guest. 

 I received my share with gratitude, and with a piece in each 

 hand began eating. I bit off a mouthful of the saddle-piece ; it 

 was good. I took a morsel of the other ; it was delightful ; its 

 flavor was a kind of sorrel acid ; it had an ambrosial taste ! it fair- 

 ly melted in my mouth ! When nearly through, I had the curi- 

 osity to crowd my way to a light to see what this delicious frozen 

 food was, for where I sat I was shaded by large forms between me 

 and the fire-light. I looked at it, rolled it over, and looked again. 

 Behold, it was the contents of a reindeer's paunch ! On this dis- 

 covery I stopped feasting for that night. 



While the guests were arriving I was busily writing in my 

 note-book ; several Innuits crowded round me, interested in this 

 curious work. I wrote two or three of their names, pointing to 

 the writing and pronouncing the word, as Kop-e-o, Ning-u-ar- 

 ping, Koo-choo-ar-chu ; this pleased them much. The call was 



