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ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



0 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



Innuit Food.— Picture of a Dinner-party. — Rabbit-charming. — Proposed flying Trip. 

 — Freaks of Jennie. — Her Foot-race after the Sledge. —Feminine Coquetry. — 

 Sharkey's Despair. — Change of Plans. — Koojesse's Ugliness — Final Adjustment 

 of Plan. — Departure on flying Trip. — An Upset. — Wolves. — Chase of a Bear and 

 Cub. — Capture of the latter. — Night Traveling. — Return to Place of Starting. — ' 

 Set out for the Ship. — Arrive on Board. 



On leaving our ninth encampment on Saturday, May 3d, 1862, 

 we proceeded toward some islands nearly due east of us, and, aft- 

 er a journey often miles, came to M'Lean Island,* where we found 

 two igloos occupied by the Innuits Koo-kin and "Bill," with 

 their families. We were hospitably received, and made our tenth 

 encampmentf there. 



I was now living wholly on Innuit food, to which I had be- 

 come so accustomed as to eat it without difficulty. Were I to 

 mention in detail what took place, and what was eaten at our 

 meals, it would doubtless appear disgusting to most of my read- 

 ers ; but there is no alternative in the matter of eating with In- 

 nuits. One has to make up his mind, if he would live among 

 that people, to submit to their customs, and to be entirely one of 

 them. When a white man for the first time enters one of their 

 tupics or igloos, he is nauseated with every thing he sees and 

 smells — even disgusted with the looks of the innocent natives, 

 who extend to him the best hospitality their means afford. Take, 

 for instance, the igloo in which I had an excellent dinner on the 

 day last mentioned. Any one from the States, if entering this 

 igloo with me, would see a company of what he would call a dirty 

 set of human beings, mixed up among masses of nasty, uneatable 

 flesh, skins, blood, and bones, scattered all about the igloo. He 

 would see, hanging over a long, low flame, the oo-hoo-sin (stone ket- 

 tle), black with soot and oil of great age, and filled to its utmost 

 capacity with black meat, swimming in a thick, dark, smoking 



* Named after the late Judge John M'Lean. It is an island in the midst of Fro- 

 bisher Bay, near to and due west of Gabriel's Island. 



t Our tenth encampment was near the southern extreme of M'Lean island, and 

 was in lat. 62° 52' N., long. 66° 28' W. 



