SCIENCE. 
ioi 
The greater portion of their food is eaten raw, 
especially in Winter. When they cook at all, they 
only “simmer” it over their lamps in a pot of soap- 
stone. These pots are from eight to twenty inches in 
length, usually about sixteen inches, and though of 
variable patterns, the length is generally three times 
the width or depth. Among such Eskimo as are able 
to procure old cast-away meat-cans from around the 
ships, tin has superseded the soapstone both for lamps 
and boiling-pots. 
In Summer, especially when on hunting excursions, 
they very often “fry” meat by making a little fire- 
place of stones, and laying a flat piece of stone on 
the top. The opening to receive the fuel supply is to 
windward. For fuel at such times they use Cassiope 
tetragona and Ledum palustre ; these shrubs make a 
quick and very hot fire. It would be comparatively 
an easy task for these people to gather enough Cassi- 
ope tetragona during the Summer to burn during the 
coldest weather, and not rely wholly upon blubber. 
When the Eskimo have been simmering meat, espe- 
cially seal, in their boiling-pots, they pour off the 
liquor and mix it with about an equal quantity of 
blood; this makes a thick and rather greasy soup 
that must be quite nourishing ; the children are very 
fond of it. It seems possible that from this dish has 
originated the popular error that these people drink 
oil , a notion that is simply preposterous. 
I found among some of these people a little spoon, 
or rather a miniature scoop, made of ivory, which 
they used to drink the soup with ; it appears to be an 
old utensil, now going fast out of use, for they can 
now procure tin mugs. A reindeer’s rib, pointed at 
one end, is used to fish up the meat with, and some- 
times to convey it to the mouth. These instruments 
are found in the graves, but seem to be little used at 
the present day. 
When a seal is brought to the encampment, espec- 
ially if they have not been plenty for some days, all 
the villagers are invited to the hut of the lucky hunter, 
and the seal is soon dispatched. A couple of the 
younger men skin the animal and distribute the pieces 
to the assembled company as fast as needed. The 
testicles, being considered as the choicest titbit, are 
usually handed over to the hostess ; the spinal cord is 
also rated as one of the choicest portions of the ani- 
mal. During these feasts they gorge themselves to 
their utmost capacity, and are in good humor and 
hilarious. Though there may be ever so poor pros- 
pects to procure more food for the morrow, this does 
not deter them from gluttonously devouring the last 
morsel, and then go on allowance till they can get a 
fresh supply. I have seen them thus gorge themselves, 
and then lie down to sleep with a piece of seal meat 
by their side, which they attacked every time they 
awoke. 
The intestines of birds, notably Lagopus and Som- 
ateria, are looked upon as choice parts, and birds 
brought to the encampment are generally “ drawn ” by 
the hunters. The fatty excrescence at the base of 
the upper mandible of the male Som. spectabilis is too 
great a temptation for them. It was with great diffi- 
culty that we could induce them to bring these birds 
to camp without having them thus mutilated. 
[ Continued.] 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 
[ The Editor docs not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 
by his correspondents. No notice is taken of anonymous communi- 
cations .] 
A Spark from Menlo Park. 
To the Editor of Science : 
My note book is so full of observations made during 
a recent visit to Edison’s laboratory, that I feel on look- 
ing it over as if I had struck an intellectual gold mine. 
The genius of Menlo Park is so exuberant, and his frank- 
ness — we may say naivete — so unbounded, that we 
came into possession of many facts which we might 
almost commit a breach of confidence in exposing. I 
found him reserved, however, when the conversation was 
turned to the subject of the arc electric light, and avoid- 
ing criticism of the operations and machines of those 
inventors who have devoted themselves to its improve- 
ment and utilization. But he made quite merry over the 
opinions expressed to him by many of the sight seers 
who swarm to the laboratory. “ Would you believe it 
possible,” said Mr. Edison, “ that in spite of the general 
and interesting descriptions I have seen in various publi- 
cations of this and other countries, few of the visitors really 
know what they come to see when they ask to be shown 
the electric light ? Many are disappointed, because we do 
not have a kind of inland light house with a 300 or 400 
candle-power light in each pane of glass in the buildings. 
Others think it a ‘ poor show ’ when they examine an in- 
candescent thread of 14 to 16 candle-power in bright 
sunlight.” 
There was one suggestion thrown off by him, while 
conversing about the arc electric light, which I think 
should not be suffered to remai nundeveloped ; Mr. Edison 
is so devoted to ‘ his light ’ that he only has time to give 
an occasional thought in the other direction, and his 
power of concentration prevents the dispersion of his 
genius through a different medium. So I repeat, I do 
not think I am committing any breach of confidence in 
describing a sketch which grew up under my eye, drawn 
by his rapid and luminous pencil ; for Edison possesses 
that peculiar quality of pictorial illustration which we 
have never seen, except in the sketches of that inventor- 
artist, the great Leonardo da Vinci. 
“ Our dynamo-machines,” said he, “as we now build 
them, are especially constructed for the purpose of 
furnishing current lor the incandescent lamp ; but they 
are, of course, as easily adapted to the arc light as to 
other purposes. You see our lamp factory and electric 
railroad are run by them. A very simple addition to a 
machine would allow of its use in illumination where the 
production of reverse currents is necessary. Imagine 
the wire of a Gramme helix cut half way through the 
solenoid, the four ends joined two and two to a commu- 
tating wheel, and pairs of conductors leading to an arc 
light, say Jablochkoff’s candles. Now, by intermittently 
joining the ends of the separated helices, by an appropriate 
arrangement on the ordinary commutator blocks, you 
will be able to use your main current for the small incan- 
descent lamps, and the surplus for the arc lamp ; thus 
supplying continuous and reverse currents from the 
same machine.” 
I hope this chance scintilla from the mind of the great 
inventor will be allowed to sink through the pages of my 
note book into your columns, without any violation of 
the proprieties. If it incite Mr. Edison, en revanche, to 
a development of the idea, we will bear the brunt of a, 
perhaps, just resentment. 
F. T. Waters. 
