106 
BUTLER STOREHOUSE. 
Medary, gives me a chance fox* some further experi¬ 
ments in freshening this portion of our stock. Steaks 
of salt junk, artistically cut, ai*e strung on lines like a 
countrywoman’s dried apples, and soaked in festoons 
under the ice. The salmon-trout and salt codfish 
which we bought at Fiskernaes ai*e placed in barrels, 
perforated to permit a constant circulation of fresh 
water through them. Our pickled cabbage is similarly 
treated, after a little potash lias been used to neutralize 
the acid. All these are submitted to twelve hours of 
alternate soaking and freezing, the crust of ice being 
removed from them befoi’e each immersion. This 
is the steward’s province, and a most important one 
it is. 
“ Every one else is well employed; McGary arranging 
and Bonsall making the inventory of our stores; 
Ohlsen and Petersen bxxilding our deck-house; while I 
am devising the plan of an architectural interioi*, which 
is to combine, of course, the utmost ventilation, x*oom, 
dryness, warmth, general accommodation, comfort,—in 
a word, all the appliances of health. 
“We have made a comfortable dog-house on Butler 
Island; but though our Esquimaux canaille are within 
scent of our cheeses there, one of which they ate yes¬ 
terday for lunch, they cannot be persuaded to sleep 
away from the vessel. They pi*efer the bai*e snow, 
whei*e they can couch within the sound of our voices, 
to a warm kennel upon the rocks. Strange that this 
dog-distinguisliing trait of alfection for man should 
show itself in an animal so imperfectly reclaimed froxxi 
