The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-03-09
Good Eaters...Itemarkably Good

! OF all the wonderful things related by Sir Geo
Simpson, Governor nchief Of the Hudson's Ba,
/ Company, in his celebrated overland journey roun,
the world, in the years lS4l and 1912, there il
nothing which strikes us as being richer than tht
following account which he gives Of couple o
professional eaters whom he met with at Ydku
isk, city in eastern Siberia His authority i
considered unquestionabe; so hear him, for yor
will he amused as well as instructed
ain one highly important particular the Yakutt
may safely challenge all the rest Of the world--
They are the best eaters on the face OF the earth
Having heard great deal more this subject
than could bring myself 10 believe, | resolved u
test the thing by the evidence of my own SENSES
/ Having procured a couple Of fellows who had a
tolerabe reputation in this way from village a
bout twenty versts distant | had dinner pre-
pared for them Of two pools of beef boiled. and
one pood of butter melted being thirty six pounds
avoirdupoise Of the fermcr, and eighteen os the
latter, for each of the two of the solids. the per
formers had their respective shares placed before
them, while the liquor was in common with Ia
die for drinking it, Ofthc operators the one wa.
old and the other young. The former, rs if he
had been training himself, with nothing but stom
ach from head to heel had his skin hungrily hang
ing in loose folds over his gaunt bon0s while the
! latter, who showed no external symptoms Of cx
! traordinary capacity, must have relied chiefly on
the vgor Of youth and a willingness of dsposi
| ton. AT starting the Young fellow shot ahead as
| if he meant TO distance his frienl, while the old
man waegishly making his wrinkles flap again TIP.
on him, said "His teeth are sharp; but" continued
/ ne crossing himself with the help Of nv saint
shall be up with him yet" After good dose OF
the beef they creased their throats for the second
heat Of the race by swallowing each about pint
or so NJ their heaTy meat. At the end of an hour
they had got through half Of their welcome toll
my senior guest, having by that time, shaken out
nearly his last reef Their eyes were startiur
from their heads, ar,l their stoinachs projecting
like a brace of kettedrums. What were the
gentlemen To do with the remaining half Of their
allowance. Our moiety Of the question might be
easily answered, for the butter, apparently in its
purity was making an outlet Of every pore but
as the solids could not escape 50 glbly from the
premises the problem of slowing away eighteen
pounds Of beef in vessel already full to overflow.
ing puzzled all my knowledge. such as it was, Of
practical mathematics. Feeling that whatever
might be the case with my guests had myself
had quite enough of the feast, | left our Cassack
and Mclntre 10 see there should be no foul play
in getting rid Of the meat and drinks, and on re.
turn.ag about two hours afterwards was assured
by my deputies and others, that all was right,
while the gultcns themselves, forcibly confirmed
the testimony BY wallowing PROSTATE on the
earth, relieving me at tie same time from all
sense Of wrong in the matter b. thanking me for
my iberaity, aud keeping the grouud reverential-
ly for my sake. After such sulfeits the victors
remain for three or four days in state Of stupor.
neither eating nor drinking and meanwhile they
are rolled about somewhat after the manner Of
the tmHee tUmee Of the Sandwich Islands with
view to the production Of digestion an operation
Shich the spperiness of their surface renders pc.
culiariv difficult Two Of these gormandizer-, one
for the bride, and another for the bridegroom form
part Of the entertainments at every native wed,
3ing"