The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-07-11
The Candle Fish.


Mr, John Lord, an Englishman, who
went to British Columbia, as scientii,
member of the commissio1 appointed
to mark the boundary line between
British and United States territory, has
published in London an account of his
travels in volume entitled "The Nat
uralist in Vancouver Island and British
Columbia" Among his stories is the
following account Of an extraordinary
FISH:
81 have never seen any fish half as
fat and as good for Arctic winter food
as the little candle-fish. 1t is next to
impossible to broil or fry them, for they
melt completely into oil. Some idea OF
their marvellous iatness may be CLEANED
from the fact that the natives use them
as lamps for lighting their lodges.
The fish, when dried, has piece Of
rush-p pith, or strip from the inner
bark of the cypress tree (zhgia ggantea,) }
drawn through it, long round needle
made of hard wood being used for the
purpose; it is then lighted and burns
steadily until consumed. | have read
comfortably by its light; the candle
stick-literally stick for the candle
consists Of bit Of wood split at one
end, with the fish inserted in the cleft,
These ready-made sea-candles-littls
dips wanting only wick that can be
added in minute-are easily transform
ed by heat and pressure into liquid,
When the Indian drinks instead of
burning them, he gets a fuel in the
shape of oil, that keeps up the combuS-
ton within him, and which IS burnt
and consumed in the lungs, just as it
was by the wick, but only gives heat
1t is by no mere chance that nyriads of
small fish, in obedience to wondrous
instinct, annually visit the northern
seas, containing within themselves all
the elements necessary for supplying
light, heat and life to the poor savage,
who, but for this, must perish in the
bitter cold OF the long dreary winter.
"As soon as the Indians have stored
away the full supply of food for the
winter, all the fish subsequently taken
are converted into oil. If we stroll
down to the lodges near the beach, we
shall see for ourselves how they man
age it. The fish reserved for oil max
ing have been piled in heaps until part
ly decomposedi five or six fires are
blazing away, and in each fire are
number of large round pebbles to be
made very hot BY each fire are four
large square boxes, made from the
trunk of the pine tree A squaw care
fully piles in each box layer of fish
about three deep, and covers them with
cold water. She then puts five or six
Of the hot stones upon the layers of
fish, and when the steam has cleared
away, carefully lays small pieces of
wood over the stones; then moro fish e.,
more water, more stones, more layers
of wood, and so on, until the box is
filled. The oil-maker now takes all the
liquid from this box, and uses it over
again instead Of water in filling another
box, and skins the oil off as it floats ON
the surface. A vast quantity of oil is
thus obtained often as much as seven
hundred weight will be made by ono
small tribe,
"The refuse fish are not yet done
with, more oil being extracted from
them. Built against the pine tree is n
small stage made of poles, very like a
monster gridiron. The refuse of the
boxes, having been sewn up in porous
mats, is placed on the stage, to be rolled
and pressed by the arms and chests of
Indian women; and the oil thus
squeezed out is collected in box placed
underneath. Not only has Nature,
ever bountiful, sent an abundance of oil
to the redskin, but she actually provides
ready-made bottles to store it away in
The great seawrack, that grows to an
immense size in those northern seas,
and forms submarine forests, has n hol-
low stalk, expanded into a complete
flask at the root-end Cut into lengths
OF about three feet, these hollow stalks,
with the bulb at the end, are collected
and kept wet until required for use,
As the oil is obtained it Is stored away
in the natural quart bottles, or rather
larger bottles, for some of them hold
three pints.