Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-09-07
LIFE IN SIBERIA.
what They Eat and How They spend Their
Time in the Far North.

says No matter how early you may
awaken in the morning, you will al
ways find the mistress Of the household
already up that is, her position changed
from reclining to sitting, and as soon
as she observes that you are really
awake she hands you few small
pieces of meat, not much, only an ounce
or two, perhaps, but it steadies your
nerves till breakfast-time-tha is until
the others wake up. Then she goes
into an adjoining apartment, which is
merely an inclosure to keep the
dogs away from the household
stores, and after fifteen or
twenty minutes Of pounding and
chopping returns with the breakfast
A large, fiat, wooden tray is placed on
the floor, and the landlady, dropping
on her clothes, takes her position at
one end, position inelegantly but ac-
curately described as "squatting."
The family and their guests gather
around the board on either side, lying
flat on their stonachs with their heads
toward the breakfast and their feet
out, SO that bird's-eye view Of the
table and guests would look something
like an immense beetle. The first
course is some frozen weeds mixed
with seal oil and eaten with small por-
tions of fresh blubber, which the lady
of the house cuts with large chop
ping-knife. The approved method of
eating this food is to take d piece Of
the blubber and place it somewhere
on the pile Of weeds and then
press as much as you can gather
between your thumb and the three
adjoining fingers into a mass, which
viii, if you are lucky, stick together
until you get it into your mouth.
The man with the biggest thumb has
the best chance here. One poor fellow
whom saw further up the coast, who
had lost his right hand and the thumb
OF his left, had to be fed by his wife.
The next course is walrus meat. This
is also cut up by the presiding lady,
and is served with no stinting hand.
AT this portion Of the meal the one
who can swallow the largest piece
without chewing has the advantage,
and the only way to get even with him
is to keep one piece in your mouth and
two in your hand all the time. After this
joint has been thoroughly discussed there
comes large piece Of walrus hide, which
has small portion Of blubber attached
to it and the hair still on TIC out
side. When the meat is rotten the
hair can be easily scraped off, but
otherwise it is eaten with the rest of
the hide. This hide is about an inch
thick and very tough, SO that it is ab-
solutely impossible to chew it, or
rather to affect it by chewing Even
the dogs will chew perhaps for half a
day upon small piece Of walrus hide
hanging from bag Of meat and fail
to detach it. This is, therefore, cut
into very small slices by the hostess,
and finishes the meal. 1t is really the
most palatable dish Of the meal, and
furnishes something for the stomachto
act upon that generally occupies its at
tention till the following meal, but it
is astonishing how easily meat diet
is digested, and how soon ones
appetite returns after having
gorged at such a meal. When
forced to lie over on account Of
storms or some notion Of Wank-
er's, and with nothing to do and nothing
to read, it seemed to me that all I did
was to lie on my back and watch for in
dications Of the next meal 1t was all
there was to break the monotony, unless
my pipe needed cleaning. This was al
ways welcome task, for by due care
fulness I could generally make it last
for half a day. There are usually two
meals day in a well provided Tchou-
ktchis household breakfast, Just
described, and dinner, which comes on
late in the evening. The dinner is al
most identical in form with the break
fast, except that there is most always
some hot cooked meat that follows the
course Of walrus hide. Sometimes
the second course at breakfast or din
ner may be frozen seal or
reindeer meat, but the first and third
courses are invariable, unless changed
by force Of circumstances beyond the
control Of the householder. Besides
these two meals there is always a sim
liar service to any guest who may ar
rive during the day from a distance,
and all present share his luncheon
with him, and not unfrequently beat
him out unless he watches closely and
keeps himself well provided. speak
feelingly Of this matter, for 50 often
have I had luncheon put before me
and devoured by those who had per
haps just finished meal, while po-
itely fingered so as not too appear too
ravenous, I got over such trifing
finally, and could take my place at the
board with full confidence that I would
get at least my share Of what was
going.
A spring which flows five gallons Of