Daily globe., 1883-08-27
LIFE IN SIBERIA.
Whut They Eat aud Ao.o They Spend

Kolymsk, says: No matter how early
you may awaken in the morning you will
always find the mistress of the house.
hold 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-that is, until the
others wake up. Then she goes into the
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 chop
ping, returns with the breakfast. A
large, fiat, wooden tray is placed on the
floor, and the landlady, dropping off her
clothes, takes her position at one end,
position inelegantly but accurately de-
scribed as "squatting." The family
and their guests gather around the
board on either side, lying fiat on their
stomachs 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 portions of fresh blubber, which
the lady of the house cuts with large
chopping-knife. The approved method
of eating this food is to take 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 will, 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 I 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
Iarge piece of walrus hide, which has a
small portion of blubber attached to it
and the hair still on the outside. When
the meat is rotton 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 absolutely impossible to chew
it, or rather to effect it by chewing.
Even the dogs will chew perhaps for
half 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. It is really the most
palatable dish Of the meal, and furnishes
something for the stomach to act upon
that generally occupies It's attention till
the following meal, but it is astonishing
how easily a meat diet is digested,
and how soon ones appetite
returns after having gorged at
such meal. When forced to lie over
on account Of storms or some notion of
Wanker's, and with nothing to do and
nothing to read, It seemed to me that all
[ did was to lie on my back and watch
for indications of the next meal. Tt was
all there was to break the monotony IN
less my pipe needed cleaning. This was
always welcome task, for by due care.
fulness I could generally make it last for
half day. There are usually two meals
day in a we'll provided Tchouktchis
household-the breakfast just described
and dinner, which comes on late in the
evening. The dinner is almost Identical
in form with the breakfast, except that
there is most always some hot cooked
meat that follows the course of walrus
hide. Some times the second course at
breakfast or dinner may be frozen seal
or reindeer meat, but the first and third
courses are invariable, unless charged
by force of circumstances beyond the
control of the householder. Besides
these two meals there is always similar
service to any guest who may arrive
during the day from a distance, and all
present share his luncheon with him,
and not unfrequently beat him out un-
less he watches closely and keeps HIM
self well provided. I speak feelingly Of
this matter, for so often have I had a
luncheon put before me and devoured
by those who had perhaps but just fin
ished meal, while Ipolitely fingered so
rs not to appear too ravenous. I got
over such trifing finally, and could take
my place at the board with full con-
fidence that I would get at least my