The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-21

after which the religious features Of the oc-
casion are at an end, dancing begins
and merriment terminates IN grand sup
per. The special feature of this feast
is the Christmas night salad, safdda de la
aochs Buena, made of lettuce, beets, celery
and mavonnaise dressing. With this is
served boned turkey, jellies and black cof-
fee. the flavor of which in Mexico is espe-
cially delicious. This supper Immediately
succeeds the 7nisd dc gallo, the impressive
midnight mass. The seventh day of the
Posndos falls on Christmas eve,.when the
aocsmento takes place. This curious GUS
tom portrays by means of dolls the various
races and their occupations, the puppets
being carefully dressed after the manner of
each country represented Where the
wealth of family will admit of such a
thing individual exhibits are held. The
whole is preserved intact for weeks after
Christmas and nightly exhibited to rela-
tives or specially invited friends. At the
present day the Posados contain far less of
their religious character than formerly, and
are retained almost exclusively as social
gatherings"
CHRISTMAS AT THE NORTH POLE.
OF all the noted travellers in Washington,
there is not one who has spent "A sadder
Christmas than General Greedy, the head
of the signal service. / talked with him
last night as to his Christmas of 1883. 1t
was spent in the miserable little hut of ice
and snow at Cape Sabine. Cape Sabine
was reached by the party of Arctic explor-
ers in their southwark search for succor in
October, and on the Goth of that month
General Greedy and the men under his
charge took possession of the hut.
Although the scant supply of food
showed steady decrease from
this date, the men one and all
seemed by common consent to buoy up
their spirits looking forward to the great
Christmas festival as though it were to
prove, even in that land of drifting snow
and eternal ice, time of merriment and
rejoicing. All the while, with the fright
full silence of the polar night about them,
the cruel ice king ever advancing nearer
and nearer with his life-destroying touch,
the party of explorers were looking for
ward to the winter solstice, the burst of
sunlight through the gloom which should
announce the coming of the Christmas
child, the birthday of the Lord, the
grading of the infant Jesus in Bethlehem.
At length the morning dawns, for which
all have so long looked forward, and with
the barometer at %. SO, thermometer at 35 5,
breakfast is served of thin soup of peas
and carrots with a-little blubber and some
spoonfuls of potatoes. This meal was
eaten at 6 O'Clock, after which cloud ber-
rieS were served out-two cans to each
mess. At o'clock came the grand event
of the day, the Christmas dinner, in
honor of which brave show of lights was
made in the hut. The cooks having been
allotted an extra gill of rum on that oc-
casion, did their duty bravely, notwith-
standing the great trouble which they en-
countered from the smoke, there being
very little wind. The menu consisted of a
fine rich stew of all seal meat with onions,
a little blubber, potatoes and bread crumbs.
This dish was enjoyed, not only because
of the savory ingredients, but because in
the diary of each and all is chronicled the
pathetic fact that the quantity for the
once was sufficient to satisfy hunger.
After the lapse of an hour, dessert was
served of another stew, this time of rails
ms, blubber and milk. At O'Clock each
man was given cup of hot chocolate over
which they fingered long, exchanging
"reminiscences of home, recalling Injuries
of every description and entering into a
compact to pass the next Christmas to-
gether should fate allow of them returning
to civilization. Then followed singing,
the various songs taken from the French,
German, Danish and Innuit. So ended
General Greely's Christmas day at the
north pole, the last spent by him at Cape