Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-06
MOST UNSAVORY MENU.
What the Native AIaskans ike to Eat-De- cayed Fish and Ripe Eggs and
 Other Decacies.
Portland Oregonian.

Portland Oregonian.
 As Alaskan diet is peculiar, let us glance over the Eskimo menu, and while 1 present the dishes, you-weil, you can hold your nose. We need not mind the more sample articles of diet, such as whales and walruses, but only the en- trees. The first and most highly es- teemed of these is a fragrant, dainty, justly termed tuplicherat (from the rad ical tupchartok, to stlnk). It is always made during the warm season, at the time of the salmon fishery. The prepara- tionS which Is extremely simple, is as fol- lows: A hole is dug in the ground close to the entrance of IntV barrabora, and this is filled up with raw salmon heads. After ten days of exposure to the sun, the hole presents a lively sight, for the fish heads are in constant motion few days longer to allow the worms their full growth, and then the family gather to the banquet and not Vestige of the pu1 trified mass will remain, but the scent of the roses will cling to 1t still"
 The second variety is somewhat more gamy, and consists of eggs expressly selected later on, just at the period when mother goose was considering that her sedentary laborS were almost concluded. 1 have watched (of course, from the windward side) a group of bons vivants gathered around a fire deVouring half cooked rotten eggs and constantly adding more to the pot, until they were so com pletely gorged that like drunken men, they would fall over, one by one, and sleep "Kammack" comes next. Com pared with the others it will appear deli cous It is a mayonnaise, consisting of stale fish roe mashed up with stale sal mon berries, and highly favored with stale seal oil. Tumutchok Is the next, and very similar in composition. Tn place of roe, the raw liver of small species of codfish are mixed with the berries and seal oil. We are now at the pride of the menu-akutok, the choicest of all Eskimo delicacies This Arctic ambrosia is composed of salmon berries, seal oil and deer tallow. These ingredi ents are boiled together, and when cool are mixed with snow, refreshing com pound worthy to rank with some of our Ice cream. This glance at the diet or society in the upper circle" will convince you that my account of their odorlrer- ous properties is not strained.
 As might be imagined, their foul food causes much sickness among them Whenever any one is even slightly m- disposed, he will come directly to us, so we always keep a quantity or medicine at the mission. Castor oil is of no use whatever, sor we cannot convince our beniahted invalids that it is nauseous remedy and not delicious foreign cor dial. We have to limit dose to four tablespoonfuls and allow only one dose at a sickness, relapses included. An old fellow called Avunok happened to have slight attack of the usual complaint Git was about the egg season. and came to us for treatment. It was AVunoks s first introduction to castor oil. In the transport of delight he unwarily ex- claim "ashertok" (splendid). His com plaint at once assumed chronic form, with no prospect of recovery. He came twice, day, and then three times. Un- fortunately for him, the "ashertok" be- trayed him. so we changed the treat mentl and administered tomato can of strong epson salts, which immediately wrought cure.
 Strange to say, these people never use salt, and have no relish whatever for anything saline. Pills present the same difficulty as castor oil, our patients ob- stinately refusing ito take them"-for they will persist in slowly chewing up the delightful little bon bons. let them chew till they finish the sixth. After that, if more medicine is needed, 1t is epson salts. in spite of all entreaties.
 Missionaries here must expect a great deal of medical practice It Is very i'm portant and serves, moreover, to weaken the popular confidence in the tunroks, or scorers, who are called on to per form their grotesque antics over tha sick
 Tn our vicinity the adherents of the old school of therapeutics have gradually disappeared. Invalids no longer seek re- lief from bal masque,' or hope for benefit from the sedative influence of the drum and rattle.