Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-07-01
AMID ARCTIC SHOWS.


New BnpIorer renry subsisted while
On uis Trip 20 the Froren North.
Lieut.. Peary. whose brilliant exploits
N the far north have only been eclIpsed
thus far by DR.. Nansen, has impaired
few Of his ideas in housekeeping in
the arctic regions. OF course the mhin-
stay OF the larder Is n supply Of canned
articles, such as preserves, jams, bis
cults, vegetables, butter, tea, coffee,
chocolate, coooa and, in short, every
variety Of food that IA capable u being
preserved in canister. Such supplies
are, Of course, most useful on board the
ship; during sledge journeys II Is, how
ever, different. "On these" said Peary,
~tbere must be the sternest simplicity
in the matter OF food. The changes
which / should make in another ex-
petitions sledge equipment would be
all In the direction OF cutting down
the variety Of food supplies. Their,
are lust four things In the way OF pro-
visions that 1 should take, and those
are pemmican, ships biscuit, tea and
condensed milk. A fifth article would
be furnished In the shape Of fresh meat
Of any kind that we might kill on tie
woy. On my previous journey took
n great many things that were not only
useless, but worse, because they mere
ly added weight to the sledges and thus
wasted our strength unnecessarily. II
man cannot get along with pemmican
and biscuit, with tea TO drink, the arctic
regions are no place for him. He
mustat expect the. luNuries Of hotea
dSnreg.
'Pemmican IL beef mixed with a con-
siderable quantity OF suet. II is the
staple arctic food, and Is not ri oil dis
agreeable TO the taste. IL IL much com
pressed One pound OF II Is equal TO
four pounds Of ordinary meat, so that
the carrying Of Il reduces the sledgc
weight very much. One pound Of II Is
the daily ration for n man. OF the
hard ship biscuit one pound is also a
days allowance, and Of tea about n
quart. These rations are consumed al
most always In two meals, which are
all we have time 70 stop for on sledge
Journeys.
"The tea is in compressed. quarter
pound cakes, which are further marked
on, somewhat like a cake Of chocolate,
into little divisions Of n quarter-ounce
each. One Of these makes pint OF
tea, and II Is stronger than one general
" drinks at home. The condensed milk
Is the ordinary article which you see
everywhere. IL freezes, of course, often
perfectly solid, but that does not impair
Il. Tea Is the only drink for sledge
Journeys. Coffee is not satisfactory,
nor is chocolate OF cocoa, which pro-
duces thirst. Lime juice I have no faith
IN at all, and I shall never try II again.
II has always been thought necessary
60 counteract tendency TO scurvy,
from the consumption of 80 much salt
and fatty food. But l never had any
indications Of scurvy in any OF my
party.
"Dried vegetables have been carried
by some explorers, and while they are
well enough to have at the headquor-
tsrs, where, rs / said, there may be
any variety one chooses, they are en-
tirely superfluous while sledging. a
fnnn can get along perfectly well with
out vegetables; in fact. l never eat
them, even at home, and there isn't
much nourishment in them for arctic
work. There is only one thing besides
those have mentioned which l consid-
er good, and that is compressed pea
soup. II has = great deal of nutriment
in Il and is especially palatable. But IL
can be disroased ~;th " reduction 1f
weight becomes a highly important
point, for the pemmican and biscuit
are trustworthy stand-bys."-N. Y. TED
eQram