New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-24

Arctic work. There is one thing besides those
I have mentioned which | consider good. and
that is compressed pea soup. 1t has great
deal OF nutriment in It and is especially pala-
table. But il can be DISPENSED with, if reduc-
ton of weight becomes a highly important
point for the pcmmican and biscuit are trust
worthy standbys.
THE JOYS OF FRESH MEAT
THE fresh meat is great item. and the more
can get OF 1t the more can save of our
regular provisions, not to mention the delight
Of tasting it after long course Of canned stuff.
Near the coast we can find seal. walrus and
narwhal. which are all available and various
kinds OF water fowl. the best Of which is the
aux. or Arctic duck. / have seen these ducks
as far north Thank God Harbor. the old
Polars winter quarters, just south of Robson
Channel on the inland cecap. musk oxen have
been found as far north as any has ever
been. There were numbers of them near Inde-
rendence Bay when vas there in 1892. Steaks
cut from them are tender and delicious when
broiled."
In speaking Of the way In which the Esqui-
maus eat seal and walrus meat Lieutenant
Peary said that the popular impression that
these people ate pure fat and drank clear oil
not correct.
AFTER cutting up tne ANNA! tney take q
piece Of the meat in hand and d piece Of
the outer layer of soft blubber in the other, and
bite from each alternately. 1t is something
like eating butter with bread They do not
make meal off the blubber alone. I have Of
ten eaten in precisely the same way and really
enjoyed the food. The bubber from a freshly
killed animal has not an unpleasant taste
What can | compare T. tor he asked appeal
ing again to Mrs. Peary: wouldn't you say
it was something like fresh butter%'
But Mrs. Peary's Imagination refused to go
as far as this.
"Oh. dear: no. she exclaimed: its much
more like lard. If it's even as good that. You
know. these Esquimau articles Of food are not
really pleasant" she said laughingly to the rc-
porter. you haze to acquire a taste for them
and it is considerably harder TO acquire than
the proverb;al taste for olives"
Asked about her housekeeping experiences at
the headquarters Whal. Sound Redcfe
House, Mrs. Pear told several interesting
things. On the first exoedtiC1 she did all the
cooking and naturally found rathe~ different
conditions governing that work there than are
customary.
THAWING OUT THE FOOD.
1--WE always had to remember" she said. "to
bring everything in from the storehouse "a dag
in advance of the time we wanted to use il
That to thaw the different articles out,
took hours to get them into ut condition for
cooking. We used kerosene oil as a fuel for this
finding that 1t made less waste and worked bet
ter than anything else. although we had coat
for heating purposes. When the food was fin
ally thawed. there was no more trouble in cook
ing and serving ii than there would have been
anywhere else.
II always took pride in having my room look
as cosey as possible. and amused myself a
good deal in decorating II with such things AZ
| had ! must have produced some effect for
when the different men would droJ I'm to see {,
they always said the same thng-that il was
easily seen that woman lived there Although
Ii was 80 comfortable. however STAYING in the
house all the time would have been dreadfulIy
monotonous, and went out nearly every dav
If possible. even in the bitterly cold weather
when We had TO watch one anOthers faces for
fear of their becoming frosted a happens easily
without the owners Knowledge"
one Of the most important PRINCIPLES upon
which Lieutenant Peary works Is the irnitation
Of the Esquimaus in many things In talking
OF this. he said:
FOLLOWING THE ESQUIMAT EXAMPLE,
1T is only reasonable to assume that those
people. having lived for generations under tn.
severe conditions Of the Arctic lands have
evolved the best methods Of meeting tb. needs
Of their daily existence. Everything they ear
or wear. and everything i'm the way Of sledeas
or other equipments which they possess they
have proved by long experience TO be tho most
suitable articles OF their respective kinds All
their thought is directed toward the Improve
ment Of these few things. which represent to
them not only the necess iries. but the comforts
ard luXures Of life. far as they can under
stand those terms
The explorer learns. by following their habits
OF eating. TO get along in many places with no
canned food whatever. make only slight
changes in the ordinary Esquimau costume Ia
adapt II 10 my own and ray companions use
In my sledses I found that the EsCuimau ideas
Of building could not be improved upon when
oil. -s-ac
items familiar - these people or course when
1t came 10 travelling over the rough inland ice