Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-29
FACTS ABOUT ESKIMO FOOD.

That the question of food supplies Is
10 take an important part in the Cook
Peary controversy is indicated in an
assertion made recently by Commando!
Robert L. Peary, which is embodied Ia
| the following statement:
| while in the north. and by that !
mean the far north, we all lived like
Eskimos, In a way; that is, we lived
in igloos and wore Eskimo clothing But
| OF course we have not eaten the food
| of the EskimoS for obvious reasons.
The Eskimos live on raw whale and
| walrus meat and the uncooked flesh OF
| the musk OK. You cannot live on that
| when travelling over the sea Ice 9nd
| In the higher attitudes approaching the
| pole"
These arguments may sound con-
vincing to those who have never
been north of the Canadian border
and consequently have only q
faint conception OF conditions In
that frozen region which has been
penetrated by only a comparative
ly few of the civilized worlds popula-
tion but there Is class of hardy mar
liners whose vocation takes them annu-
ally far beyond the Arctic circle where
they experience year after year the
same dangers, undergo oftentimes more
severe hardships than have yet been re-
counted by either Peary or Cook They
are the northern whalemen, who. on
many occasions during their yearly pill
grlmage to the Arctic ocean, risk Their
lives-whicl1 are often sacriflced-in the
pursuit OF a $1,000 whale, and they can
tell a different story.
During the winter months their stap;o
article of food is raw warlus or whale
blubber, and they subsist on little else
during that season, mainly for the rea-
son that they cannot procure other
food. Occasionally they break their
long period of Information by emerging
from the underground dugouts of their
winter quarters to capture few ducks,
the flesh of which is so salty as to
make 1t almost unpalatable for the
ordinary civilized human being. but
which is prepared into a concoction re-
Sembllng a stew, and is about the only
cooked food they enjoy.
Just before the formation of "yotInp
Ice" drove our vessel out of the Arctic
ocean. and when the Eskmos at Point
Hope. on the Alaskan coast. were
preparing to enter their novels, l had
the opportunity to inspect one of the
"dugouts" and be present at the family
meal. A disgusting sight it was. The
only things resembling an eating uten-
sil in sight were a sheath knife, prob
ably purchased from some sailor OF the
whaling fleet, and a weapon resembling
a knife. which had been fashioned from
piece of iron cask hoop, and these
We're used only to cut from a huge
hunk of whale blubber piece small
enough to be handled with their fists
~ small fire cast q fltful light
around the gloomy cave. and around it
the men, women and children of tho
family squatted. tailor fashion. Even
among the half civilized tribes of
Hawaii, from where our ship sailed
Cnr1U In tho l,o
natives dig their two fingers into q
calabash of poi which they convey
ed artistically to their mouths. but
there was touch of daintiness about
the performance which compelled ad-
mlration. The Eskimo manner OF feed
in, however, suggested only the glut-
tony of the fllthiest of farm animals
But the statement that a white man
cannot live on such food is best con-
troverted by the experiences of q
sailor named Vincent, who was the
sole survivor OF the crew OF forty of
the whaling bark Napoleon, wrecked
in scattering ice that same year. He
got to the main ice pack and succeeded
In reaching a native village.
One chilly day in early May VIM
cent staggered into the native camp
and fell exhausted at the feet of the
stolid Esllimos, who subsequently, |
proved to be his preservers. The ships |
ulu Hol ueul oI MS pllSnI until they |
went north the following season. When |
a relief expedition finally rescued
Vincent he was healthier, greasier and
hlthier than when he began his long
years fare of uncooked whale and
walrus fat
Long afterward, when relating his
experience to mo in San Francisco.
Vincent said that at first he was sure
he would not bo able to survive long
on such fare, but not many weeks
bad passed before he was able TO
pick up his hunk OF oily blubber and
devour IT with relish.
II dreamed Of days when might get