Amador ledger., 1909-11-05

several months for n chance use in the
last stages Of the return; but, since
food supplies are necessarily limited,
delay Is fatal Therefore when open
water prevents progress a boat be-
comes in the nature Of a life pre-
server.
Foolish indeed is the explorer who
ignores this detail of the problem.
Transport of a boat, however, offers
many serious objections. Nansen In
troduced the kayak. and most explor-
ers since have adopted the same de-
vice. The Eskimo canoe serves the
purpose very well, but to carry 1t for
three months without hopeless destruc-
tion requires an amount of energy
which stamps the polar yept.re with
I failure.
Selecting a Boat.
Sectional boats, aluminium boats.
skin floats and other devices have been
tried. but to all there is the same fatal
objection OF impossible transportation.
1t seems rather odd that the ordinary
folding canvas boat has not been press
cd into this service.
We found it to it the situation ex-
actly, selecting twelve foot Eureka
shaped boat with wooden frame. The
Stats. spre9ders and floor pieces were
utilized as parts of slcds. The can
vas cover served as a floor cloth for
our sleeping bags Thus the boat did
useful service for a hundred days and
was never in evidence as cumber-
some device.
When Mt last the craft was spread
and covered. in it we carried the sled,
in II we camped. in it we sought game,
the meat OF which took the place of
exhausted supplies. Without it we,
too, would not have returned.
Preparation of the staple food sup
ply is of ever greater Importance than
means Of locomotion. TO the success
of a prolonged arctic enterprise in
transit successive experience is bound
to dictate a wise choice of equipment. |
but it does not often educate the
stomach.
From the published accounts of arc
tic travellers it is impossible to select |
a satisfactory menu for future eNplor-
ers, and hasten to add that perhaps
our experience will be equally unSatis-
factory to subsequent victims.
Nor is it safe to listen to scientific
advice, for the stomach is the one or
gan Of the body which stands as the
autocrat over every other human sense
and passion and will not easily yield
to foreign dictates.
The problem differs with every man.
1t differs with every expedition. and it
is radically different with every ma
tion. Thus when De Gerlache forced |
Norwegian food into French stomacbs
he learned that there was a nationality |
in gastronomieS.
Depending on Eskimo Food.
In this respect, as in others, was
helped very much by the people who
were to line up my forces. The Eski-
mo is ever hungry, but his taste is
normal. Things of doubtful value in
nutrition form no part in his dietary. !
Animal food, meat and fat, is entirely |
satisfactory as steady diet without |
other adjuncts. His food requires nei !;
ther salt nor sugar, nor is cooking a !
matter of necessity.
Quantity is important. but quality !
applies only to the relative proportion |
of fat. With this key to the CASTRO
nomics of our lockers, pemmican was
selected as the staple food, which also
served equally we'll for the dogs.
We had an ample supply of penn
mican, made by Armo''r, Of pounded
dried beef sprinkled with Il few
raisins, some currants and a small
OuontitV of sugar This mixture was |