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[[margin]] 1860 Tuesday Oct. 30 [[/margin]]

on the spot & found to be 2 feet.  If this early 2 feet - ice, what will it be 6 months hence?  The engaged gang of "drawers of water & wine soon under way conveying the crystal water to the Boat.  The distance was about 1/8 of a mile! Smith, finding all going like clock work tho' on slow time (Esquimaux always take their own time in doing every thing!) proposed I & he should call around in the tents.  Smith lifted the folding door (pendant skins) leading into the nearest tupic (tent) & [[underlined]] stuck in his head [[/underlined]], leaving the body outside.  I cried out go ahead!  Time measured by 15 swings of a 39 inch pendulum would not exceed that which Smith spent in the position I have just described.  Smith withdrew his head with a , Whew! - By thunder & blazes!  I'm not going in there! It's full - [[underlined]] full & crowded [[/underlined]] - & stinks!  - O my horror!  how it looms up!  Smith withdrew in earnest & proceeded to amuse himself with the numerous Esquimaux dogs that were on every hand.  I, for one, was determined not to back out in paying the intended visit.  Bowing down almost to a horizontal point in went [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] head, shoulders body & all!  I came up butt against a doz. Esquimaux - lusty fellows all crowded together in a heap & each one armed with a knife!  Do'nt be alarmed!  The knives were being [[underlined]] pacifically [[/underlined]] used cutting off seal strips as they were shoved, nail-machine fashion, into their ponderous mouths.  My eye caught sight of my noble friend, Ku-jesse, seated in the back part of the tent [[strikethrough]] beside [[/strikethrough]] between two pretty Esquimaux engaged ^[[with his companions]] doing full justice to a dish of [[blank space left, presumably for the native name for this dish]] smoking hot seal blood!  I hailed Kujesse by name.  He saw me - & felt abashed.  I regretted this, but sympathising his position that he unnecessarily repeated, I immediately restored his equilibrium by calling out for some seal-meat.  The lady at his left who presided over the Cook-pan at once drew forth about 4 inches of seal vertebrae, surrounded by Capital good eating meat!  This sharing the "feast" of the company put all in good humor. On the right side of the entrance were the cut-up carcasses of two or 3 seals including "internals"!  The dish of hot seal-blood that was being constantly passed round [[underlined]] was [[/underlined]] the favorite dish of all - except myself - strange to say, before I left that tent it was the favorite with me!  The dish had been the rounds several times & replenished by the accomplished hostess as often - I finally screwed up my courage that I should [[underlined]] try [[/underlined]] the contents of that dish, though I confess I [[underlined]] did hope [[/underlined]] the external appearance of the dish (which probably had never been through the cleaning process) was not a fair sample or index of what was within.  My resolution was good for the deed!  When the dish came again to those beside me, I cried out: Ku-jesse 'Pe-e-uke' pointing to it?  Ar-ma-larny!  Armalarange! was the reply.  All eyes were fixed upon me when I took the dish which was now urged upon me [[strikethrough]] not none [[/strikethrough]] ^[[none]] having any idea before, that I would participate in this.  The custom of the Exquimaux in participating in drinking seal-blood is to take one long 'S-O-O-O-p' one mouthful & then pass on to the next till the round is made.  I followed suit!  To my surprise I found it [[strikethrough]] was [[/strikethrough]] good!  Good?  I found it [[underlined]] superlatively [[/underlined]] so!  [[strikethrough]] at the [[/strikethrough]] She who presided, seeing I [[strikethrough]] liked [[/strikethrough]] was pleased with it, instantly made ready a pretty little cup which [[underlined]] was clean (?) outside & in [[/underlined]] ^[[as an Esquimaux could make it]] & filled it with seal-blood, which I sipped down with as much satisfaction as any food I ever eat in my life!  For a while I felt at a loss what return I could make upon the spot to the lady of the "tupic".  I had no Su-pong-ers (beads) no tobacco, no Mik-kurs (needles), nothing with me, save a watch