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1861 Mon. Feb 11 draw the tea-kettle down the "Inclined plane" (a very convenient adjunct to all Inuit Fire-Lights) over the ik-ku-mer (Fire L) that by breakfast time we have in readiness a Bowl each of good hot coffee. I say 'fortunately' more particularly for Ebierbing's sake, as he had spent the day & night preceeding fixedly-bound indeed (the feet & legs of an Inuit Sealer are really tied together in cold weather, tuk-too skins (furs) being enwrapped by cords drawn lightly) over a Seal-hole, with but a moderate amount of food to eat. By the by, every time E. was out sealing, I do him up a little package of Pork & sea biscuit of wh. he is very fond that when he continues his absence for a considerable length of time he may have 'something to make him feel [[underlined]] good' [[/underlined]] as he declares it does! The "Baked beans" for E. I had taken the precaution to place on the In-ne-tan (the net-work over the Ik-Ku-Mer ^[[Fire Light) on wh. all articles required drying are placed) that they might be well thawed out by Morning. The "Beans" required a little additional softening, so Tuk-oo-li-too put in a few spoonfulls of [[underlined]] hot coffee [[/underlined]] ere I could stay her hand! Nevertheless E. in eating them said he never tasted anything that wasn't better! I distributed the last of the Yankee "Wheat Bread" so kindly sent me by Capt. B. to my 2 Innuit friends keeping an equal share for my own eating at same time. All in all, our breakfast was first rate. Mine & Tuk-oo-li-toos consisted of hot coffee (without milk or sweetening) & a Junk of Wheat Bread, a slice of Boiled salt pork each. Never enjoyed eating better than I do in our Igloo! Breakfast over, with Ebierbing commenced sharpening Knives preparatory to opening up [[underlined]] the 'Feast'! [[/underlined]] We do'nt need daily papers here, or telegraphic wires. The News of capturing a seal seems to be known [[underlined]] at once [[/underlined]] by every resident of the town! "Jack," the moderate sealer, was on hand almost simultaneously to seal's placement in our Igloo. He brought his sheving (Seal-knife) with wh. he not only assisted E in skinning & opening & cutting up 'Pussy' (Innuits since white man intercourse with them call the Nei-ti-ung (Seal 'Pussy') but at almost [[end page]] [[start page]] 1861 Mon Feb 11 every stroke beautifully helped himself to seal meat & ook-sook eating the same as he proceeded with his work wh. he prolonged just as long as he thought a generous man's forbearance would allow him. Ebierbing & Tuk-oo-li-too told me to keep my place, which was back upon the bed, & participate fully in the Seal Feast. I accepted the command with the grace of a good soldier knowing that just such a Battle with good things would do my whole system a kindness that I had too long willfully withheld from it! Tuk-oo-li-too acted the part of distributer. She Oo-Kood-lear, Punnie & Koo-Koo-yer were along side of me, each one [[underlined]] hungry in every sense of the word. [[/underlined]] My 1st beginning was on a piece of raw seal liver accompanied with Ook-sook the latter used as a butter to the Liver. O, how good - yes, [[underlined]] Good [[/underlined]] - was the eating of this compound! I have often tried the eating of Seal liver cooked; but thus, it as often made me sick. Then its taste, when cooked, tho' good, is far inferior to it when eaten raw. This finished a tier of Seal ribs were given me well covered with deep red raw seal meat & Blood! All but the bones were soon stored away in my abdominal pantry. A section of the vertebrae covered as the ribs came next. I finished off with a huge piece of solid seal meat from what particular locality of the Seal I knew not - & [[underlined]] cared not [[/underlined]] so long as I found it [[underlined]] par excellence! [[/underlined]] It will be understood that at a "Seal Feast" all that is eaten is [[underlined]] Raw! [[/underlined]] Never did I think that I would love Raw meat as [[underlined]] I now do! [[/underlined]] I can say that I like (yes [[underlined]] delight [[/underlined]] in) eating seal raw & warm in its death blood - Seal [[underlined]] raw & frozen [[/underlined]] - Seal [[underlined]] cooked with Blood [[/underlined]] - Seal [[underlined]] broiled, fried [[/underline]] & in every other conceivable way in wh. it can be prepared. Better than all I like the Seal RAW! Tuk-oo-li-too at X o'clock AM send to each Igloo a liberal portion of the Seal meat, blood, liver & Ook-sook
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