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1861 Dec 16 Mon

sent for.  Case was laid aside for the 2 saddles wh. were locked solid together by ice.  The 1st Instrument applied to this mass was a hand-saw.  Sampson plied this thing charged with a thousand or less teeth till saddle mass became 2 pieces.  On those he worked till they were reduced to the number of pieces of all present.  These were laid one side.  Then carcase was the subject again.  The shell was broken, split, & sawed in pieces.  In it was the "Kernel", to wh. all looked with anxious eyes.  My curiosity was again on tip-toe - but [[underlined]] 'Wait' [[/underlined]] was my bidding that craving creature I had within me - a [[underlined]] hungry [[/underlined]] stomach!
Soon this nucleus was reduced to as many pieces as that of the saddles & placed side by side saddle piece with neucleus piece.  Now came finishing of shell at wh. all took an active part, then followed the distribution of those luscious twin pieces wh. were the "all in all" attraction of the evening Feast!
I received mine from the hands of sweating "Sampson" with thankful hand & heart.  Where I sat was shaded by huge forms between me & the fire-lights (Ik-Ku-mers) but it mattered not, I could eat Venison as well in darkness as in the full blaze of a high noon day Sun!  One piece in one hand, the twin piece in the other, I commenced "duty to self-preservation" by adding Venison-fuel to the fires within.  I bit off of one - masticated & swallowed.  It was [[underlined]] good [[/underlined]] - the call from below was: 'Send down more of the [[underlined]] same [[/underlined]] sort.'  I bit off of the other.  It needed no mastication.  It fairly melted in my mouth -& - [[underlined]] slid down of itself!  It was delightful [[/underlined]] - a kind of acid, sorrel-[[underlined]] ambrosial [[/underlined]] taste.  'Send down [[underlined]] lots of that' [[/underlined]] was the hue & cry from below!  I could not hurry in reply to this for it was just like eating ice-cream.  Fast eating it takes off the delight & gives one aching teeth & a cold stomach.  So with this ambrosial piece that I was eating a fair proportion of it being ice.  I had the curiosity to crowd my way to a light to see what this Ice Cream like eating was.  I looked at it rolled it over - & looked again!  Behold it was the contents of a Rein-deer's Paunch!  Orders from down below were instantly telegraphed up: [[underlined]] 'Enough for to-night! [[/underlined]]  On this I