Report of the Marlborough College Natural History Society (Founded April 9th, 1864), for the Year Ending Volume 81-86; Nos. 1932-1937 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871 Excerpt: ...tho ordinary meal of an ordinary Esquimaux. I have heard of a Marlborough Prefect (the story may be only a legend) who consumed at a single breakfast 16 eggs: but 16 eggs would only whet the outside of the appetite of an Esquimaux. He can consume with the greatest ease nine or ten pounds of meat at a meal; and even after the heavy-armed hoplites, namely, the Esquimaux himself, is completely routed, the attack is renewed by the light-armed peltasts, namely his wife, whe, while her husband lies gorged and helpless on his back, keeps on stuffing his mouth full of pieces of blubber. And you must not imagine that this consumption of eatables disqualifies him for tho consumption of drinkables: quite the reverse. An Esquimaux once came on board of an English ship which had gone out for an Arotio exploration, and signified that he was thirsty. On being asked what he would have he decided in favour of rum, or as ho euphemistically called it, "hot water." Having drunk ten glasses of this hot water, he deteoted in himself a slight tendency to walk in a oircle, and asked for some cold water. Of this he promptly gulped down eleven pints, and then, deolaring himself perfectly satisfied, got into his canoo again and paddled off to shoro. Since the Esquimaux needs so much animal food, and siuce it is impossible for him to rear flocks and herds, it follows naturally that he must support himself by the produce of the chase. Every Esquimaux is a hunter, and their gamo is chiefly of four kinds, seals, walruses, reindeer, and sea birds. The ingenuity which he displays in hunting is, like that of all savage nations, remarkable. Seals especially are extremely shy, and almost the only way in which the hunter can kill them is by watching for them at their breathing holes....