Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
600 LE ROY’’S NARRATIVE OF FOUR RUSSIAN SATLORS,
blue and white foxes. The latter are called Peftzi in Ruffia, on account of their ftrong
refemblance to a kind of Iceland dog, which the German fhepherds ufually have for
guarding their fheep: the word pes fignifying a dog in the Rufian tongue.
’ When they ventured themfelves againft the white bear, of which in all they killed
ten, they ran great rifk of their life. ‘Thefe wild animals are poffefled of uncommon
ftrength, and defend themfelves with extraordinary obftinacy; fo that, excepting the
firft which I have mentioned, they never defignedly encountered them : the nine others
were killed in their own defence when attacked by them: feveral of thefe had even
proceeded as far as into the entrance of the hut to tear them in pieces. It is true, all
thefe wild animals did not fhew the fame courage, if I may fo exprefs myfelf, whether
from being lefs excited by hunger, or lefs furious by nature; fome of them running
away at the cries which the men made while preparing themfelves to drive them back,
Neverthelefs their different attempts occafioned thefe poor men un{peakable inquietude :
they never ventured to any diftance alone, nor without being armed with their lances
to protect them from the violence of the bears; being continually under apprehenfion
of being devoured by them. ‘Thefe three defcriptions of wild animals were the only
food of our iflanders during the whole of their ftay in that defert country.
Men do not reflect upon all their means at once: it is commonly the need of a thing
which opens their eyes, and impels them to think of expedients which otherwife would
not have been conceived. The juftnefs of this obfervation was more than once ex-
perienced by our failors. Duringa long period they were under the neceflity of eating
their meat almoft raw, without falt, the want of which they felt feverely, and without
bread. The immoderate cold of thefe climates, and the few conveniences the poflefled,
did not allow them to cook their victuals in a proper manner: in their hut they only
found a ftove of the Ruffian fafhion, and confequently of a defcription which could not
ferve for making a kettle boil. On the other hand, wood was much too precious to
them to keep up two fires, and were they to kindle one without the houfe, it would
not ferve to warm them, a matter of the higheft importance in fuch a rigid clime.
Finally, the continual dread of expofing themfelves to the white bears hindered them
from cooking in the openair. I fhall now make one remark. Allowing that in fpite
of the beforementioned impedimeuts they fhould have attempted this meafure, it would
yet have been impracticable throughout a great part of the year : and certainly, the ex-
ceflive cold which almoft always reigns in thefe regions, the long abfence of the fun,
which leaves them for months enveloped in complete darknefs, the inconceivable falls
of {now, which take place at certain periods, and the long duration of the rainy feafon
at others; thefe circumftances muft have foon obliged them to change their intention,
even fhould they have refolved upon it.
How then were they to remedy the inconvenience of being obliged to eat their meat
almoft raw? Their ingenuity pointed out the place to them of fufpending it from the
roof of the hut. In the defcription of it, I have obferved that every day it was filled
with fmoke from the height of a fitting perfon to the top. Now this was actually a
fmeking chamber ; then they hung their meat on wooden pegs, faftened on the outfidé
of the upper part of the roof of their hut, fo that their foes the bears could not reach
them : there they left it the whole fummer through, expofed to the frefh air, and the
wind: it dried extremely well, and ferved them in lieu of bread, making them relifh
their other meat which was but half cooked. After they had made this experiment,
and it had fucceeded fo much to their comfort, as to fatisfy their fulleft wifhes; they
ever after continued the practice of it, and increafed their ftock of provifion as much as
they were able.
It
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
