"Well, then," began the captain, "I was once in a country where it was very cold, and the poor people could scarcely keep themselves from starving.
"They were clothed partly in the skins of beasts, made smooth and soft by some particular art; but chiefly in garments made from the outer covering of an animal cruelly stripped off its back while alive.
"They lived in houses partly sunk below the ground. These houses were mostly built of stones or of earth hardened by fire.
"The walls of the houses had holes to let in light; but to prevent the cold air and rain from coming in, they were covered with a sort of transparent stone, made of melted sand.
"As wood was rather scarce, they used for fuel a certain kind of stone which they dug out of the earth, and which, when put among burning wood, catches fire and makes a bright flame."
"Dear me!" said Harry. "What a wonderful stone! Why didn't you bring a piece home with you, father?"
"I have a piece, which I will show you some time," replied the captain. "But to go on with my story.
"What these people eat is remarkable, too. Some of the poor people eat fish which had been hung up and smoked until quite dry and hard, and along with it they eat the roots of plants, or coarse, black cake made of powdered seeds.
"The rich people have a whiter kind of cake upon which they spread a greasy matter that is obtained from a large animal. They eat also the flesh of many birds and beasts when they can get it, and the leaves and other parts of a variety of vegetables—some raw and others cooked.
"For drink they use the water in which certain dry leaves have been steeped. These leaves, I was told, came from a country a great distance away.