Short and Singular Rations

Short story from Twain’s collection of works The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Sketches.

On Monday, the thirty-eighth day after the disaster, "we had nothing left," said the third mate, "but a pound and a half of ham – the bone was a good deal the heaviest part of it – and one soup-and-bully tin." These things were divided among the fifteen men, and they ate it all – two ounces of food to each man. I do not count the ham-bone, as that was saved for next day. For some time, now, the poor wretches had been cutting their old boots into small pieces and eating them. They would also pound wet rags to a sort of pulp and eat them.

United States -- Social life and customs, classic, short story,