ered to assist him,
he begged that I would not, saying that such work would be derogatory to
a person of my exalted rank. He took the opportunity of telling me,
while no one was listening, that the natives were going to cut up the
elephant for the purpose of obtaining the fat, which they prize
exceedingly.

"You'll see, Mr Marsden, they will eat the whole of him up in a very
short time, though they value most the trunk and the fat."

It was now getting late in the day; and all hands having built their
huts, set to work to collect sticks and to dig holes in the ground.
Each hole was about two feet deep and three wide. Having lit huge fires
in them with rotten branches of trees, they proceeded to cut off the
trunk and feet of the elephant. They then scraped out the ashes, and
put a foot or a piece of the trunk in each hole, covering it first with
sand, and then with the hot ashes. A fresh fire was then made above the
hole; and when that had burned out, the feet were exhumed, and scraped
clean of the ashes. While these operations were going forward, I sat in
the hut Bigg had formed watching the proceedings. He had made a fire
also in front of the hut, at which he boiled some tea, which, with some
ham and biscuit, formed our evening meal. He had secured a piece of the
elephant's feet for Solon, who ate it with considerable satisfaction.

It was late in the night before the natives had finished their culinary
operations. They then came and invited us to join their feast; and
though I would gladly have excused myself, I did not think it prudent to
do so. I had a slice from the trunk and another from a foot presented
to me; and though I took it with reluctance, I was agreeably surprised
to find how very palatable it was. Bigg seemed also to relish it
exceedingly. Having made a good supper, we retired once more to our
hut; when Bigg having made up our fire to scare away any wild beasts who
might be disposed to pay us a visit, I fell asleep, with my faithful
Solon by my side. I knew full well that he would arouse us at the
approach of danger. Probably the noise made by the natives kept the
wild beasts away, otherwise the smell of the baked elephant would have
attracted them to the spot. When we awoke in the morning, we found the
natives preparing to cut up the elephant. Having removed the rough
outer skin, they cut off an inner one, with which they make bags for the
conveyance of water. The flesh is cut into st