200 ELEPHANTS' FLESH. 



heating, and believe that many of the vultures which feed on it die. In 

 cutting up an elephant they think it necessary to oil their hands and arms, 

 believing the blood will cause serious skin affections. It was not till my 

 men had seen me at work up to my elbows, and unoiled, that they would 

 dispense with the precaution. In Chittagong the hill-people were glad to 

 get elephants' flesh, and always carried away every morsel of those that died 

 during our hunting operations. One, which I had had covered with earth, 

 as it died inside one of the kheddahs, and would have interfered with our 

 work, was exhumed after we left and eaten by the Joomas. 



Elephants' feet make unique footstools ; the fore-feet being round, are 

 better adapted for this purpose than the hind, which are oval. The feet 

 should be cut off a few inches below the knee, and the bones and flesh 

 must be taken out. This is hard work, and strong knives are necessary. 

 It facilitates the operation to slit the foot down behind, and sew the cut up 

 afterwards ; but this is not absolutely necessary, and is better avoided if 

 possible. The feet should, when cleaned, be well rubbed inside and out 

 with arsenical soap, and folded away for convenience of packing. They 

 will keep in this state till the sportsman's return to headquarters, when they 

 must be softened by many hours' soaking in warm water ; they are then 

 to be rubbed again with arsenical soap. After this they should be placed 

 in the sun, filled with sand, and all loss by shrinking prevented by fre- 

 quent ramming. When thoroughly hard and dry the sand must be removed 

 and the feet stuffed with coir. The nails should be scraped till quite white, 

 and the skin should be covered with a coating of lamp-black. Both skin 

 and nails should then be varnished, and the top of the foot covered with 

 panther's skin, or with velvet or other material, secured round the edge by 

 large-headed brass or silver nails, and a velvet band. Small feet make 

 good cheroot-boxes for the table with a mahogany tray inside, partitioned 

 off for different sizes, and a mahogany or silver lid, surmounted by a small 

 silver elephant to lift it off by. They can also be made up into tobacco- 

 boxes, ink-stands, small boxes for a lady's table, &c. 



