224 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



The Emperor Darius (a pretty straightforward 

 one, I beUeve), growing sick of hearing of the ancient 

 customs of his people, and that nothing was right but 

 what had been done by them in past ages, had recourse 

 to the following expedient to cure them. He sent 

 for a dozen of his subjects, and put to them the follow- 

 ing question : " What reward shall I give to you if 

 you will promise to eat your fathers and your mothers 

 when they die ? " His subjects, with one voice, 

 exclaimed, they hoped His Majesty would not repeat 

 so unnatural a request, as nothing he could give them 

 — not even his kingdom — would induce them to 

 comply with it. On a signal being given, twelve 

 Indians, brought thither for the purpose, were ushered 

 into the Royal presence, and to whom the Emperor, 

 through his interpreter, put the following question : 

 " What reward shall I give to you not to eat your 

 fathers and your mothers when they die ? " The 

 savages fell upon their knees, and with yeUs and 

 lamentations implored the King not to enforce such a 

 command, as nothing should induce them to forego 

 so signal an act of respect to their departed parents. 



Having thus written, it may be easily imagined 

 that I was not to be deterred from clipping a hunter 

 because my forefathers had never clipped one before 

 me ; but, on the contrary, being eager to adopt any 

 experiment which may tend to promote my favourite 

 object — the condition of the hunter — I availed myself 

 of the first favourable opportunity of trying it ; and 

 I now give the result. 



In November 1824 I purchased a horse of fair 



