AN EXCELLENT DISH. 269 



were also hurrying to the feast, fit associates for those 

 that they were going to join, although I very much 

 doubt whether the vulture or human beings would 

 make the most repulsive exhibitions of themselves. 



The subject is too horrible to dwell upon, so we 

 will pass on to pleasanter themes. On arrival I 

 almost found my camp deserted by human beings, 

 still I had some friends left to welcome me, for all 

 the dogs, from the largest to the smallest, sang out 

 lustily, with thoroughly honest hearts, a right loyal 

 uelcome in honour of their master's return. 



It is wonderful the craving that all seem to obtain 

 in these regions for fat ; the black man's love of it is 

 well known, but Europeans, who scarcely ever touched 

 it at home, here always possess an extraordinary 

 longing for it. I imagine that it results from the 

 scarcity of vegetable diet that exists among hunters 

 and traders that visit this region ; thus nothing is con- 

 sidered a greater delicacy than marrow, and that, of 

 the giraffe takes precedence of all others. 



Although not a gourmet, I have had opportunities 

 of knowing practically what are considered the 

 greatest delicacies, but ortolans, turtle, canvas-back 

 ducks, and pate de fois gras all succumb, in my esti- 

 mation, to the marrow last mentioned. To cook it and 

 serve to perfection I will inform my readers, for who 

 knows, they might some day find themselves where 

 the rapidly disappearing giraffe yet exists. Take some 

 biscuits those made by Messrs. Peek and Frean, and 

 called captain's biscuits, I used toast them well, then 

 scald them with boiling water, which strain off as 

 soon as possible. On these spread your marrow, 

 which has previously been cooked in the bones ; 

 sprinkle the whole with cayenne pepper and salt to 

 suit taste, serve on a very hot plate, and, unless your 

 ideas differ very much from mine, you will endorse 

 my verdict, viz. that the dish is simply delicious. 



That evening, before sitting down to supper, I was 



