JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 35 



But it is no easy matter to rest, even during mid- 

 day, in the jungle, where there are so many incite- 

 ments to sally forth and penetrate its depths, and 

 assert and prove the dominion of Man and Manton 

 over those who dwell therein. 



To pass time, we have the defunct bear hauled into 

 the verandah, and there skin the lady, making the 

 delighted Native's sanctum very much resemble a 

 slaughter-house both in appearance and odour, and a 

 pretty mess of the business into the bargain. 



This accomplished, and it is no slight labour (as 

 you may easily discover, reader, if you only try your 

 hand at skinning one of the three hundred and sixty- 

 five bears annually slaughtered at any barber's shop 

 in the whole of London), we take a stroll to the ad- 

 jacent "garden" lucus a non lucendo (as our senior 

 captain " unde derivatur-ed" the assistant-surgeon 

 of the regiment, who, not being over-brilliant in in- 

 tellectual powers, luxuriated in the patronymic of 

 Lucas), and assist the old " pater familias," who 

 never ventures abroad beyond, in planting his garlic 

 or betel-nut ; and although, in the extremity of our 

 officiousness and accommodating benevolence, we stick 

 half the plants in the ground with their heads instead 

 of their roots downwards, the native patriarch is so 

 overpowered at our condescension, that he gives us an 

 invitation on the spot to spend twelve months with 

 him at the very least (to begin with), if it be only to 

 murder some of the pigs that pay nightly visits to his 

 D 2 



