JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 147 



source of caricatures and jokes that never left me 

 whilst I remained in the island. 



A luminous idea now struck me, that, instead of 

 having him stuffed, I would most decidedly eat him, 

 (metamorphosing him from stuffee to stuffer\ so en- 

 sconcing myself in a quiet nook of the Jungle, I soon 

 stripped him of his quills, and having gained the 

 cook's affection by a present of two rix-dollars, \ve 

 put him into a pie, and served him up that night 

 at mess ! 



I had the " helping" it, and passed it off as veal- 

 pie (as it most resembled that in appearance), and all 

 I know is, that I began to be very much afraid I 

 should have none left for myself, as every body 

 present became a customer ; at last, I did secure a 

 morsel, and nothing more exquisitely delicious did I 

 ever taste in my life so excellent was it, that had 

 there been a pie apiece, I believe they would have 

 all been demolished for the major, who was our 

 commandant, and a great gourmand, immediately 

 asked the mess-cook where he got his meat, which 



worthy immediately pointed at me, and said, " G , 



saib, give it, present." 



Of course every one looked to me for an explana- 

 tion ; as, how I could get better veal than any one 

 else was a mystery. 



I then told the party that it was " the porcupine ;" 

 and never shall I forget the horror depicted in most 

 of their faces : some turned as pale as ghosts, and 



