226 UNDER THE AFRICAN SUN 



head and the feet, and the natives, delighted to have such an 

 unusual big feast of meat, gladly brought my share of the 

 spoil into camp. The tusks were disappointing, but all in this 

 herd had tusks of about the same size. 



My men proceeded to roast a piece of the elephant's pro- 

 boscis for my dinner. Luckily there was something else for 

 me to eat, as the roasting, done according to native fashion, 

 took all night. A large hole was dug in the ground, and a 

 roaring wood-fire maintained in it and over it, till it resembled 

 in very deed a fiery furnace. When sufficiently heated, and 

 everything but the red-hot embers had been removed, the 

 piece of trunk was thrown, with skin and bristles, just as it 

 was excepting a preliminary wash, into this oven. A few 

 faggots were now laid over the mouth of the hole, and then 

 covered over with green leaves, using the leaves of the sweet- 

 potato plant ; finally, dry earth was placed over it all. The 

 piece of meat, about a foot and a half of the proboscis, remained 

 in this furnace all night, and next morning it was pronounced 

 ready for use. 



1 had some of it, when re-crossing Lake Albert in a native 

 dug-out. The meat was delicious, the best bit I had eaten 

 for many a long day. It resembled the streaky hump of 

 the African bullock, but had a peculiar, agreeable flavour 

 of its own. Whether it was the fault of the second helping, 

 or my gastric powers resented this new experiment, after the 

 many severe trials they have been subjected to in Africa, 

 whatever the cause may have been, the elephant "lay heavy 

 on my chest," as ladies euphoniously describe dyspeptic suffer- 

 ing. I gave the elephant-roast one more trial in the evening 

 at my frugal dinner, and this settled the matter finally. I was 

 seized with such an irresistible fit of generosity, that I gave 

 the meat away as a present, and refused to have anything 

 further to do with it. 



