ABDI AND ABDULLAH 343 



until the third course, where it reached supreme 

 heights in climacteric effect. That third course, if 

 done in music, would have sent men cheering to the 

 cannon's mouth or galloping joyously in a desper- 

 ate cavalry charge. 



The dish was called "poulet archduc," although 

 I should have called it at least poulet archangel. In 

 this divine creation Henry reached the Nirvana of 

 good things to eat. I beseeched him for the recipe, 

 which he cheerfully wrote out, so now I am happy 

 to pass it along that all may try it. It really ought 

 to be dramatized. 



I transcribe it in M. Henry's own verbiage : 



The chicken must be well cleaned inside. Next 

 put in it some butter, salt and pepper, a little pap- 

 rika, and into full of sweet corn, then close the 

 chicken. Next put it in a saucepan with other more 

 sweet corn, against butter, salt, pepper, a little 

 whisky ; cook about half of one hour. 



The best sweet corn is the California sweet corn 

 in can. 



The sauce is done with white of chicken. Squeeze 

 two yolks of eggs and butter like for a sauce 

 mousseline and finish it with a little whisky. 



And there you are. 



The second occasion came some months later. 

 We had been on safari for several weeks and had 

 returned to Nairobi for two or three days. It was 

 the "psychological moment" for something new in 



