66 EXTilAORDlNARY EAT1N& 



death lent to their ready feet, — ^but not until another victim had dank the 

 iod with the unsought libation of its heart's blood. 



It pained me, as I came up, to witness the noble beasts as they lay ex- 

 fended upon the gore-dyed gi-ound. But tlie present was no time for 

 regret ; we were to feed upon their carcases. 



The process of butchering was a new developement of that most use- 

 fx science. The carcase was first turned upon the belly, and bmced to a 

 j>osition by its distended legs. The operator then commenced liis labors by 

 guciieriug the long hair of the " boss," and severing a piece obUquely at 

 the junction of tire neck and shoulders,— then parting tlie liide from neck 

 to luinp, a few passes of liis ready knife laid have the sides, — next paring 

 away the loose skin and preparing a hold, with one hand he" pulled th'5 

 shoulder towards him and with the other severed it from the body; — cut- 

 ting aslant the uprights of the spiiia dorsi and "hump ribs," along the late- 

 ral to the curve, and partmg the " fleece " from the tough flesh at that point 

 he deposited it upon a clean grass-spot. 



The same process being described upon the opposite side, the carcase 

 was then slightly inclined, and, by aid of the leg-bone bisected at the knee- 

 joint, the "hump-ribs" were parted from the vertebrs; after which, pass- 

 ing his knife aside the ninth rib and around the ends at the midriflT, he laid 

 hold of the dissevered side, and, with two or tlu-ee well directed jerks, re- 

 moved it to be laid upon his choicely assorted pile ; a few other brief minu- 

 tiae then completed the task. 



Meanwhile, divers of the company had joined the butcher, and, while 

 some were greedily feeding upon liver and gall, otliers helped themselves 

 to marrow-bones, ^^boiuHns," and intestinum medul<e, (choice selections 

 with mountaineers,) and others, laden with rich spoils, hastened their re- 

 turn to commence the more agreeable task of cooldng and eating. 



The remaining animal was butchered in a trice, and select portions of 

 each were tlien placed upon a pack-horse and conveyed to the waggons. 



The assortment was, indeed, a splendid one. The " dcpouille " (fleece- 

 fat) was full two inches thick upon the animal's back, and the otlier dainties 

 were enough to charm the eyes and excite tlie voracity of an epicure. 



The camp-fires soon presented a busy and amusing spectacle. Each 

 ■me was ornamented witli delicious roasts, en appolas, on sticks planted 

 aslope around it, attentively watched by the longing voyagevrs, who await- 

 ed the slow process of cooking. Some were seen with thin slices from the 

 "arder, barely heated through by the agency of a few coals, retreating from 

 tlie admiring throng to enjoy solo their half-cooked morsels, — others, paring 

 off bit by bit from tlie fresh-turned hissing roasts, while their opposite re- 

 ceived the finishing operation of the fire,— and others, tossing tlieir everted 

 boudins into the flarnes, and in a few seconds witlidrawing for the repast, 

 each seizing his ample share, bemouthed the end in quick succession to 

 ee\ cr the chosen esculent, wliich, while yielding to the eager teeth, coursed 

 miniature rivulets of oily exuberance from the extremities of the active 

 orifice, bedaubing both face and chin, and leaving its dehghted eater in all 



the glories of grease ! . i j r 



Every man had now become Ms own cook, and, not to be backward, 1 



closed in with the overture. 



Seizing a fry1ng-pa» replete with tempting le\aes from the " floece, 1 



