16S SANDIA AND HIS CABINET. Chap. VII. 



liorue. Sandia's niosamela, or small carved wooden pillow,, 

 exactly resembling the ancient Egyptian one, was hung from 

 the back of his neck ; this pillow and. a sleeping mat are 

 usually carried, by natives when on hunting excursions. The 

 Chief visited the different camp-fires of our men, and accepted 

 presents of meat from them ; but said that he should like to 

 consume it with his elders, as he wished to consult them 

 whether he ought to receive the half of the elephant from the 

 Englishmen. His Cabinet, seeing no good reason for departing 

 from the established custom, concluded that it was best to treat 

 white tax-payers as on a perfect equality with black ones, and 

 to accept the half which belonged to Sandia's Government. In 

 the afternoon the Chief returned with his counsellors, accom- 

 panied by his wife and several other women, carrying five pots 

 of beer : three, he explained, were a present to the white men, 

 and the other two were intended for sale. The women have 

 a remarkably erect gait, probably from having been accus- 

 tomed from infancy to carry heavy water-pots on their heads. 

 Tins brings all the" muscles of the back into play, and might 

 prove beneficial as a practice to those who are troubled with 

 weakness of spine among ourselves. They use a piece of 

 wood between the head and pot, perhaps for elegance. 



We had the elephant's fore-foot cooked for ourselves, in 

 native fashion. A large hole was dug in the ground, in 

 which a fire was made ; and, when the inside was thoroughly 

 heated, the entire foot was 'placed in it, and covered over 

 with the hot ashes and soil ; another fire was made above the 

 whole, and kept burning all night. We had the foot thus 

 cooked for breakfast next morning, and found it delicious. It 

 is a whitish mass, slightly gelatinous, and sweet, like marrow. 

 A long jnarch, to prevent biliousness, is a wise precaution 

 after a meal of elephant's foot. Elephant's trunk and tongue 



