144 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
wound ; they then forced the animal to rife, and drove 
it on before them, to furnifh them with a fuller meal when 
they fhould meet their companions in the evening. 
I coutp not but admire a dinner fo truly foldier-like, 
nor did I ever fee fo commodious a manner of carrying 
provifions along on the road as this was. I naturally attribu- 
ted this to neceffity, and the love of expedition. It was a li- 
berty, to be fure, taken with Chriftianity; but what tranfgref- 
fion is not warranted to a foldier when diftrefled by his ene- 
my in the field? I could not as yet conceive that this was 
_ the ordinary banquet of citizens, and even of prietts, 
throughout all this country. In the hofpitable, humane 
houfe of Janni, thefe living feafts had never appeared. It 
is true we had feen raw meat, but no part of an animal torn 
from it with the blood. The firft fhocked us as uncom. 
mon, but the other as impious. 
WueEn firft I mentioned this in England, as one of the 
fingularities which prevailed in this barbarous country, I 
was told by my friends it was not believed. I afked the 
reafon of this difbelief, and was anfwered, that people whe 
had never been out of their own country, and others well ac- 
quainted withthe manners of the world,for they had travelled 
as far as France, had agreed the thing was impoflible, and 
therefore it was fo. My friends counfelled me further, that 
as thefe men were infallible, and had each the leading of a 
circle, I fhould by all means obliterate this from my jour- 
nal, and not attempt to inculcate in the minds of my read- 
ers. the belief of a thing that men who had travelled pro- 
nounced to be impoflible. They fuggefted to me, in the 
amoft friendly manner, how rudely a very learned and wor- 
3 thy 
