CHAP. Ill 



TRAVELS IN EASTERN AFRICA 



89 



All the members of my present caravan with the ex- 

 ception of the Somali ate hippopotamus meat. Accord- 

 ing to the Mohammedan religion, at least as interpreted 

 by the Arabs at Zanzibar and the Somali, there are cer- 

 tain beasts which it is unlawful for good Mohammedans 

 to eat. I am not sure whether they are the same as 

 those mentioned in the Mosaic Law, but, as far as I 

 could learn, they are as follows : elephant, hippopota- 

 mus, rhinoceros, horse, donkey, zebra, monkey, hawk, 

 vulture, and any beast of prey, such as the hyena, jackal, 

 or lion. The more devout of the followers of the faith 

 conform to this command ; but under the stress of hun- 

 ger religion is often lost sight of, and all the men of a 

 trading caravan, composed of Arabs and their slaves, 

 have been known to subsist upon their own donkeys for 

 weeks at a time. Although the Soudanese were pro- 

 fessed Mahometans, I have yet to see them hesitate 

 for a moment between religious scruples and the attrac- 

 tions of a hearty meal ; for they love fat, and the meat 

 of a hippopotamus is as much covered in adipose tissue 

 as that of a hog. 



We set all our men to work cuttino: the meat off into 

 long strips. We then built platforms of small sticks, 

 about three feet in height, upon which we placed the 

 strips and then beneath them started a roaring fire. As 

 the sticks were green, the platforms did not burn ; and 

 after the meat had been scorched and smoked for three 

 hours it was thoroughly dried, and even in that hot 

 climate would keep in good condition for several days. 



The quantity of this meat a porter is able to consume 

 seems incredible. On the road, these men ordinarily 

 eat but once a day, their hunger being satisfied only at 



