226 



CANNIBALISM. 



in a civilized state, when the party has not actually 

 been reduced to the last extremity of saving life, 

 by casting lots who should die, there would be 

 great difficulty in persuading them to make a meal 

 of any part of a dead human body. Imagination 

 alone, is the actor in this case. A chop of man, 

 would be just as palatable as a chop of mutton, 

 under the hand of a good cook, and fried in 

 London gravy. A person, perfectly ignorant of 

 the real nature of the dishes placed before him, 

 would undoubtedly approve of them, and find them 

 very good and nutritive. 



In the wilds of Guiana, we boil the large red, or 

 howler monkey for dinner. It resembles, at first 

 sight, the body of a child. In fact, you would 

 take its head to be that of a veritable infant. Still, 

 I had too much nerve to be deprived of a whole- 

 some repast, by the intervention of my own imagi- 

 nation. 



I can easily conceive, that a savage, whose finer 

 feelings had never been called into action by 

 education, would find no repugnance, in making 

 soup of his slain enemy ; and that he would enjoy 

 it, just as we ourselves should enjoy soup made 

 of ox- tail, or of any other carnal ingredient. 



Probably had a savage been present at one of 

 our late Crimean battles, whilst he would have 



