454 TRAVELS IN 
brated naturalift, Rome de Lifle, whofe x^r 
cent lofs we cannot but lament, fay that, dur- 
ing the fiege of Pondicherry in 1761, he had 
been reduced to fuch extremity, that he 
deemed it a happinefs to purchafe, for their 
weight in gold, an old pair of leather breeches, 
which, out of humanity, he fhared with 
three officers, his friends. Nothmg was left 
for my Hottentots but the il^in of our antelope. 
Accordingly, having no other food, they feiz- 
cd qpon this; and, without any preparatior^, 
broiled it as it was with the hair on, and de- 
voured the whole of it. 
The burning of the hair diffufed a nolfome 
fmell round the fire, which turned me fick. 
My hungry people themfelves appeared dil- 
guftcd at it : yet I faw them tear the naufe- 
ous leather to pieces with their hands and 
teeth. In different circumftances, the diflort- 
ed features with which their repugnance ac- 
companied thefe efforts would probably have 
excited my laughter; in the prefent, they 
pierced my heart, and gave me an idea of the 
fearful extremities to which men, may be 
driven by famine. 
Our fituation made me regret that I had 
quitted 
