CHAP, IV.] 
NATIVE TIT-BITS, 
159 
horrible state of decomposition, and alive with mag¬ 
gots. On arrival at the drinking-place they imme¬ 
diately lighted a fire, and proceeded to cook their 
savoury pork by placing it in the flames. The sknll 
becoming too hot for the inmates, crowds of maggots 
rushed pSle-mele from the ears and nostrils like people 
escaping from the doors of a theatre on fire. The 
natives merely tapped the skull with a stick to assist 
in their exit, and proceeded with their cooking until 
completed; after which they eat the whole, and sucked 
the bones. However putrid meat may be, it does not 
appear to affect the health of these people. 
My animals requiring rest and food, I was obliged 
to wait unwillingly until 4.30 p.m. The natives having 
finished their boar’s head, offered to join us; and 
accordingly we rode on a considerable distance ahead 
of our people with our active guides, while the caravan 
followed slowly behind us. After ascending for about 
a mile through jungle, we suddenly emerged upon an 
eminence, and looked down upon the valley of Tollogo. 
This was extremely picturesque. An abrupt wall of 
grey granite rose on the east side of the valley to 
a height of about a thousand feet: from this perpen¬ 
dicular wall huge blocks had fallen, strewing the base 
with a confused mass of granite lumps ten to forty 
feet in diameter; and among these natural fortresses 
