"It was now about 3 P.M. and intensely hot; I had been in
constant exercise since 6 A.M., therefore I determined upon
luncheon under the shade of a welcome mimosa upon which I had
already hung my water-skin to cool. We cut sonne long thin strips
of flesh from the giraffe, and lighted a fire of dry babanoose
wood expressly for cooking. This species of wood is exceedingly
inflammable, and burns like a torch; it is intensely hard, and in
colour and grain it is similar to lignum vitae. The festoons of
giraffe flesh were hung upon forked sticks, driven into the
ground to leeward of the fire, while others were simply thrown
upon the embers by my men, who, while the food was roasting,
employed themselves in skinning the animal, and in eating the
flesh raw. The meat was quickly roasted, and was the best I have
ever tasted, fully corroborating the praises I had frequently
heard of giraffe meat from the Arab hunters. It would be natural
to suppose that the long legs of this animal would furnish the
perfection of marrow bones, but these are a disappointment, as
the bones of the giraffe are solid, like those of the elephant
and hippopotamus; the long tendons of the legs are exceedingly
prized by the Arabs in lieu of thread for sewing leather, also
for guitar strings.
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