The weekly Butte record., 1858-09-18
A Dissertation upon Roast Pig

and explain to me, for the first seventy thou
sand ages ate their meat raw, clawing or biting
it from the living animal, just as they do in
Abyssina to this day. This period is not OBJ
scurely hinted at by their great Confucius. in
the second chapter of his Mundane Mutations,
where be designates kind of golden age by
the term Cho-fang, literally the cooks holy
day.
The manuscript goes on to say, that the art
of roasting or rather broiling, (which | take
to be the elder brother,) was accidentally dis
covered in the manner following. The swine
herd, Ho-ti, having gone out into the woods
one morning, as his manner was, to collect
mast for his hogs, left his cottage in the care
of his eldest son Bo-bo, great lubbery boy,
who, being fond Of playing with fire, as younk-
ers of his age commonly are, let some sparks
escape into bundle of straw, which kndling
quickly, spread the conhagration over every
part of their poor mansion, till it was reduced
to ashes. Together with the cottage IA sorry
antediluvian make-shlft Of building, you may
think it. )what was of much more importance,
q fine litter of new-farrowed pigs, no less than
niue in number, perished. China pigs have
been esteemed luxury all over the East from
the remotest periods We read Of Bo-bo was
in the utmost CONSERVATION, as you may think,
not so much for the sake of the tenement, which
his father and he could easily build up again
with few dry branches, and the labor OF an
hour or two, at any time as for the loss of the
pigs. While he was thinking what he should
say to his father, and wringing his hands over
the smoking remnants of one Of those untime-
y sufferers, an odor aSSaled his nostrs, un-
like any scent which he had before experienced.
What could it proceed from ?-not from the
burnt cottage--he had smelt that smell before
indeed, This was by no means the first accident
OF the kiud which had occurred through the
negligence of this unlucky young firebrand.
Much less did it resemble that Ct any known
herb, weed or flower. 4 premonitory moist
ming at the same time overhowed his neither
Zip. He knew not what to think. He next
stopped down to feel the pig, If there were any
signs of life in it. He burnt his fingers, and to
ceol them he applied them in his BOBBY fash
ion to his mouth. Some of the crums of the
SEQ ched skin had come away with his finger
and for the first time in his life lin the world
life indeed for before him no man had known it)
he tasted-efdct2mg Again he felt and fun
blcd at the pig 1t did not burn him so much
habit. The truth at length broke into his
slow understanding, that it was the pig that
smelaSo, anJ the pig thet tasted so delicious
and surrendering himself up to the new born
pleasure, lie fell to tealiDg up whole handtuls
of the schorched skin with the flesh next it,
and was cramming it down his throat in his
beastly fashion, when his sire entered amid
the smoking ratters, armed with retrihutory
cudgel, and tinding how affairs stood, began to
rain blows upon the young rogne's shoulders
as thick as hail-stones, which Bo- bo Needed not
any more than if they had been flies. The
tickling pleasures which he experienced in his
lower regions, had rendered him quite callous
to any Inconvenience he might feel in those re-
mote quarters. His father might lay on, but
be could net beat him from his pig till he had
fairly made an end of it, when becoming lit
| tie more sensible of his situation, something
like the following dialogue ensned-
"You graeeless whep, what have you got
there deyouring Is it not enough that you
have burnt me down three houses with your
dogs tricks, and be hanged to you, but you
must be eating fire, and l know not what
what have you got there, / say?"
"Oh father the pig, the pig. do come and
taste how nice the burnt pig eats"
"The ears of Ho-ti tinged with horror. He
cursed his son, and be cursed himself, that ever
he should beget son that should eat burnt
pig.
Bo:bo whose scent was wonderfully sharp
ened since morning, soon raked out another
pig and fairly rending it assunder, thrust the
lesser half by main force into the fists of Ho.
ii, still shouting out, Eat, eat, eat the burnt
pig, father, only taste-ch Lord,-with such
like barbarons calculations, examining all the
while as if he would choke.
Ho-t trembled in every joint while he grasp.
ed the abominabe thing, wavering whether be
should not put his son to death for an unnatu.
raj young monster, when the cracking scorch.
ing his fingers, as it had done his sons
aud applying the same remedy to them, he in
| his turn tasted some of its favour, which make
what sour mouths he would for a pretence
proved not altogether displeasng to him. In
conclusion, (for the manuscript here is little
tedious,) both father and son fairly sat down to
the mess, and never left off until they had des
patched all that renamed of the litter
Bo-bo was strictly eujoined not to let the
secret escape, for the neghbors would certain
| ly have stoned them for couple of abomina.
BILE wretches, who could think of improving
upon the coed meat which God had sent them
Nevertheless, strange stories got about. II
was observed that Ho-ti's cottage was burnt
down more frequently than ever. Nothing
but fires from this time forward. Some would
break ont in broad day, otncrs in the night
time. As often as the SOW farrowed. so sure
was the house of Ho-ti to be in blaze; and
| Hoti himself, which was the more remarkable
instead of Christening his son, seemed to grow
more indulgent to him than ever. AT length
they were watched, the terrible mystery dis.
covered, and father and son summoned to take
their trial at Peking, then an inconsiderable
assize town. Evidence was given the obnox
ious food it itself produced in court, and yer.
dict about to be pronounced, when the fore
man of the jury begged that some of the burnt
! pig, of which the culprits stood accused might
| be handed into the box. He handled it, aud
they all handled it, and burning their fingers
as Bo-bo and his father had done before them
and nature prompting to each of them the
same remedy, against the face of all the facts
and the clearest charge which judge had evel
given-to the surprise of the whole court
townsfolk, strangers, reporters, and all present
without leaving the box, or any manner O.
consultation whatever, they brought in slmul
taneous verdict of Not Guilty.
The judge who was shrewd fellow, winkec
at the manifest iniquity Of the decision aut
] i IL i