Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-07-08
curiosities Of omnivorous Mankind.

There are numerous-we had al
most said numberless-curiosities
in connection with eating and
drinking, even although our o5ser-
vations are restricted to the human
family. If our natural teeth are
examined at maturity, they are
found to point out their possessor
as omnivorous, aud if they did
otherwise. we should IN the face OF
the following facts, regard them as
false indicators, or, 10 other words,
false teeth. Beef and bread are the
typical foods in the British Isles,
but nowhere else almost every
country has its own typical FOODS,
together with miscellaneous articles
of food of all descriptions. Dogs
flesh, cats, monkeys, birds nests
are all savors morsels OF the Chi
nese. The hedgehog is REGARDED
as d "dalnty dish to set before a
king" in Barbary, and is largely
consumed iu Spain and Germany.
kangaroos are relished by the
aborigines of Australia. The opos.
sum is eaten lii America, Australia
aud tue Indian Islands. The wal .
rus is eaten bv the Esquimaux,
whilst whales flesh is esten almost
by all who inhabit regions far
north or south, whore whales are
found. Mice and rats are consid-
cred delicate morscls in parts of
A sla, Africa, Australia and New
Zealand. Horse flesh is gradually
finding favor, and has for a long
time fo,med quite the staple flesh
food of the lndiaI horsemon of the
Pampas, who eat neither bread,
fruit nor vegetables. The elephant
is eaten in Abyssinia aud III Suma-
ira. Three elephants were eaten
by the Parisians during the seige,
and were considered delicious, the
liver more especially SO. DIR. Liv-
ingstone says he breakfasted Oft
cooked elephants foot, aud found
it a whitish mass, slightly gelatin
Gus and sweet, like marrow, and
quite delicious. The birds nests
we have spoken of as being COM
sumed by the Chinese are pIocura-
ble even in some London shops.
They arc the nests of swallows
found in caverns on the sea-shore
of the Eastern Archipelago, aud
are of ge!atinous nature, from q
peculiar mucus which the bird So
cretes and dischar.,es from its
mouth whilst building the nest.
Lizzards are partaken of by the
Chinese; so are snakes. Spiders
are relished by the Bushmen, SO
are grasshorpers. Lacusts are
eaten, both in the fresh state and
salted, by Persians, Egyptians,
Arabians, Bushmen and North
American Indians. White ants,
bees, moths, ,caterpilers and grubs.
all find admirers, especially among
the lower savages. We have moi
got to the lowest depths yet. Earth
eating is pracriced by the japanese
who make it into thin cakes calico
; tanaanapo, and eaten especially by
the women. who take it to produce
slenderness of figure. 1t is gener
, ally an unctious clay, consisting o
the remains of animal and plan
life deposited from fIesh water. Ii
northern Europe a bread meal
| consisting Of the empty she'll o
minute iufusorial animalcules, il
eaten. The Wanyamwezi, a trib'
living in Central Africa, eat ella.
between meals, preferring the ella.
of ant-hilis. Some earth-eater
: take earth having no nutrien
properties. The Agmasa Indians
for example, cat gritty whittisI
clay, destitute Of all nutrient prop
erties. T,oI ical America is th
scene of endemic disorders fror
.nis depraved officiating habit. OF
icers who have Indian chi!dre
in their employ use wire masks {
keep them from putting clay int
their mouths. 1''A negro addicie
to this propensity is considered
be irrevoeabiy lost for any usefl
purpose and seldom lives long"
The quantity OF food taken
also a matter of curiosity when "
have we'll authenticated Instance
of the extremes Of going along tin
without food at all, in eating ne.
, 10 none, aud the other extreme
y eating enormous quantities. En- s
IBERIA, Sir George Simpson procu
ed q couple OF men having a rep
,r tation for eating large quantitie
and prepared u dirner for them
thirty-six pounds avoirdnrois
beef and eighteen pounds of butt
\ tor each. By the end of the fl
p hour their stomachs were like ke
tie drums, having taken half q
. dim q; in anothet two hours th
I9 had devoured the whole dinner
III ono hundred aud eight pounds
'ss 1es beef and butter. Those who e
~ so enormously are In, etate
the stupor for three or -four da,
4 neither eating nor drinking, "a