Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-23
AHUNTER'S NOTES IN BuRMAH.
Elephant Soup and Boa Constructor Steaks
as a White Mans Diet.

Chronicle: We tried the flesh of the
slain elephants cooked invarious ways,
roast, boiled, stewed. curried, but with
indiferens success, although our Mad
ras cook,no mean proficient in the cul-
mary art, tried all he knew to make
the dishes palatable. The flesh is black
colorcd and coarse, so not inviting in
appearance. The best and most appe
tizing dish of al was soup made out of
the trunk cut into small pieces and
gently stewed for hours, exuding their
rich juice. favoring being added in the
shape OF aromatic herbs growing on
the spot. The soup was simply deli
cious. Of 4 unique flavor andrich gum
my consistence it more resembled thick
turtle soup than any other l know of.
1t was, without doubt, nutritious and
Strengthening. It also much reminded
me OF mOuffle, 4 rich, thick soupv stew
made Of moose muzzles, which delcacy
| had made acquaintance with whilst
out moose hunting in Eastern Canada.
The feet of the smaller elephants also
were rather good. They were roasted
slowly in wood ashes, then the tough
skin peeled off, and served au naturel.
We met with varied success during
the six weeks Of our hunting expedi-
ton, killing seven elephants in all,
which was perfectly satisfactory. One
day on crossing some rocky ground, we
came upon an enormous boa-constric-
tor lying under a projecting ledge,
quite SUpine and in Il state Of apparent
lifelessness. As in this comatose con.
dition the snake is quite harmless, we
L, III / VI
bones of some animal beneath the dis
tended skin. After our shekarries had
cut of the boa's head they ripped the
body open and found a mountain sheep
inside. It was not an inviting specta-
Gle. as the body of the sheep was Shiny
and presented q horrid, fattened APP
pearance, showing that its bones were
crushed. Our shekarries, however,
thought differently to US, for they cut
the sheep up and carried it to camp to
cook for supper. They also utilized the
boa as food, drying its flesh in the sun.
How the snake ever managed to swal-
low the long horns OF the sheep was
more than we could conceive.
We shot several deer Of different
species, including the diminutive ga
zelle, the body being about the size Of
an ordinary cat, but with long, slender
legs. Two of them were often killed
at one discharge, the bullet going clean
through their bodies. Their venis0n
is tolerably good, but rather dry, and
not compared to the flesh of the 0rdi-
nary deer. We also shot several large
edible birds, a species Of bustard. Our
shekarries told us they were not COM
mon. They proved excellent eating,
being somewhat like wild turkey, with
dark meat on the breast. Apretty little
bird, a little larger than sparrow,
who is fond of the society Of man, was
accustomed to visit us every morning
at breakfast time, hopping about on the
ground close to our tent and picking
up crumbs we threw to it. This little
bird was the hoopoe, with q gray and
white body and a beautiful crest which
it can erect and depress at pleasure.
Its note was plaintive and musical, if
slightly moGotonous 'hoopoo-poo,
hoOpoo," being its constant cry.
We met with several fruit and other
trees quite foreign to us. One was the
jujuba tree, a species Of LOTUS growing
plentifully-a shrubby tree, though we
AI6U Will SOihC lOL y 1ctU Ill AIGISHt. OuI
Indian servants called them zisphu,
hence the botanical name zisyphus ju-
iuba. The fruit is small, but pleasant
and refreshing, consisting of q blood
red, sweet, graduated pulp inclosed in
q saffron-hued husk or shell. We found
it serviceable in quenching thirst. Our
servants told Us it was used for diseases
Of the throat. Another pleasant-looking
bat UNBEATABLE fruit we met with fire.
quently was the fruit of the solanum So
domeum-apple of Sodom. 1t is of
handsome appearance, ruddy like, and
Of the size OF an ordinary apple. On
breaking it open it is found to be full
Of a snutf-colored powder, which our
shekarries informed us was poisonous.
The solanum family is peculiar one,
embracing as it does such valuable
specimens for food whilst Other sorts
are so poisonous. | have only tomen-
ton the potato, the tomato. the EGG
plant, pseudo capsicum, tobacco, deadly
night shade, not to omit the melano-
cerasum OF black cherry of Virginia.