The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-02

1NCE the days Of Nero and
- Elega balus men have racked
their brains In the effort TO
give strange. fantaaic and pic
turesque banquets.
The striving to stimulate faded
appetite, the necessity OF getting rid
Of ones superfiuous money and the
desire for novel sensations are
among the causes that inspire these
festivities.
The past year was quite remark.
able In the matter or queer feasts.
There is no doubt that it surpasses
all It's predecessors.
Paris has set the pace and the
example. The most amazing ban
quet yet heard Of was given there
by NJ. Beaudet. French millionaire,
who. like our Paul Rainey. is IN
tensely interested in hunting wild
animals
J The dinner took place In the great
house where the explorer keeps tho
trophies OF his expeditions. Every
dish vas made from the flesh nt
some wild ANNA not used Tor fooc
IN civilized countries. Specimens
or all the animals served wre
brought into the dining rooms.
The guests included men ana
women. and among thcm were mnfr
Of the leaders OF society. scir' o
and finance in the French capp
Among the hors 'd'oeuvres that
started the banquet were slices of
smoked manatee. the sea creature
he Vol ln
gend. A little manatee. looking
most embarrassingly like baby n
the diners, was carried around the
room.
After that soup made from craw-
fish caught In Lake Tchad. Africa
was served and greatly enjoyed by
familiar fab were then brought in.
One OF them was the giant skate
OF tropical waters. which attains a
width OF fifteen feet, raises itself
out OF the yater and takes pro-
digious and terrifying leaps. A
specimen of this creature was car
ried into the room and. though II
was stuffed, 1t occasioned consider
able alarm 10 the diners. Some OF
Xhen began 10, show signs that
they had had enough to eat
The dinner continued. however.
PiIer OF roast porcupine was next
served and proved quite appetizing.
A porcupine was led into the ban
quoting room aud provoked amuse-
ment and uneasiness on account OF
his proverbially fre,ful character
Stewed cactus accompanied this
dish as 8 vegetable.
The piece de resistance wasroast
gnu. This African beast made a
perfectly satisfactory substitute for
roast beef. The appearance OF the
living animal caused a great sen.
cation. II has heavy horns and
Long shaggy hair that partly hides
fits eyes. giving ii very wild and
Stupid appearance.
1t required the efforts OF a dozen
keepers to pilot the gnu successful
ly around the room. Had the shy,
wild animal broken loose. il would
have wrecked rhe whole table and
perhaps have killed several of the
guests. Vans from Senegal and
salad from Mount Kilimanjaro
encompan MED this course
Next came a souffle OF Chinese
octopus, or devil fish. This proved
the climax. Just after the diners
bad started TO eat. devil fish OF
The species they were consuming
was carried In. Its appearance
was terrifying. They could scarce
ly realize that II was stuffed.
Women shrieked and strong men
turned pale. Jumping up from the
table with expressions OF horror
and nausea, they fed from the room
They did come back for the dainty
vol AL vent OF boa constructor and
the rich supreme OF ostrich liver
that had been prepared for them.
This banquet was an improve
ment on one already given by
the French Geological Society.
The inspiration Of these dinners
probably came from the famous
banquet given by Professor Herr,
OF the Imperial Academy of Sci,
ences at st. Petersburg. His guests
we're all famous savants. mainly
archaeologIsts. which was appro-
pirate. as the menu contained no
article Of food less than a thousand
years old.
In fact. the piece de resistance
Was flesh OF the prehistoric NAM
moth, which, Professor Herr estl
mated. had been In cold storage for
not less than 10000 years.
The officials OF the Academy OF
Sciences had recently obtained from
the Ice of river glacier In north
eastern Siberia the perfectly pre-
eerped remains .of g. mammoth--so