anguage of the
provision-store.

Although not equal to either beef or mutton, or even pork, the flesh of
the elephant is sufficiently palatable to be eaten. There is no reason
why it should not be, for the animal is a clean feeder, and lives
altogether on vegetable substances--the leaves and tender shoots of
trees, with several species of bulbous roots, which he well knows how to
extract from the ground with his tusks and trunk. It does not follow
from this that his _beef_ should be well tasted--since we see that the
hog, one of the most unclean of feeders, yields most delicious "pork;"
while another of the same family (_pachydermatii_) that subsists only on
sweet succulent roots, produces a flesh both insipid and bitter. I
allude to the South American tapir. The quality of the food, therefore,
is no criterion of the quality of the flesh.

It is true that the beef of the elephant was not what Von Bloom and most
of his family would have chosen for their regular diet. Had they been
sure of procuring a supply of antelope venison, the great carcass might
have gone, not to the "dogs," but to their kindred the hyenas. But they
were not sure of getting even a single antelope, and therefore decided
upon "curing" the elephant. It would be a safe stock to have on hand,
and need not interfere with their eating venison, or any other dainty
that might turn up.

The first thing done was to cut out the tusks. This proved a tough job,
and occupied full two hours. Fortunately there was a good axe on hand.
But for this and Swartboy's knowledge, double the time might have been
wasted in the operation.

The ivory having been extracted and put away in a safe place, the
"cutting up" then commenced in earnest. Von Bloom and Swartboy were the
"baas-butchers," while Hans and Hendrik played the part of "swabs." As
the carcass lay half under water, they would have had some difficulty in
dealing with the under part. But this they did not design to touch.
The upper half would be amply sufficient to provision them a long while;
and so they set about removing the skin from that side that was
uppermost.

The rough thick outer coat they removed in broad sheets cut into
sections; and then they peeled off several coats of an under-skin, of
tough and pliant nature. Had they needed water-vessels, Swartboy would
have saved this for making them--as it is used for such purposes by the
Bushmen and other natives. But they had vessels enough