man--at least on that occasion--while the last to conclude his supper
was looked upon with some degree of contempt!

It seems strange that such a custom should ever have arisen, and one
is not a little puzzled in endeavouring to guess at the origin of it.
There is one fact that occurs to us as the probable cause. The Indian
is, as we have before hinted, frequently reduced to a state
bordering on starvation, and in a day after he may be burdened with
superabundance of food. He oftentimes therefore eats as much as he can
stuff into his body when he is blessed with plenty, so as to be the
better able to withstand the attacks of hunger that may possibly be
in store for him. The amount that an Indian will thus eat at a single
meal is incredible. He seems to have the power of distending himself
for the reception of a quantity that would kill a civilized man.
Children in particular become like tightly inflated little balloons
after a feast, and as they wear no clothing, the extraordinary
rotundity is very obvious, not to say ridiculous. We conclude
therefore that unusual powers of gormandizing, being useful, come at
last to be cultivated as praiseworthy.

By good fortune Dick and Joe Blunt happened to have such enormous
gluttons as _vis-à-vis_ that the portions of their respective bowls
which they could not devour were gobbled up for them. By good capacity
and digestion, with no small amount of effort, Henri managed to
dispose of his own share; but he was last of being done, and fell in
the savages' esteem greatly. The way in which that sticky compost of
boiled maize went down was absolutely amazing. The man opposite Dick,
in particular, was a human boa-constrictor. He well-nigh suffocated
Dick with suppressed laughter. He was a great raw-boned savage, with a
throat of indiarubber, and went quickly and quietly on swallowing mass