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.
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L of i^-are and liidiutry.

:.aii.jm of tbe tarlh
 THE EDITOR OP "PLEASANT PAGES.'

ff

ith is the Lord's, and all that therein is.

BEINO AN AMU3INO 3EIUES OP

OBJECT LESSONS
FOOD AND CLOTHING O~F ALL NATIONS
IN THE YEAR 1851
 PREFACE.

ACCORDING to the prospectus issued at the beginning

of tins work, it was designed to contain the history of

the Raw Material

; Machinery
and Manufactures ; Fine
Arts, and Sculpture, of the Great Exhibition. The
Author does not, however, regret that it has been found
impossible to carry out so extensive a plan in one

volume. In the progress of the work, he deemed it

more desirable to give to the subject of THE FOOD AND
CLOTHING OF ALL NATIONS IN 1851, the full space
which its valuable details required. The subject is in
form a highly interesting volume.
itself sufficient to

In conformity with the principles of education on

which the Object Lessons are written, it has been the
aim of the Author, not only to convey in an amusing
manner a mass of information, but to cultivate in the

reader the powers of observation, comparison, induc-

tion, and memory, by the exercise of which the mind

is trained to investigate and acquire knowledge for

itself. It has also been attempted to observe a far

more important principle by applying such knowledge

0170
IV PREFACE.

to the cultivation of faith in the providence of God ;

and for illustrating the motto of the title-page, "THE

EARTH IS THE LORD'S, AND ALL THAT THEREIN IS."

A history of the Great Exhibition has been added ; and

illustrations of some of the " lions," which will long be
remembered by its numerous visitors.
The facts relating- to the great event of 1851, and
the facts in Natural History relating to the familial-
" Fireside Facts."
objects around us, are eminently

They have been arranged in one volume, in order

to render a book of permanent interest, not only as
it

a record of the Exhibition, but as a book of reference

for useful knowledge.
The
introductory history of the Exhibition is the
same as that in "Little Henry's Holiday," as the
Author did not deem it
necessary to rewrite the same
particulars in a different style for this volume.

The Priory House, Clapton,

December, 1851.
 PART THE FIRST.
CHAP. I.-HOW THE IDEA AROSE.
run
1750. The Society of
Arts. Competition, Exhibition. 1798. French
"Exposition." Belgium, Spain. 1849. Birmingham. His ROYAL
HIGHNESS THE PHIJJCE ALBERT. Exhibition ofSociety of Arts.
The Queen, .20,000 13
CHAP. II.-HOW THE MONEY WAS RAISED.

How to get 20,000. Munday. THE ROYAL COMMISSION

Messrs.
FOR THE PKOMOTIOX OF THE INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS.
Public Subscriptions. Mr. Peto and others 3 5

CHAP III.-HOW THE IDEA OF THE PALACE AEOSE.

The Plans from Britain, France, and Belgium. Mr. PAXTON. The
Victoria Regia House. Mr. Stephenson. What the People said.
The lllmstratKd London A"<?;. A Crystal Palace 56
CHAP. IV.-HOW THE CRYSTAL PALACE AROSE.
Messrs. Fox and HENDERSON. Description of the Palace; the Glass,
the Iron Columns, the Trusses, the Paxton Gutters, the
Transverse Gutters, Dimensions, &c.
Beginning to Builil. The Daily Arrivals, Shear Legs, 1,500 men,
Sappers and Miners, Messrs Wyatt, Fuller, Paxton, and Owen
Jones. The Active Steam-engines, the Painting Machines, the
Drilling and Cutting Machines, the Spout Machine.
Working Steadily. 2.;jQO Men working by Torchlight, the Wind,
the Coming of the Goods, the Arrival, the " Confusion of
Tongues," the Completion, Midnight, 30th of April, 1851 7-19

CHAP. V.-HOW THE IDEA WAS REALIZED.

1M May, 1S51. Getting np Early the Crowd the Brotherly Feeling
" Old
the Tale from Time," the Crusades, fcr., the Second Gather-
ing of the Nations Inside the Palace the Address and the Reply
the Prayer the Op- .-ning 1924
vi CONTENTS.

CHAP. VI.-HOW IT BROUGHT FORTH FRUIT.

Solden Fruits. Messrs. Spicer and Clowes. Entrance Foes. Civili-
zation 25 26

PART THE SECOND.

CHAP. VII. THE FOUR CLASSES OF OBJECTS.

Raw Materials. 2. Machinery. 8. Manufactures. 4. Works of

Art 2627

PART THE THIRD.

CHAPTERS VIH. AND IX. -RAW MATERIALS -SUB-
STANCES USED AS FOOD.
Articles of Food, Clothing, and Furniture. Tropical, Temperate, and
Fri^a Climates 27-29

CHAP. X.-THE VEGETABLE FOOD OF TROPICAL

COUNTRIES.

1 . RICE the Grasses, Corn 14. TRA Black and Green Qua-
Plants, distinction*, mid dif- lities Tlielnc Bill' Azote
ferent sorts History of Rice Stimulants China Pre-
Different sorts, quantities, paration of Tea History of
uses 30 Tea, &(.&< 53
2. MAIZB 36 1ft. COFFEE Qualities Effects
3. SAGO, J'iili, Starch, Pearl- Chicory 6-1

sago 37 16. COCOA Qualities Theobro-

4. AiiKow-BOor 38 mine Tin Lotted 64
5. TAPIOCA 39 17. SUGAR Grape SIH.MI-, Munnu
6. YAM 40 Suuar, Sugar of Milk. Beet-
root Sugar Starch Carbon fiS
The Splcfl: COCOA- NUT 69
7. GINGER 41 19. DATR 72
. N UTM BO 43 20. KANAKA
I 73
P. MACS 45 ,21. Mm \ n-rni ir 74
10. PEPPER 40 22. CoW-THRB
'.
74
11. CINNAMON 47 23. HANIAN-THRK 70
12. ALLSPICE 60 24. LBKTIL Ltvumi-n and Glu-
i:t. CLOVES SI ten .-:iu and JncobI 77

The Lntlls, Chicory, Assam Tea, &<., ice., In the Great Exhibition ..29-79
 CHAPTER XI.-THE ANIMAL FOOD OF TEOPICAL
COUNTRIES.

25. PRESERVED MEATS Captain 36. Ostrich eggs 90

Ross, &c. Process of Pre- 87. Eagle, Hawk, Wild lowl,
serving Oxygen Vacuum Gull, &c 81
26. CONCENTRATED FOODS 88. Penguin 91
Composition of the Blood REPTILES :

Albumen Fibrin, Flesh, &c. 39. Turtle, &c 92

MAMMALS, viz. :
FISH, &c. :

27. Sheep 40. Shark fins, Isinglass, &c... U4

28. Antelopes
MOLLUSKS, &c. :

29. Deer 41. Oyster 95

30. Buffalo
42. Crab, &c 95
31. Camel and Llama, Hog, 43. Locust, &c 98
Babyroussa, Hippopota- 44. Wild Honey 97
mus, &c Table of Vegetable and Ani-
32. Armadillo, Sloth, Bat, &c.
mal Food in Tropical
33. Hare, Babbit, Rat, Dog, &c.
Countries Thoughts on
BIRDS: God's bounty and provi-
34. Hen, Duck dence His wondeiful
35. Pigeon, Quail, ice skill Psalm Hymu.. 79-100

PART THE FOURTH.

CHAPTERS XII.AND Xm.-VEGETABLE FOOD IN
TEMPERATE COUNTRIES.
CORN PLANTS:
45. Wheat, Azote, Gluten, Car-
bon, ami Oxvgen
46 Barlev
viii CONTENTS.

FRUITS : Lime, Shaddock, Forbid-

77. The Rose Tribe, &<v. Apple, den Fruit .............. 140
Pear, Quince, Medlar, .YuTS :

Peach, Apricot, Nectarine,

82. Walnut .................. ISO
Plum, Cherry, Raspberry,
83. Chestnut, Hazel-nut, Fil-
Strawberry, &c 141
bert, ice ................. 151
NFTTLB TRIBB :

78. Mulberry, fig 145 FLUIDS :

84. Beer, Water, &e. Sarchn-

GOOSEBERRY TRIBR :
rine Fermentation In-
79. Gooseberry, Currant 147
&c ........... 152
toxication,
OLIVE TRIBB :
85. Wine.................... 157
80. Olive, Manna Ash, Ash .. 147 80. Brandy Alcohol ........ 1(31
ORANOB TRIBE: 87. Vinpzar Acetous Fermen-
81. Orange, Lemon, Citron, tation .................. 1C3

CHAP. XIV.-THE ANIMAL FOOD OF TEMPERATE

COUNTRIES.
DAIRY PRODUCE: TIIR RATS :

88. Milk 105 04. Skate, &c 175

89. ERCS, Bulter, Cheese, Ca-
sein, Gelatine, Sir 185 THE SALMON TRIBB:
00. Goose, ice ICO 05. Salmon, Trout, Char, &c... 176
FISH TUB HERRING TRIBK: TIIR KBL TRIBE:
01. Herring, Pilchard. Sprat.
Whitebait, Anchovy, &c.. 170
00 F.ol, Concur, &c 177

MACKEREL TIIIBR: TUB CARP TRIBE:

01. Mackerel, Tunny, kc 17:1 07. drp, Barbel, &c 173
Con TRIBE: TUB I'IKB TRIBB:
02. Cod, Haddo'-k, Whitlnpr,
08. Pike 179
etc 174
THE FLAT FISHES:- THE PKRCII TRIBE :

03. Pluice, Solo, Turbot, &c... 174 00. Perch 180

PART THE FIFTH.

CHAPTER XV.-ARTICLE8 OF FOOD IN FRIGID COUNTRIES.
100. A FRIOID COUNTRY 183 I 103. Walrun 102
Moses 187 [ 104. Polar Bcnr 1U2
Lichens 188 105. Whale 102
S.'ii-weed 188 !
108. Porpoise 103
Mushrooms 189 I
107. Reindeer 10-1
101. Food from the Animal King- j
10*. Klk 103
dom 100 100. Medusa 105
102. Seul 101 I

PAHT THE SIXTH.

CHAPTER XVI.-ARTICLES OF CLOTHING.
First I'lca of Cliithlne the SnvBRo the Savage in the Exhibition
Koh-i-noor Uown the Tranx-pt 108202
 CONTENTS.

PAGE |
P\OB
Turkpy 202 '

Tunis 207
Egypt 203 China 2< 9
Persia 203 India 211
Greece 203 Malta, Ceylon, Jersey, Ionian
Spain, Portugal, and Madeira .. 204 Islands 213
Italy 204 :

Cape of Good Hope Gold Coast 214

France 205 Islands of the Eastern Hemi-
Belgium and Holland 205 sphere belonging to Britain 215
Austria, Zoll vurein 205 British Possessions in North Ame-
Russia 2"0 rica 216
Switzerland 207 Australia .' 217
Sweden, Norway, &c 207 General Remarks on Dress 217

CHAPTER XVII.-ARTICLES OF CLOTHING-RAW

MATERIAL.
Cotton 221 Fur 228
Flax 223 Leather 228
Straw-plait 226 Poetry Praises from the Great
Wool 220 Exhibition 229
Silk 227

PART THE SEVENTH.

CHAPTER XVIIL THE "LIONS" OF THE EXHIBITION.
The Crystal Fountain
The Koh-i-noor
The Mass of Rock Crystal, Spanish
Wine Jar
Godfrey de Bouillon, Giant Statue
of Richurd I., St. Michael
and the Dragon, the Amazon,
Greek Slave, Great Bavarian
Lion
230 The Silk Trophy, Case of Arti-
231 ficial Flowers 234
The Corn Trophy, India-rubber
Trophy, Timber Trophy, Jaw
234 of a Sperm Whale, Stuffed
Animals from Wurtemberg.. 235
The Coalbrook-dale Iron Dome,
Great Slab of Mahogany,
Mass of Crystalized Alum '.. 238
234 Poetry The Trophies of Peace.. 286

PART THE EIGHTH.

CHAP. XIX.-THE VISITORS TO THE EXHIBITION.
The Variety of Visitors the Crowds the Exact Numbers the Totals
the Amount of Money received Uie Quantities of the Refresh-
ments consumed Curious Facts, Poetry 237 2-il

CHAP. XX.-THE CLOSE OF THE EXHIBITION.

Saturday, October 9th Monday and Tuesday, the Exhibitors' Days
Wednesday, October 18th the Report of the Juries, and List of
Prizes List of the Council Medals," " Prize Medals," and
'

'HonoiiraMe Mentions" The Defects of the Exhibition Rewards

of Merit- Sir Joseph Paxton Sir Charles Fox Working-men and
noble-men- His Royal Highness the Prince Albert- Poetry The :

Close of the Great Exhibition 242247

THE MASS OF. CRYKTALIZED ALUM.
BLOCK OF HONDURAS MAIH".N\.
'
-STUFFED ANIMALS FROM WURTEMBURO.
CANADIAN TIMUKK TUOI'IIV
FRENCH AT1 I IflAI. FLOWKIIS
ST. M ICIIAK1. A N I) Til K III: \i,oN.
>*, tf
 'W *K **
If 4

'
THE SPANISH WINK JAU.
T1IK MASS OF HOCK CRYSTAL.
THK KOH-I-NOOU.
Till: INDIAN RUBHKK TH01MIV.
T II I. CO I; N T li (> I
1
II Y .

KUSSIAN DBHARTMBNT,
 OBJECT LESSONS
FR03I THE

<iljiiiitiott nf tjjt Sntostq nf all jKat

INTRODUCTION. Rose. Why, /can understand

that.
W. Now,papa, we are
" H. It means that the idea
ready for the Object Lessons
on the Exhibition." Are you got up .'

P. Yes, that is the meaning.

going to begin? Let us see how the idea of the
P. No, I am not, for several
Exhibition got up, or grew. An
reasons. In the first place, I am
idea sometimes grows like a
very tired. I have been to that
Exhibition ten times, and flower; it lies hid in some dark
corner of the mind just as the
don't you see how tired I am?
flower lies under the earth until
You understand me better
will
when you have been there, and
it is
strong and breaks through
know what an enormous place to the light. Then it grows
until it is very large, and in the
it is.
course of the year, you see a
Besides, we must not begin
such a course without a proper great sunflower. So the idea of
the Exhibition came to the
introduction.
light before the public.
L. No; we should like to
have the history of the Exhibi-
H. And grew in the News-
tion to know how it began, and papers.
P. And then in Hyde Park,
many more things.
until
P. have been
Then, as I
it brought forth
Rose. Ah a great Crystal
!

writing a book on the Exhi-

Palace.
bition, we will read the first
P. Or, rather, the Exhibition
chapter, which is suitable as
an introduction to our coarse. in the Palace but some ideas :

The book contains a full ac- grow more quickly they spring
count of a visit which little up instantly, like the mush-
rooms. We shall see soon.
Henry and his sister Rose paid The idea of the Great Exhi-
to the Exhibition.
Now listen to my story of bition has been growing ever
since the year 1756.
the Exhibition. The tale will
be divided into several chapters.
H. (whispering.) Then it has
been growing like an oak, Rose.
CHAPTER FIRST How THE In the year 1 756, a " Society"
in London, called THE SOCIETY
IDEA AROSE.
OF ARTS, thought of something.
Henry. What does that mean? The men of that Society had
1
 THE SOCIETY OF ARTS.

once been to school, perhaps, In the course of time, the

and they remembered that their people found that it was a
good
master had said to the boys, " I thing to make Exhibitions. So,
want to teach you to write and in the year 1798 the French
draw much better. So, if each made one; and have continued
boy will try and make a better to make Exhibitions every now
drawing than he has ever made and then, from that time until
before, the drawings shall all be this, while there have been
shown to me, and he who has similar Exhibitions in other
made the best shall have a countries in Belgium, and even
prize?" The boys at school in Spain. The English people
would therefore strive more to have also had small Exhibit ions
make good drawings ; and, when in the different large towns.
they were all shown to the mas- In 1849, the year before last,
ter that he might give the prize, a much larger Exhibition than
they formed quite an Exhibi- any of the others was held at
tion this was the h'rst Exhi- Birmingham.
bition Do you know what we
! 11. Then I suppose that that
call the act of striving with one made Prince Albert think of
another? having one in London.
//. Yes, I have heard the P. It was not that exactly.
word; it is called "competi- I told you that there is in Eng-
tion." The boys were having land a Society called the. Society
a competition. a/' A r/.s, and his Iloyal Highness
Rose. And it was a good thing the 1'rince Albert is the Presi-
even for those who did not get dent. This Society began a
prizes, because they learned to series of Exhibitions of Manu-
make better drawings. factures, and the first was held
P. True. And that was the in the year 1847. Everybody
secret of the sly old master, liked that Exhibition. So in
he wanted to improve fbe boys the year 1848 the Society had
to do them good. J*ow, the another. This was liked even
LONDON SOCIETY OF ARTS better than the first; so in the
thought, that after boys had year 1849 they held an Exhi-
left and had become
school, bition which was the best of
men, and had learned to make all. The manufactures were
other things besides drawings, principally ornaments in gold
they might improve more quick- and silver, and other im-taN;
" Ex- and some of them were gra-
ly by competition and by
hibition." Therefore, in the ciously sent bv the QUEEN her-
year 1756, they said that they self!
would give prizes to those who And now THE IDEA, which
could make the best carpi -IN or had been growing for some
those who could make the best time, arose. The Prince and
porcelain, or tapestry ; and some other members of the Society
began to sec that if it was a good
people did get prizes. Soon after,
a Royal Academy was also thing lor the manufacturers in
formed for exhibiting pictures. England to make a competition
2
with one another, it would be a Prince at their head, they found
good thing for the manufacturers great difficulties.
of all the world to do so ! Rose. Why couldn't they ask
Rose. But what a number of the Queen? If I had been
prizes they would have to give, Prince Albert that is what /
papa! Perhaps they didn't think should have done.
of that. P. Ah, yon do not know any-
P. Yes, they did. The Society thing about it. The Queen has
knew that there must be a great not so much money to spare as
number of manufacturers if they you think the proper parties
;

came from all parts of the world, to ask were the government,
and that a great many of them that is, the gentlemen who
would deserve prizes. But it govern the nation. But then,
was worth while to pay a very the money which the govern-
great sum of money to do good ment has belongs to the people,
to the manufactures of all the and the government would have
world! So the Society deter- no right to spend it in any way
mined to give away prizes worth they pleased.
TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS. H. Then, how did they get
And, when they thought of all the money, papa? I do want
the manufacturers who would to know very much.
try to get prizes, and of the P. You shall know if you
wonderful things they would have patience, for it is a rather
send, they began to see that long story. They asked the
such things would make a truly government that some gentle-
GREAT EXHIBITION. Thus the men from the Society and others
idea arose gradually. might be formed into "A Royal
H. Well, I think that they Commission." They would then
were going to give away a great have the Authority of tlie Queen
deal of money. But were the to promise the manufacturers
Society really going to give all prizes worth 20,000, which
that money of themselves? they would collect by Public
Where did they get it from? Subscription.
Please tell me. Rose. I know
what that is. I
P. That question brings me have seen "Lists of Subscribers"
to another chapter. They were in the Times. The people give
going to give 20,000, but they away their money.
had not 20,000 to give. So, P. But, the Society could not
you shall hear, secondly, How obtain their request. No one
tlie
money was raised. would advise the Queen to form
a "Royal Commission," it was
CHAPTER SECOND How THE said that the money ought to
MONEY WAS RAISED. be collected first.
H. Of course.
"WE are to
give away P. And then there might
20,000," thought the Society, easily be a Royal Commission
"but we have not got it;" and to give it away. They were now
although they had the Sovereign much puzzled. Every one saw
3
 THE ROYAL COMMISSION.

that the answer from the govern- H. Well done, Mister Mun-
ment was a just one. " We days They were
!

must not," they thought, " have P. They were noble men,
'
a Royal Commission' to give certainly; but listen! Then
away money that is up in the Mr. Fuller made haste at once
clouds! and, it would not be to take the good news to the
right to have a Royal Commis- Prince. Hehastened to his
sion merely to collect subscrip- Highness's country seat at Bal-
tions. And, unless we have a moral, in Scotland, and on the
Royal Commission no one will 3rd September, 1850, nt the
give us any subscription. Yet we very moment when the Prince
shall want 20,000 for prizes, was going out to hunt the stag,
and 30,000 or 40,000 for the His Highness was informed of
building, and a great many more this noble offer.
thousands for the great expenses H. Well, that shows how the
in letting the world know all money was raised.
about it. What shall we P. Not quite. It would not
do?" have been right for the Society
II. That is just what I want to have let Messrs. Munday
to know. When are yon going spend all this money for them,
to tell us, papa? before they knew whether they
P. Now, England is a very would be able to pay it back
rich country. It is full of rich besides, they found that they
merchants, and manufacturers, would want nearly Tico hun-
and builders. I'll tell you of dred thousand pounds. The
several soon. Two very rich " Royal Commission" was now
builders, whose names were granted, and the Prince and
Munday, heard what the PRINCE gentlemen who formed THE
and the Society wanted to do, ROYAL COMMISSION FOR THB
and, they thought, "We'll PROMOTION OF THE INDUSTRY
M]> them!" So, they found a OF ALL NATIONS, began to col-
gentleman of the Society named lect subscriptions.
Fuller, and they said to him, Rose. There, Henry! Then
" We think that your plan of that is how the money was
making an Exhibition from all raised.
nations is a very good one and,;
P. No, indeed it is not.
if you can carry it out, thousands The people would not subscribe
of people will pay to come and see "
properly. The appeal to the
it, so yon will be sure to succeed public was almost a failure."
and get plenty of money. And Fine speeches about this Exhi-
this is what we We will bition were made in London
will do.
lend you and besides and other parts of the country;
20,000,
that, we will
spend 50,000 to but the people had never heard
make a fine building for you, of such a thing before, and some,
and lend yon a great many who wanted to show how wise
more thousands for the expenses they were, laughed at the
altogether about on hundred thought, and the money "drib-
thousand pounds! bled in slowly." Thus the Prince,
4
 HOW THE IDEA OF THE PALACE AROSE.

nobles, and gentlemen of the over to see us." So, architects

Royal Commission, who were were wanted now, men to
going to collect the money, be- draw plans of the building and ;
"
gan to think, We shall not be the architects came. 245 Plans
able to do it," when another were made: 188 were made in
gentleman, Mr. Samuel Peto, Britain 27 came from France, ;

came to their help. He said, and a few came from Belgium,

" I will be
security for 50,000 ;" Holland, and other parts; and
the Prince said he would be with them there came new dif-
security for more money; and ficulties for the Royal Com-
other wealthy men followed, mission.
until security was raised for The plans were all examined,
Two HUNDRED THOUSAND and none of them suited. So
POUNDS. And thus money the Commissioners sent
ilie, for
was raised laboriously. other architects and engineers,
//. Thank you, papa. What to make a new plan for the
is next? purpose. But when the people
P. You have heard, 1 st, How saw the idea of a great brick
the idea of the Exhibition and mortar building which was
arose ; and 2ndly, How the to cost 200,000, they asked,
means arose. You shall hear, "Where are you going to put
3rdly, How the idea of the it ?" They were told that it was
Palace arose.* tobe placed in Hyde Park, but
thousands of people said, "No!"
CHAPTER THIRD How THE And the newspapers made a
noise ; and angry men made
IDEA OF THE PALACE AROSE.
speeches and many said 'twas ;

When any one struggles a shame their park should be

through difficulties it does him spoiled by a large brick and
good! He feels himself strong, mortar building. And the Com-
and greater and has greater missioners
;

ideas. So the ideas of the //. I should think they were

"
Royal Commission" began to puzzled.
enlarge. There came grand P. Perhaps they were; but
thoughts of teaching other somebody was always sent to
things to men by means of the help them. Mr. PAXTON came
Great Exhibition and there this time.
;

also came the thought, "We Rose. What was the gentle-
will have a splendid house for man's
name, Henry ?
our friends, when they come H. Mr. PAXTON. Let us
*
hear about him.
may be as well to acknow-
It P. Mr. Paxton thought about
ledge, that the materials for parts the building. This gentleman
of this account are taken from the
is a landscape gardener, and he
ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, and
is very clever in writing books,
the OFFICIAL ILLUSTRATED CATA-
LOGUE. The Editor has, in fact, and in making houses, it

made free with every source of in- seems. He made a beautiful

formation that he could obtain. garden for the Duke of Devon-
5
 MB. PAXTON.

shire; and, as the Duke had a the Commissioners used Mr.

new and enormous water-lily, Paxton's plans or not. At first
Mr. 1'axton made an immense it was said they were too late,
conservatory of iron and glass and then, that
was not usual it

for it to grow in. And, when to build with

iron and glass.
he heard that the building of Some of the architects who had
the Exhibition did not please made the plans for the Com-
the public, he thought to him- missioners said it was impossi-
self, perhaps, "Why shouldn't ble for such a building to an-
a glass house be as good for an swer, that it would be blown
Exhibition as for a house of down by the wind, that hail-
plants? If I were to make stones would break the glass,
them one, like that of the Duke that the glass would get loose,
of Devonshire, I'm sure they and fall in, and the people of
would like it. " all nations" would
They could be bruised
have a house higher than the or killed. Others said it would
trees, and the large trees could be too hot inside, and the un-
grow inside it." So, on the happy visitors would be grilled.
18th January, 1850, when Mr. The public, however, soon heard
Paxton was engaged on a Rail- of it, and began to speak for
way Committee, he hastily for themselves. They saw the
sketched his idea of the bui Iding plans, and read about them in
on a sheet of blotting-paper, the Illustrated London News.
which happened to be near They read, and talked, and
him. He then went home, and were pleased. The mighty
from his sketch he formed a " million" shouted out their
finished drawing, working all " It will be a
opinions again :

that night, and working on still famous place ! a transparent

at all the plans and particulars palace like crystal. Let us have
for ten days, when he set out A CRYSTAL PALAI K !"
for London by train to see the The Royal Commissioners
"
Commissioners. He
thought They said, We can
said so too.
that his plan had been made put it up in Hyde Park, and,
too late to be of any use, but what is more, we can take it
he happened to meet in the down again, and that will be
railway-carringe
a gentleman a very good thing." Then it
mimed Stephenson, an engineer, was all agreed to. Thus,
who was one of the " Royal the idea of the Crystal Palace
Commissioners." arose suddenly.
This gentleman looked at the Well done, Mr. Paxton,
//.

drawings very closely, and at this time !

last he
" Wonderful !" but P. True, Henry, the idea was
said,
" well done."
he thought it was a pity they But let us go on ;

Imd not been prepared before. we haTe nothing raised yet but
However, he said he would ideas. We
have harder work
show them to the Commis- before us now, for we have to
sioners. speak of the raising of the
You know, I dare say, whether Palace.
6
 MESSK9. FOX AND HENDERSON.

ribs,who gratefully formed a

CHAPTER FOURTH How THE roof over their heads, and
CRTSTAL PALACE AROSE. covered them in from the rain.
H. Well done, Mr. !

How did it But who did it ?

arise ? I wish
I were a poet, Henry, that I P. Well done, Messrs. Fox
might make some fine com- and HENDERSON, you may say
parison to show you how it was now.
done. Rose. Then tell us, please,
It rose swiftly and silently, papa, who were Messrs. Fox
almost like some fairy scene; and Henderson. I want to hear
and yet, with labour, as all the some more "particulars." Will
rest had been done.
"
Industry" you describe to us, a little bit?
has made many a fairy scene, P. Very well, I am not at all
and her secret is, Work !
you how
tired : but before telling
work! work! the building was made, you shall
L. And the building rose hear what there was to make.
suddenly, papa. Messrs. Fox and Henderson
P. Yes, with strange sudden- are two of the great builders
ness. As the dry bones that (or contractors) who, as I told
were shaken by the wind you, abound in our wealthy
came together, "bone to his country ;you shall now see
bone," so came the columns what gigantic undertakings two
of this Crystal Palace! They Englishmen can carry on. At
came from afar an exceed- : the time when Messrs. Fox and
ing great army of iron and ""
Henderson began the great
wooden bones. By waggon palace, they had other exten-
loads they came, girders and sive works in hand, in all parts
trusses, columns and ribs, of of the British Empire. These
iron and wood. Then, they I will mention directly. Let us
fittedone to another, forming first speak of their work in
a framework fairy-like and fine Hyde Park.
for the transparent glass. No
DESCRIPTION OF THE PALACE.
unsightly heaps of brick! no
smoking heaps of lime! no click Look at the picture. This
of noisy trowel no great un-
!
Crystal Palace is 1,851 feet
sightly scaffolding ! All the long.
parts were ready prepared and, ;
H. I cannot understand ex-
though they came from distant how much that is.
actly
places, they quickly joined You can, if you try. Do
P.
together, like brethren who you know the street where your
knew each other. Then, ranging aunt lives, and where each
in square companies, and in house contains eight rooms?
long rows, they helped and Rose. I know it, papa; there
supported one another until are 50 houses on each side of
they were tall and strong. Thus the road.
were they able to bear up their P. Then just imagine that,
curved-shaped friends, the giant instead of 50, there were 116
7
 TOTALS OF SURFACE, SPACE, AND MATERIAL.

houses then you get an idea That would be 994,384 square

of the length of the Crystal feet altogether.
Palace. It is as long as 116 Would you like to know
eight-roomed houses placed in what space is contained in the
a row !
building ?
//. Then how broad is it? Rose. Yes, please, papa.
P. About as broad as a street P. Then suppose that you
of 28 such houses, that is, 456 made a solid block thus; and
feet; and in the arched part,
called
" the which
transept,"
crosses the building, it is 68 feet
high. There! put it away in
"
your memory, Rose. The Crys-
tal Palace is 1,851 feet long, 564

feet broad, and 68 feet high."

H. But how high is it in the i.
Fig.
large part, papa? that each of the six sides was a
P. In the "long part," which such a
perfect square foot,
is called "the nave," its height
block is called a cubic foot.
is 65 feet. The whole building Rose. And, how many cubic
covers almost eighteen acres of feet could we put in the space of
ground a space about six times the Exhibition? a thousand?
as large as that of St. Paul's. P. More.
You know what a H. Not a hundred thousand?
square
foot is? P. Yes; three hundred and
//. Yes. A
square piece of
thirty times as much. The space
board, which measured a foot of the Exhibition is no less than
on each side, would be the size three hundred and
thirty hun-
of a square foot. I will cut out dred thousand cubic
feet, or
a piece of the proper size when
33,000,000, as we say. The
we are at home. surface of the glass measures
P. And if you wished to cut 89 feet. The
6,000 square quan-
out enough pieces to cover the
tity of the wood is 600,000
whole space of the Exhibition, cubic and the
feet, quantity of
you would have to make NINE the glass is 896,000 Ibs. The
HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-NINE
weight of all the iron is
THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED 9,072,000 Ibs. and the cost of
AND EIGHTY-FOUR of them, for the
building about 150,000.
that is the number of square " totals."
These, then, are the
feet in the Exhibition. The You must write them down on
floors of the galleries measure a piece of paper.
217,100 square feet, and the //. I will, papa.
ground floor measures 777,284
The CRYSTAL PALACE, which
square feet. Let us add them Messrs. Fox and Henderson built,
together :
is six times as large as St. rani's.
Its length is 1,851 feet (the num-
Galleries 217,100 square ft.
.
ber of the year in which it is built),
Ground Floor 777,284 it is 456 feet broad, 64 feet high in

9
 THE HOARDING.

the nave, and 88 feet high in the H. Well, I won't again. But
transept. The total surface of the now, will you let us hear how
flooring measures 994,384 square itwas all done?
feet ; and the total space of the
P. Yes let us leave the totals,
;
building is 333,000,000 cubic feet and attend to the parts. We
The total surface of the glass mea-
sures 896,000 square feet. The
willimagine that we are sitting
on the ground, in Hyde Park,
total quantity of the wood is
600,000 cubic feet. The total and then we shall see the parts
weight of the glass is 896,000 Ibs. coming.
(or 400 tons). The total weight First came the men with
of the wrought-iron and cast-iron theodolites. Surveyors, they
is 9,072,000 Ibs. (or 4,050 tons), were called, for they took a
and the total cost of the building " Then
ia not much more than survey" of the ground.
150,000. came the hoarding.
Now, the completion of all Rose. What is that?
thiswork was undertaken by //. I will tell you; the great
two men. They began at the boards which they stick up, all
end of July, 1850, and it was round the place.
ready for receiving the goods P. Here is a picture of the
to be exhibited by about the
end of January, 1851. In how
many months did they do it?
li. I have been counting,
in only six months, papa.
P. This, you will say, then, is
a great undertaking for two
men: but, as I told you, they
had at the same time extensive
works in all parts of the king- Fig. 2.
dom. They were making a hoarding. It pleases me very
whole railway in Ireland; an much for those who built this ;

immense wrought-iron bridge work of art wisely copied the

over the river Shannon another Works of Nature, where nothing
;

over the Medway, at Rochester; is wasted. The boards of the

a truly immense station for pas- hoarding were all used after-
sengers at the end of the Great wards for the floor of the build-
Western Railway; a large sta- ing itself. You may see by the
tion at Liverpool for another picture that it was not neces-
railway; a railway station at sary to nail them together. The
Bletchley; another at Oxford, two upright posts were fixed in
of iron and glass, like the Palace the ground and the boards were
itself; and several other largeslipped in between them. The
works which I cannot at presentposts were then tied together at
remember. Think of that, dear the top, so that the boards were
Henry. Think what two men held tight, and could not full
can perform, and when you have out.
plenty of work to do, never sit Rose. But, I suppose that
down and " I can't!" tnere was some waste. What
say,
10
 THE IRON COLUMNS.

was the use of all those great P. When the hoarding had
posts afterwards? been fixed, and the ground was
P. They formed joists, the enclosed, the surveyors once
thick pieces of wood which are more came with their theodo-
laid on the earth to nail the lites, and measured the places
floor upon. for the iron-columns and then
;

H. To be sure. Don't you came the columns themselves.

see, Rose, that they couldn't The columns were followed
nail the boards to the ground ? by all manner of parts by
it would be too soft. "girders," "trusses," "braces,"
Rose. Ah! " Paxton "
gutters," sash-bars,"

Fig. 3.
 THE IRON COLUMNS.
" and a great
ventilating bars,"
many more things. I have drawn
some of these parts for you.
Let us examine them.
The beautiful COLUMNS are
interesting objects. There are
three rows, the columns from
the floor to the gallery, which
are 18 feet .V. inches high; the
second row rise from the gallery,
they are 16 feet 7| inches long;
and the third row, which are
as long as the second, rise above
them up to the roof. Thus, the
columns are placed on top of
each other, only having small
columns between them, to which
the girders are fastened. Let
us find out the good qualities
of these columns. Suppose that
all three columns had been
joined in one, thus:
16ft. 7in.
16ft. 7Jin.
18ft. 5in.
51ft. Sin.
//. The great column would
have been too long. It would
have measured 51ft. 8in.
P. Yes; besides the length
of the smaller columns between might pour down throuyk
; t/te
and, if they had been made thus columns.
long
Ruse. I can see they would
: columns are water-spouts. They
have been more likely to bend.
P. True; then another good
quality is, that they arc hollow.
//. Then they cannot lie MTV
firm. If you have a lt<>ll,nr
friend, you never say he is a
firm one.
P. The same law does not
apply to iron columns. IIollow-
ness gives firmness and strength.
You know that straws arc 1ml-
12
Pro-
low; so also 'are quills.
fessor Cowper was talking in a
lecture about the beauties of
these columns, and wanted to
show their strength, so he cut
two quills of equal length, and
placed them upright. On these
small quills he managed to place
100 Ibs. weight, and then another
100 Ibs., but they did not break
until 224 Ibs. were placed upon
them. The quills possessed this
strength, just because they were
hollow. This hollowness is a
beautiful quality. It not only
gives strength, but gives them
another use like the hoarding,
they are made to serve two
purposes.
Rose. What else are they fit
for, I wonder?
P. If you look at the picture
below, which shows the form of
the roof, you will see that, when
it rains, the water might settle
in all those ridges, therefore the
water must be conveyed from
the top of the building to the
bottom. May it come down
through the roof on the heads
of the people?
Rose. To be sure not. Ah !
there would be a good plan, it
P. And so it docs, the
not only hold up the roof, but
carry down the water.
//. So we may say three good
things of the columio:
1st, Their.slmrt lait/th gives
them strength;
2nd, Their Iwllowncss gives
strength and
;
3rd, Their &tf&NMMMinakefl
them useful as water-
spouts.
 THE TRUSSES.

P. While you may add mense girders which extend

4th, Their hollowness also
gives lightness.
The columns are kept apart
by the cross-pieces called girders,
which are drawn on the same
page with the columns but, let
us ascend at once to the im-
across from the columns on one
side of the nave to the columns
on the other side, a distance of
72 feet. These immense girders
are called TRUSSES, and as
you may observe, contain nine
girders.

72

Fig. 4.
H. Yes, and on each girder of course. Then, they lead to
a little roof is raised they are the tops of the columns, and
like little hills. the water flows down them.
Or Arab's tents; that
Rose. P. That is right ; at the base
is way you draw tents,
the of each column is a pipe through
Henry you make lines up and which the water is conveyed, as
down! Mr. Dickens says, "into the
P. They are called ridges, jurisdiction of their honours the
and the valleys between them Commissioners of Sewers." I
are called furrows; thus they will show you two more inte-
form what the architects called resting points concerning the
a " ridge and furrow" roof. roof and the gutters, and then
Rose. And I suppose that in we will conclude our descrip-
the furrows there are gutters, tion. Yon know that, when
or something, that the water any vapour risesand reaches a
may run away to the columns. cold surface, as there is no heat
H. But you see, Rose, that to keep the particles of the
the water would run " long- vapour apart, they unite again,
ways," it could not reach the or condense, as we say.
poles on each side. Rose. Yes, and form drops.
P. Ah! How can it reach I noticed that yesterday ; mam-
the columns? ma poured some hot water into
Rose. Well, that would be the slop-basin and put the plate
very easy ;
there might be a of toast on the top then the ;

gutter on the top of each large steam arose up to the flat plate,
truss. The gutters in the ridges and when we lifted it up a
would lead to the gutters in the number of little drops fell off.
trusses. (See Fig. 6, page 14.) P. And so it might be in the
H. Yes, the gutters on the Crystal Palace the vapour;

trusses are placed crossways, which we call " breath," arises

13
 PA XTON-G UTTER. TRANSVERSE GUTTER.

from the crowds of people

below and if the glass roof
were flat, thus ,
or like
the bottom of the plate, then ?
H. Then the vapour from
the people's breath would form
drops, and make a shower-bath
on the people's faces. It would
return to those it came from. Tig. 5.
"
P. But by placing the panes Paxton-gutter." This you
in an oblique (or slanting) direc- will see is
really three gutters.
tion so and so There a larger one with a
is
smaller one on each side.
___, the drops formed //. And I can see what they

by the vapour do not fall thus, are for, the drops from the
but trickle along the glass, vapour in the inside of the glass
slowly. trickle down the panes, and the
If. And, when they reach the side of the wood, into the small
end of the glass, don't they fall gutters, and the rain out-ulf
off? the glass pours into the large
P. No: there is a gutter to gutter.
receive them, a very ingenious P. Just so; and again, the
which was invented by
affair, gutter is a good firm solid
Mr. Paxton, and is called the rafter, and is therefore useful

Fi*. 6.
as part of the frame-work for I the Pax ton-gutters, and the
the glass. Here i* a piece of "cross way" gutters on the tops
the outside of the roof. you of the trusses.
may see the ridge and furrow, //. Well, then, they are very
14
 BEGINNING TO BUILD.
good gutters. They do three
things:
1st, They support the glass ;
2nd, They receive the rain
outside the glass ;
3rd, They receive the breath
inside the glass.
Rose. They are almost as
good as their relations the
columns. One is a column and
a spout, the other is a rafter
and a (/utter.
P. And now if we j ump down made
from the roof to the floor, we hundreds
shall find that it also serves
three purposes. When we reach
the Exhibition, we shall find
that the boards which were
once a hoarding, are now used
as a floor, a dust trap, and a
ventilator. But we have had
too long an account. Let us
add up " the quantities," and
proceed.
H. As you say them, papa,
I will write them on the same seen columns,
piece of paper with the totals, if
you will please speak slowly.
P. Very well, then write
down
Of the columns there are 3,300.
There are 3,300 girders made of
cast-iron, and 358 of the long
trusses made of wrought-iron. The
Paxton-gutters would measure
altogether no less than 20 miles
the panes of glass are joined to thin
slips of wood which are colled
"sash bars" the total length of
these is not less than TWO HUN-
DRED MILKS!
There! what do you say to
that?
H. Now, papa, please to tell lifted from the waggon, weighed,
us how it was all put together, placed in the 'proving machine,'
if you are not tired.
P. Oh, 7 am not tired. When
the hoarding was fixed, and the
foundations were prepared, the
columns began to arrive.
It was some time before the
different parts came, for they
had all to be cast at places near
Birmingham, which are a long
way off. A month and twenty
days had passed away the 20th ;
of September had arrived, and
only 77 columns had been fixed
out of 3,300. But, during all
this time everything had been
ready, and hundreds after
of columns had been
cast. Everybody had learned
his duties,and was prepared to
proceed, and then came the
columns in abundance. Ah, it
was a truly busy scene! if you
had only been outside that
hoarding you would have liked
to watch the waggons! Every
day you would have cried out,
" Here
they come !" and, as
they unloaded, you would have
girders, trusses,
and other pieces in abundance.
From the immense and
mighty furnaces of the casting
works were brought, in one
week, 316 girders; and also,
every week, at least 200
columns. Each casting, as
soon as it was delivered, was
very carefully weighed and ex-
amined. It was made to bear
very heavy weights, to see if it
were of the proper strength it ;
was next painted, and was then
carried off to itsproper place
to be fixed. All this was done
with the greatest dexterity.
" Each could be
heavy article
lifted out again, and taken to its
place, in less than four minutes."
The scene became more busy
15
 PREPARING FOR THE GLASS.
every week. As more columns
were brought in, more men
were hired to work, and in the
course of a month (by the end
of October) hundreds of co-
lumns were rising, and nearly
1,500 men were at work.
H. But, papa, if the columns
were three or four times as tall
as the men, how could the men
lift them?
P. Very easily, by means of
" With 1,500 men at work, not
shear-legs."
Rose. Whatare" shear-legs?"
not their own legs, I suppose.
Are they stilts?
P. No, nor wooden legs, al-
though they are made of wood.
They are two wooden poles,
which are placed together so:
What shape do they form, with
the line of the ground?
Rose. A triangle, papa.
P. Here is a picture of a
column being hoisted by means
of the shear-legs. You may
notice that there is a long rope
on each side to keep them
steady. At the apex of the trian-
gle (you have learned what that
means in PLEASANT PAGES),
there are pulleys with ropes
passing over them, thus you
see how the men pulled them
up.
only were great numbers of
the columns and girders soon
raised, but the smaller parts of
the framework for the glass.
During all this time the glass-
blowers had not been idle.
They had plenty to do; they
had to make large and thick
panes of glass almost a yard
and a half long and ten inches
broad. They soon found that
as they had to make so many
thousand panes, they had really
too much to do. ENGLAND could
not supply workmen enough to
make such an immense quantity
in so short a time; it was neces-
sary, therefore, to bring work-
men from foreign countries to
help. Each pane was made in
a manner different from the old
system, which you will under-
stand better when you have an
"
Object Lesson" on glass.
A few weeks, and the scene
in Hyde Park was more exci-
ting still. The increasing num-
bers of men had worked on
through November to the be-
ginning of December, when the
bustle was at its height. The
columns, girders, and heavy
castings were still being brought;
with an enormous number of
smaller castings, which were
 GLAZING THE ROOF.

erected with amazing rapidity. ingthe glass, crowds of porters

Other pieces of framework, and
sash-bars, for the glass were
next prepared then came the
glass; and with it came more Sappers
men still, to fix it.
H. Yes, Glaziers, I suppose.
The most
P. trying under-
taking of all was next begun,
namely, the hoisting of the
great curved ribs for the roof of
the transept; these ribs we shall
be able to see when we reach the
Palace. I cannot give yon an
idea of the great " crabs," and
tall "shear-legs" which were
used. This most dangerous
work was completed in one
week; sixteen great ribs were
erected, and fortunately with-
out any accident. Then the
glaziers were mounted high up
to their work, and soon they
were dotted over the roof, look-
ing in the distance something
performing odd jobs, while the
scene was made gayer still by
the numerous red coats of the
and Miners, which
sparkled here and there amidst
the crowd. " Useful men these,"
"
you might have said, they
have done all the surveying and
planning." Besides these were
the higher orders of workmen.
His Royal Highness the Prince,
Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Fuller, the
architect Mr. Paxton, the con-
tractors, the decorator Owen
Jones, numbers of draughtsmen
and clerks, with a great sprink-
ling of visitors, whose principal
labour was, in trying to under-
stand how all was done so
quickly.
But even with so large a supply
of men, there were not enough
hands to complete the great
and a new power had
work ;

like the flies on the ceiling. added a great #t cam-

been
When these glaziers worked on engine, with the power of six
the " ridge and furrow" roof, horses, might have been seen
they were conveyed in new and setting in motion several ma-
ingenious machines with wheels, chines, and causing them all to
which travelled in the Puxton help.
gutters. The men soon learned Let us talk of these machines :

to work quickly, and 80 of them, the steam was turned on, and this
in one week, put in 18,000 panes was the signal for them to work.
of glass. One man, in one day, They were obliged to obey
inserted 108 panes, which co- evidently they knew this, and
vered 367 feet of the roof. had been accustomed to steam,
Thus, all kinds of labour were for immediately they began
being executed at the same time, punching, and drilling, and cut-
and all varieties of people were ting bars of iron into their proper
seen. There were not only the lengths. Another machine had
glaziers attending to the glass, been preparing the "Paxton
but carmen unloading the wag- gutters ;" another cut the wood
gons, and workmen raising the into sashes for the glass, pre-
roof, workmen raising the co- paring them by mile-lengths;
lumns, painters painting them, another actually pmnti-d them ;

carpenters attending to tbe while another a still more

works of wood, carmen unpack- knowing machine received
17
 WORKING STEADILY. THE GOODS.

;ogs of wood, and sent them out and round without seeming to
again in the shape of long mind him at all.
spouts for drainage, with even P. True. And as through all
the holes for the nails bored December the machines and the
through them. Ah! those ma- crowds of men worked on (for
chines, how well they obeyed now there were nearly TWENTY-
the steam, and how the steam FIVE iirxuRKD MKN), the great
kept them at work ! No ma- giant of iron and glass must have
chine took the slightest interest tared more still. Yes, indeed!
in the work of his neighbour, for his masters were working
or even offered to assist him. all through the night, and had
The spout-machine kept en- lit him up by
torchlight! He
tirely to his spouts, and not a must have felt it to be awful
single gutter or sash-bar did he and grand when the bright lights
make. Indeed he had no time danced through the dim .slmdi-s,
to try ;
he was so intent on his and the men and machines
work, that he scarcely seemed moved on. What did the ma-
conscious of having a neighbour chines care for the night ? why
at all. should they go to sleep? They
Rose. Perhaps he hadn't any "never tired nor stopped to
" consciousness." rest." No ! each machine still
I1 He was none the worse worked and "
.
pursued the even
for that. Certainly, every ma- tenor of his wav."
chine kept to his oirn business, H. Poor Crystal Palace! I
and so did each workman, and dare say he felt that he must be
that is one reason why the build- built,and must grow up as large
ing was finished in time. as they chose to make him ; he
The conscious workmen, in- couldn't help himself.
deed, seemed as active as the P. Yes; and as time rolled
machines; all worked on stea- on, strange things rolled in.
dily,and the great giant the While the Palace had been thus
dumb, unconscious Palace rose preparing, beautiful goods to
silentlyover their heads. "Won- exhibit had been prepared by
derful!" they thought, as they thousands of men in all parts of
saw what they were doing all the world. Gentlemen from
wondered at the work of their England had been sent all over
own hands! still
guided by Europe and messages had been
;
'*
greater minds than their own, delivered to all nations," say-
their hands worked on, while ing that this Palace was built
the building seemed to look for them to exhibit in. Like
down from its height, and won- the school-boys whom we talked
der how large it was going to be. of, they were invited to a "com-
H. Perhaps he wondered what petition" for prizes. Soon they
he was being m&Aefor! began to try who could make
Jiose. And he would wonder the finest and best of goods;
what those impertinent steam- and, when they had done their
engines had to do with it, and best, they sent their works over
why their wheels went round the land and the seas, to Hyde
18
 ARRIVALS. COMPLETION.

Park. you had had the pro- Crystal Palace, are so bewil-
If
per ears, you might have gone dered at ourselves, that we
to the top of the Palace one scarcely know how we came
windy night, and have heard here. We know where we came
that they were coming. Great from. We came from the bot-
wheels were buffeting the ocean tom of the sea, and from the
waves, and bearing ships from tops of mountains, from dark
the east great sails were driven caves, and from mines in the
along by the wind from the bowels of the earth. There we
countries of the west, north, were called by different names,
and south; and the whistling such as 'sand,' 'soda,' 'galena,'
wind, which had crossed the 'ironstone,' and 'pine.' But
ocean for thousands of miles, some of us were melted in hot
and had reached the Palace furnaces, and were cast, and are
before them, whispered in its now called 'iron,' and 'glass;'
corners, "They come!" Great and some have been hammered,
packages were soon made ready cut, sawn, and drilled.
;
But it
and by railway from the cities has been done so quickly that
of Europe; by canal and rail all we can tell you is, we are
from the counties of England, now called 'THE CRYSTAL
"
the}' were sent off, directed to PALACE.' Thus, the Crystal
the Great Exhibition. After Palace arose, rapidly.
that, they came-, and with
them came a scene of bustle
and business, which I could
not reasonably attempt to de-
CHAPTER FIFTH.
scribe. There were workmen HOW THE IDEA WAS REALIZED.
from Austria and France; men
from the Zoll verein and Bavaria P. I suppose you remember
;

from all parts of Germany, the 1st May, Henry?

from Russia, from Switzerland //. Yes, very well, papa.
and Italy, from Spain, Belgium, P. On the 1st May, 1851, the
and Holland. From the far- people rose np early at five ;

west came Americans; and from o'clock on the 1st of May the
the East the men of Egypt, people were getting up; at four
i all
attending to their goods o'clock on the 1st of May,
;

amidst the confusion of tongues, there were people getting up.

a work mightier than Babel's At three o'clock in the morning
still went on and by its there were people getting up.
;

appointed day, the 1st of a few people rose at two, and

May the Crystal Palace was many were rising all night
finished. long, for some never slept at
On the 30th April, the night all. When the morning came,
before the Palace was bom, I there were clouds over-head, but
stood outside and asked him, beneath there was light-hearted
"How came yon here?" Soon I joy. Tens of thousands of men
imagined that the answer came and women hurried down the
back in these words: "AVE, the streets. Cabs and carriages
19
 THE TALE FROM " OLD TIME.

'
filledthe road, and all moved and I'll tell you why. This
1

onward to the west. From Exhibition was showing them

north, and south, and east, and the marvellous good works of
:

west by steamers and rail, by

; each others' hands, which they
omnibus and cab, by carriage had never seen before, but now
or gig, came the myriads of it was beginning to teach them

people, and stood round the This Exhibition had

1

more.
j
GREAT EXHIBITION. brought them together, and was
Rose. Yes, we heard abont showing them marvellous good-
that, pupa; the Exhibition was will in each others' hearts, irltich
ready to be opened. they had never seen before. For
P. But I think you do not tiie time since the world
first
i

'
know of all that gave the people was made, men of all nations
joy. As I was waiting with were working together in one
the crowd, I saw an old man great act of peace.
with an eager face, and a very Now hear what the old man
glad sparkling eye. His head related to me. "Not forty
:

was bald, and his beard was years ago," he said, "I saw the
i

grey. "What is it," I said, fathers of these men meet on

" that makes saw
you glad? Is it the battle-field. I their
! that you see the Crystal Palace forefathers meet, hundred of
sparkling in the light of the years ago. The Franks and
sun?" "Not
only that," he the Goths, the Celts and the
, said. "la it that you expect Moors, met only to show their
j
to see the Queen, and intend to hate to each other. Do you
say 'God bless her?'" "Not know why?" he said.
!

only that,"he said. " Is it that "

No," I replied.
" Then I'll tell
you see men of all climates, it was
you
!
apd of all colours, meeting to- because they did not know each
1

gether with friendly looks?" other. Ah !" he cried, " I have

" Not It is all these seen all history ! I've seen it
only that.
together that make me glad. all myself. I remember the
Don't you notice," he whispered, first great gathering of Chris-
" that all these men have one
tian nations, seven hundred
feeling toward that building? years ago."
Don't you hear the Frenchmen Hose. What an old man,
*
say to their enemies, the per- papa! How could he have
'
fii iii ins
English,' Brothers we lived for seven hundred \ra:-s ?
!

helped to make it!' Listen P. You will hear. He lias

how they say, We all have an lived six thousand years. But
'

"
interest there !' listen to his story.
Rose. I should like to have "That mighty gathering of
seen that old man he had some
;
the nations! Like the people
kind thoughts. arouixl us now, they were
P. Yes, you shall hear more brought together by an idea.
about htm soon. On that day How that idea arose and grew!
therewas a brotherly feeling The 'Industry of AH Nations'
beaming from the faces of all, wa-s aroused, and was making
20
 INSIDE THE PALACE. 1st MAT.

swords and spears. They met
and heard the idea from the
sacred lips of
their priests.
Go dip your swords in Wood
'
Go wage fierce war! Go
for the sake of Christ, the
Prince of Peace! Hundreds
of thousands are to follow
hundreds of thousands ; and
meet around Jerusalem, the
former city of God, to destroy
their fellow -men.' Europe
answered with the cry, 'It's
the will of God!'* Then, as
the Prince of the greatest na-
tion of the earth. There were
other princes, nobles and mighty
!
lords, the old warrior of the
kill, world, with his sword put up
for ever and the great men
of all degrees who had come
from thousands of miles. As I
gazed through the bright and
beautiful building, and saw the
long lines of faces, the many
strangers in character and in
dress, it seemed that men from
all countries of the earth had

they promised to go, and to met. Had met not with fierce
.fightround the Holy City, the rage, or flaming swords not
blessing of the Almighty was diseased and dying with hunger
asked by the Archbishop of and fatigue not expiring under
HOME, on the first and fearful a burning sun outside the gates
gathering of the nations. of the city but near where the
But the high days of chivalry cool crystal fountain played,
are now passed away, and those and murmured a sweet soothing
of the sword and spear are pass- sound ; near the quiet shade of
ing away too. Come, come with a noble tree; under the high
me," said the old man sud- arch of the transparent transept.
" Come to the
denly. Crystal There, surrounded by the bril-
Palace ! ye shall see a very liant trophies of the arts of
different gathering of the peo- peace, more beautiful and plea-
ple of the earth. Come!" he sing than the trappings of war,
cried, as he moved along faster there the second gathering of
(for he had been moving on all the nations began.
the while), I never stop! and, The sound of a thousand
with his hour-glass in his hand, voices had just ceased to breathe
he bore me on his wings over their melody through the air,
the people in the midst of the to the hymn of " God save the
Great Exhibition. Queen," when the President of
//. (Whispering.) Rose, the the Society of Arts, His ROYAL
old man had wings ! Who was
HIGHNESS THE PRINCE AL-
he? whose first difficulties
BERT,
P. I know not how it all hap- you may well remember, arose
pened, but when we i-eached the and read a long address to Her
palace, the people outside had Majesty. It would take too
seen the sight. The splendid long for me to tell you all of it,
carriages,and the pomp and but I will read to you the last
show had gone away, and I and most striking parts:
found inside, the Queen and " Hnvinar thus
briefly laid before
Your Majesty the results of our
" Deus id
vult, Dens id vult." labours, it now only remnins for
21
 THE ADDRESS AND THE RKPLT.

us to convey to Your Majesty our Archbishop of Canterbury, for

dutiful and loyal acknowledgments the highest part of the service
of the support and encouragement had yet to come. None forgot
which we have derived throughout that
'GOD was there and after !
this extensive and laborious task,
the reply of Her Majesty, there
from the gracious favour and coun-
tenance of Your Majesty. It is
stood up not the Arcltbishog
our heartfelt prayer that thit un- of Rome, but the Archbishop
of England. He arose to ask
dertaking, irhich has for its end
the promotion f>f all branches the Divine blcsMiijr <>u this no-
of human 'industry, and the ble work. He asked that it
strengthening of the bonds of might be blessed to teach all
peace and .friendship among all nations more of love, brother-
nations of the earth, m'a>, by
hood, and peace. Hear some
the blessing of Divine Provi-
of his words :
dence, comlnce to the welfare
of Your Majesty's people, and
lie long remembered
among the
brightest circumstances of Y'our
and happy " AND we beseech
Majesty's peaceful now, Lord,
reign." Thee to bless Thy works which
Thou hast enabled us to begin, and
Her Majesty then arose and to regard with Thy favour oru
replied. Here are some of Her PURPOSE of ft/lifting tor/ether /<
the bomU of peace anil concord
Majesty's cheering words :

the different nations of the earth ;

"I cordially concur with yon in for with Thee, O Lord, it tht
the prayer, that by God's blessing prejtaration oj'the heart in man.
this undertaking may condnce to Of fliee it couieth that violence is
the welfare of my people and to the not heard in our land, wasting nor
common interest* of the human destruction within its borders. It
is of Thee, Lord, that nations
race, by encouraging the arts of
peace and industry, strengthening do not lift up the sword against
the bonds of union among the each other, norlenrn wnrany more;
nations of theearth, and promoting it is of Thee, that peace is within

a friendly nnd honourable rivalry our walls, and planteowiMM within

in the useful exercise of those fa- our palaces. Therefore, Lord,
culties which have l>eon conferred not unto us, not unto us, but unto
by a beneficent Providence for the Thy name be all the praise.
good and the hnppineoa of man-
kind."
Both riches nnd honour como of
There, dear Henry ! Does Thee, and I lion reignest over all.
not your heart fuel glad ? The In thine hand it is to innke great
and to give strength unto nil.
cry which rose in Christendom
more than 700 years ago might Now, therefore, God, we thank
\\i-ll have been tittered Thee; wo praise Thee, and mil-cat
again Thee so to overrule this assembly
for the cause of Peace " It is
of many nations, that it ntay tend
the will of God" "It is the to the advancement of Thy glory,
will of God." to the diffusion of Thy holy word,
11. Peace i* God's will always. to the increase of general pros-
1\ True ; and so said the perity, by promoting peace and
22
 THE PRAYER.
"
good-will among the different races heard, and the song of Halle-
of mankind."*
lujah" rang through the build-
ing, while the Queen and nobles
Then, once more came the
sound of the organ. The walked through the aisles of the
thousand voices again were palace, from one end to the
other, until they again reached
the transept, from whence they
'
This is only a part of the prayer, started. The Queen then de-
which is too beautiful to be for-
clared
gotten. It is so simple that a
child may understand it, and it is THE EXHIBITION OPENED.
therefore printed entire, that the
children may read it often, and P. Just at that moment, I
long remember it. missed my friend TIME, who
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, had brought me thither on his
who dost govern all things both in
wings, and, rubbing my eyes, I
heaven and in earth, without whom
found myself in the place where
nothing strong, nothing is holy, ac-
is
we
beseech Thee, the sacrifice of I had first met him in the
cept,
pr.iise arid thanksgiving, and receive Park but how I returned I
;

these our prayers, which we offer up cannot tell.

unto Thee this day, on behalf of the
kingdom and people of this land. We
acknowledge, O Lord, that thou hast try which surround us, let not our
multiplied on us blessings which thou hearts be lifted up that we forget
mightest most justly have withheld. the Lord our God, as if our own
We acknowledge that it is not because power and the might of our hands
of works of righteousness which we had gotten in this wealth. Teach us
ha\e done, but of Thy great mercy ever to remember that all this store
that we are permitted to come before which we have prepared cometh of
Thee with the voice of thanksgiving, Thine hand, and is all Thine own.
and that instead of humbling us for Both riches and honour come of Thee,
our offences, Thou hast given us cause and Thou reignest over all. In Thine
to thank Thee for Thine abundant hand it is to make, great and to give
goodness. And now, O Lord, we he- strength unto all. Now, therefore, O
seech Thee to bless thy work which God, we thank Thee; we praise Thee,
Thou hast enabled us to begin, and to and entreat Thee so to overrule this
regard with Thy favour our purpose of assembly of many nations, that it may
knitting together in the bonds of peace tend to the advancement of Thy glory,
and concord the different nations of to the diffusion of Thy holy word, to
the earth; for with Thee, O Lord, is the increase of general prosperity, by
the preparation of the heart in jnan. promoting peace and goo't-will among
Of Thee it cometh that violence is not the different races of mankind. Let
heard in our land, wasting nor destruc- the many mercies which we receive
tion within its borders. It is of Thee, from Thee dispose our hearts to serve
O Lord, hat nations do not lift up Thee more faithfully, who art the
i

the sword against each other, nor author and giver of them all. And,
learn war any more; it is of Thee finally, O Lord, teach us so to use
that peace is within our walls, and those earthly blessings which Thou
plentcousness within our palaces; it is sivest us richly to enjoy, that they
of Thee that knowledge is increased may not withdraw our affections
throughout the world, for the. spirit from those heavenly things which
of man is from Thee, and the inspira- Thou hast prepared for those that love
tion of t'ie Almighty giveth him an serve Thee, through the merits
1

understanding. Therefore, O Lord, and mediation of Thy Son Jesus

not unto us, not unto us, but urto Christ our Lord, to whom, with Thee
Thy name be all the praise. While and the Holy Ghost, be all honour
we survey the works of art and indus- and glory.
23
 THE OPENING.

H. I think that you had been P, That is Buckingham Pa-

dreaming, papa. lace, where HEK MAJESTY THE
P. Very likely ; however, I Qi I.K.V lives. This park is
remembered all that my spirit called the " Green Park ;" we
had seen, and I also looked shall soon reach Hyde Park.
back on the past. I thought Here is a little drawing for
how the idea of the Exhibition you, by which you may see
arose, and how the idea of the where we are, and what is the
palace arose, and now I had exact position of the building.
seen it made real. It was,, as
we " realized." "
say, Why,"
I asked, "was it magnificent?"
Not because of the glitter and
gold, but because God was
there ! the God of heaven,
where angels sing of peace on
earth and of good-will towards
men, deigned to smile on that
day. He is the source of high
magnificence.
So,, when we look back on
the JCxhibition of the Industry of
all Nations, we may truly think,
/iou; the idea was realised, mag-
nificently!
Just then, I thought I heard
a flapping of wings, and Iima-
gined that my friend "Time"
was flying over head. I could
not see him, but I heard him
singing contentedly to himself:
'I have seen a grand day to-
day." Yes, I cried to him you
have seen one of the grandest
days since the beginning of the
world it tells us that there are
;

even better days to come vet.

*
//. Papa. Ilerc is a park"!
and I can see a pond. I think
that we must be near the Exhi-
//. VCR, we have to pass
bition now. Shall I pull the
and ask the cabman ? Hyde Park Corner; and go up
string, the road to Knightsbridge. Have
/*. No, you need not do this
finished \<nir story, papa?
this place is called Piccndilly. you
Not quite. Listen
1

/ '.

linst. And what, papa, is

that building in the distance
across the park ?
24
 THE GOLDEN' FRUIT.

CHAPTER SIXTH. II. What, papa, are the

" season
tickets," for which so
HOW BROUGHT FORTH FRUIT. much
IT
money was paid?
P. Some plants bring forth P. A "season ticket" is a
than others. Just as
finer fruit ticket which will admit the
a sun-flower is like a golden owner to see the Exhibition
flower, there are fruits called on any day during the season
"
golden fruits." in which it is open. They cost
Hose. Yes I have often read
;
3 3s. each I may as well tell
;

about golden fruits. you, also, that only those people

jP. And such are some of the who possess "season tickets,"
fruits of the Exhibition. were admitted on the 1st of
It has
begun by bringing forth golden May. All who went there on
fruit in a remarkable degree. the 2nd and 3rd May, paid 1 ;

Round medals of gold, called and all who went during the
sovereigns, have rolled in eveiy next three weeks, paid 5s. each
day, in amazing numbers, ga- for admission! On what day
thered from the great crowds of of the month would the three
people who have come to see it. weeks after the 3rd of May
During the month of May, end?
the money received at the //. Twenty-one days after,
doors amounted to no less that would be the 24th May.
than FIFTY-EIGHT THOUSAND P. True; and, since the 24th
AND FORTY - FOUR POUNDS, May, the rule has been that all
THREE SHILLINGS; while the who go to the Exhibition on a
amount paid for " season Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
tickets," up to June 7th, was or Thursday, shall pay Is. each;
SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND, NINE those who go on a Friday, are
HUNDRED AND SEVENTY - SIX to pay 2s. Gd., and those who go
POUNDS, THIRTEEN SHILLINGS. on a Saturday, must pay 5s.
Besides all this money, the each.
subscriptions, which, you may But this golden fruit is not
remember, were collected by the the best fruit of the Exhibition.
Royal Commission, amounted Do you remember what old
to 04,344. The Commisioners TIME suid of the first gathering
also received 3,200 from of the nations of the Cru-
Messrs. Spicer and Clowes, for sades ?
the privilege of printing and Hose. I do, papa.
selling the Catalogues also,
;
P. Now, when men write the
for the privilege of
supplying History of Europe, and speak
the refreshments, 5,500 was of the Crusades, they show that
paid. Suppose we add these out of evil came good, that na-
accounts to the larger one. tions gained new ideas, and that
1-24,011 16 they learned much of each other,
04. :.!44 and much from each other.
3.200 Thus, they became more "civi-
5,500 lized." "Civilization!" that is
l'J7,Uo5 16 a long word.
25
 ARRIVAL AT THE PALACE.

H. Yes, it is, rather. Exhibition, will show how it

P. But suppose that you find IroiHjItt forth fruit
abundantly.
out its meaning. You will then //. Papa, I think we are near
understand what, in future days, the Palace. Look at the num-
men will say, when they write ber of empty cabs; here they
the History of Civilization. If come two four seven ten ;
from the gathering of men for I think I could count a hundred
war, there came forth new ideas, in five minutes, and they are all
how many new and bright coming from the Exhibition?
thoughts must be gained from Jiose. And the omiiiliii.tex
this gathering for Peace ! They which are coming from there.
are its best fruits, and are now Look they are all empty.
!

being gathered to be scattered And how slowly we are moving

" all nations." Ah! now ! the horse cannot go on
amongst
these fruits will last longer than because of another cab in front.
"
the golden fruit." They will //. Yes, I heard a policeman
reach the very corners of the tell the driver to keep in the /inf.
earth, and will make refreshing P. Then we had better walk
gladness for weary spirits. So the rest of the way. You may
the bright gold coins, and still pull the "check string" now,
brighter thoughts from the G reat Henry, and we will get out.

PART THE SECOND.

CHAPTER SEVENTH. P. To speak of them in classes.
You have heard before of the
OX THE FOUR CLASSES OF
OBJECTS. advantage you may gain by ar-
ranging things in classes.
P. Now
that you have heard W. Yes. When you put a
the history of the great Palace, number of objects which are
and of the Exhibition itself, let alike in classes, if you describe
us proceed to the history of the one, the same description will
articles inside. answer for all the rest.
L. Are you going to talk of P. So, we find that the ob-
allof them, papa? jects of the Exhibition have
P. If I tried to do that, I been arranged into classes. On
should make such a long talk examining the goods you will
that it would reach to the end observe four different sorts.
of next year! Indeed, to ex- To understand properly what
amine the ten-thousands of human industry has done in
objects in that Palace, and to making so many fine goods, we
understand them, would cost must know, first, what the goods
many years. have been made of. Tln-y have
Ion. Then, what are you been made of many clill'rivnt
going to do, papa? materials; and some of each
26
 FOUR CLASSES OF OBJECTS.

sort have been sent to the Exhi- P. And they are then called
bition, such as
cotton, wool, MANUFACTURES. TllUS yOll SC6
bone, and ivory; the different that the first may be
class
woods, stones, and metals. As formed by the second class into
these materials have been sent a third class.
just in the raw state in which Ion. Then, I will repeat. The
yon find them in nature, without "manufactures'' form the third

having been changed in any class.

way by man, we call them RAW

P. The fourth class are a
MATERIALS. higher kind of manufactures.
Ion. Then, the "raw mate- To form the objects of the
rials" form the first class. fourth class, we want not only
P. Yes. Upon thinking, we raw materials and tools and
find, secondly, that man could the hand to guide the tools
not change the rough-looking and the mind to guide the hand,
raw material into such fine and but something else
beautiful objects with his own L. What is that, papa?
bands. Suppose that you gave P. Great taste is required, and
a man a lump of gold and said imagination; for the fourth class
to him, "Make me a gold consist of such articles as sta-
watch" tues, pictures, vases, designs for
Ion. He could not do it with all kinds of ornaments, patterns
his fingers he would want tools for cotton dresses, and fancy
to make it with. silks. To make such objects a
P. He would want tools, and man must not only have deep
machinery perhaps, which is not thought, biit what are called
always used by the hand as "refined feelings." These ob-
tools arc. After the raw mate- jects, therefore, are not spoken
rials, these machines and tools of as manufactures, but they are
are the next important class, said to be the objects of the
for they give shape to the raw FINE ARTS" Works of Art,"
material. we often call them. They form
Ion. So we will say that the the last class.
"
machinery" forms the second Ion. Then, I will repeat,
class.
fourthly. The "Works of Art"
P. That is correct. Now, if form the fourth class; so that
men take the objects of thejirst in the Great Exhibition there
class and work upon them with are four classes of good:
the articles of the second class 1. Tin: RAW MATERIALS.
a third class must thus arise. 2. THE MACHINERY.
L. Yes, papa. Youmeanthc 3. THE MANUFACTURES.
articles which are thus made; such 4. THE WOKKS OF ART.
as watches, jewellery, silks, vel- We
will begin with the first
vets, linen, calico, cloth, leather, class ;
and we will examine
&c.; we sometimes say that the raw materials in the Exhi-
they are manufactured. bition.

27
 THE RAW MATERIALS.

PART THE THIRD.

CHAPTER EIGHTH. without the second, but the./rrst
ON THE RAW MATERIALS IN we could never dispense with.
THE GREAT EXHIBITION. They are the most important,
therefore our first series of
P. You know that there are
Lessons sluill bo on
Object t/ie
three great kingdoms in Nature
substances used as food.
the Mineral, Vegetable, and
Animal kingdoms. Whatever
you see on this earth, and CHAPTER NINTH.
whatever articles you have in ON THE SUBSTANCES USED AS
use, they are derived from one FOOD.
of these kingdoms. This } ou
r

have heard before. If sit

You many will not find
you minerals in this series. The
down, and examine only the
minerals are the food of the
dress you have on, you will
the only mineral
most likely find yourself wear- veyetubles ;

often used thus by man is salt,

ing mineral, vegetable, and "
which is eaten as a condi-
animal substances.
From these three kingdoms ment" with our food.
we get not only clothes to wear, Ion. I remember our old les-

but
son on papa.
salt, You said
that it did not form fi^d it
W. Food, papa, to eat.
was only useful to help in di-
P. And, what else?
gesting our food.
Ion. Whythe furniture in
all
P. That is the case. There-
the house the "clothing" of
the house, I call it. And the fore, we our food in
shall find
the substances derived from the
house itself, too; that is made
animal and vegetable kingdoms.
up of the vegetable, wood ; the Let us consider for a minute the
mineral, nails, the minerals,
brick and stone; and the animal variety of these articles. We
have in Exhibition articles
this
substance
of food which grew under the
W. The oil in the paint mayin Africa, and
be an animal substance, and burning sun,
the glue which fastens the. Asia, they have been sent
from the Spice Islands, China,
wooden parts together.
India, Persia, Egypt, Tunis,
Thus, in the Haw material
Malta, the West Indies, &c.
we find
In most of these hot places
1. SUBSTANCES USED AS Foon. round the Equator (which you
2. SUBSTANCES i SKU FOR know are called "tropical coun-
CLOTHING.
tries") the articles of food are
3. SUBSTANCES USED FOR In hot
vegetable productions.
DWELLINGS AM> Fruxi- climates, vegetable food is far
TPKE. more suitable than the flesh of
P. We might exist without animals, and we find, too, that
the third substances, or even under the influence of the sun,
23
 SUBSTANCES USED A8 FOOD.

the trees and plants in those of the South Transept. Before

countries grow to an enormous going any further, take out your
size, and yield most luscious map, and look for the tropical
and beautiful fruits. countries in the Eastern Hemi-
But, if we were to travel sud- sphere.
denly from the tropics to the If we were to begin our course
cold countries around the poles, at the most easterly part of the
there we should find that the hemisphere, the first countries
case is very different. There, we should observe would be the
in the very coldest part, where islands of the Indian Ocean.
the sun hardly shows his face But, on the same map is a far
for weeks, scarcely any vege- more important place the great
tables grow only a little Ice- Eastern British possession, the
land moss, with sea-weed, and famous country, INDIA. As
different kinds of fungus. But, India is of very high im-
vegetables are not so much re- portance, we find it situated in
quired there as in the warm the very centre of the Palace.
tropics; the people are com- Let us, therefore, go there, and
pelled to cat more animal food. see what specimens of their food
If, again, we return to the the folks from India have sent
countries sitiiated between the us!
Tropics and the Poles those L. How are we to reach India
which arc neither very hot nor when we are at the Palace?
very cold we find a different P. Proceed in a straight line
kind of produce, and accord- from the beautiful iron gates of
ingly different food. the South Transept to the crystal
Now, we shall be able to find fountain, and you will notice on
in the Exhibition, the articles your way that the western side
of food from " all nations." of the transept is occupied with
Therefore, in this course of India. On reaching the crystal
lessons, and perhaps in the fountain, turn round with your
other courses, AVC will speak, face looking down the ivestern
first, of the substances sent from nave, and you will find that the
the tropical countries; secondly, Indian department is on your
of the substances from the frozen right hand and on your left. It
countries; and thirdly, of the occupies, in fact, not only the
substances from the temperate western side of the south transept,
counti'ies. Let us make a new hut the western side of the north
chapter, with a new heading. transept also.
Now, if you really want to
enter India, and study the arti-
CHAPTER TENTH. cles of food, I would advise you

IlAW MATERIALS SUBSTANCES not to wait long, or to look very

USED AS FOOD. far down the nave. Mind that
you don't look at the silk trophy!
(Tropical Countries.) keep off your eyes from the
Suppose that you enter the horse and the dragon, or the
GREAT EXHIBITION at the door timber trophy behind it! Don't
29
 INDIAN DEPARTMENT.

look up or down! Don't begin an Indian palace, or the rich

to look at the people! Don't
look at anything, until you have
made haste into the INDIAN
DEPARTMENT.
W. Why, papa?
P. Because you are likely to
forget what you have conic 'for;
and, at the end of half an hour,
you may find that you have un-
consciously wandered a very
long way from India, to quite
another part of the building.
It will perhaps cost you another
half hour before you find your
way back again.
Last week I was going to sec
Mr. Lawson's vegetable produc-
tions of Scotland, in the south gal-
lery, when I was just tempted to
run down to Russia for a few mi-
nutes, to show a lady the mala-
chite doors, and the beautiful
vases. We stopped at a great
shawls, carpeting, and matting;
or, perhaps, you will be led
away by the curious models
which have been made to show
the Indian manners and cus-
toms ; there you will see so
many strange things that yon
will be sure to stop. You will
see the model of a native court
of justice but I am afraid that
I too shall be led away from our
subject. We are going to talk
of the articles offood in India.
You will find in the Indian
department good specimens of
sugars from the sugar-cane and
from dates. You will t'md
arrow-root, pearl sago, and tapi-
oca, nutmegs, pepper, cinnamon,
and all kinds of spices; tea* and
coffees, different kinds of wheat,
with oats, miller, niai/.e, or In-
dian corn, and rice. The last

many places before we reached mentioned is the most important

Russia; we stopped a very long article of food in India; it forms
time in Russia itself, and we the daily bread of the millions
stopped at several places on our of people in that and the neigh-
way back. The consequence bouring country, China.
was that we did not reach the Ion. Then, papn, may we
vegetable productions until we begin our lesson by having an
had been in the Exhibition for Object lesson on Rice?
two hours and a quarter! Such P. Yes, we will do so. In-
is the
way in which you may be deed, we shall only have time
for the jirim-ipal articles of food
tempted in the Exhibition. Oh,
it is a sad
place for attending to in each country.
business! But, Ictus proceed
to India forthwith.
1. RICE.
Even, when you are safe inside P. Let us now sit down and
the department, if you are not examine some rice. Here is
careful, you will take a long some.
time before you reach the arti- L. Is this really rice, papa?
cles of fowl. You will cit her I should have taken it to be

stop to look at the wonderful oats.

collection of jewels, containing W. So should I. Look at
the great diamond, "the I tun -,-/- its beard (or </(///>, as they un-
t'-noor, or sea of light," ^r the called sometime..);
there is. one
room furnished in the stvle of long awn fastened to the end
i

30
 THE CORN-PLANTS.

of each grain. I never knew of its stalks. Here is a long stalk

before that rice was bearded; of oats, here is some barley,
but, what surprises me most is and here is one much more like
the colour it is yellow, when grass.
rice is white. P. This is rye ; and here is
P. That only because the another resembling grass, which
is

rice grains have the husk on we call millet. This very large
them. It is not exactly right plant, with such a thick stalk,
to call these ears which I am and such broad leaves, is maize,
showing you, rice, they are or Indian corn. Here are many
called paddy. But you see that more grasses with smaller seeds
I have here several perfect than the others, so that they
plants; what English plant do are not honoured by the name
you think they resemble? of corn-plants. You may now
L. They look like corn or examine these corn-plants, and
barley, papa; and, they also tell me in what respect they
look something like the long are all alike. Count the diffe-
grass which grows by the side rent parts of each plant.
of rivers, and in marshes. W. I will count them, papa.
P. Or like the long reeds, or Each plant has a stalk, a root
short grass either for the rice,
;
No! I will begin at one end
and the corn, the barley, oats, first. In each plant there is a
Indian corn, reeds, sugar-canes, root, a stalk. What are these
the great bamboos found in the little stoppages in the stalk, the
tropics, and many others, all hard places?
belong to one tribe, which we P. They are the knots or
call the grasses. The seeds of joints.
many of these grasses form the W. Well, then. The plant
principal vegetable food for has a root, stalk, joints, leaves,
man. In some, such as the ears for look at this plant, it
common grass of the field, the has several ears ! There is a
seed is not large enough for our skin outside each little grain in
food, therefore the stalks are the ear.
used, either as green food for P. That is called the husk.
horses, or to make dry hay. W. The husk, t\\e grain; and
Jon. You once told us of the some of the plants have an awn,
sugar-cane, papa. We do not or beard, at the end of each
use its seed but its stalk, or grain so that the different parts
;

rather the juice of its stalk. of each corn-plant are the root,
P. True; but let us return the stalk, the joints, the leaves,
to our rice, or ra flier, to the the husk, the grain, and the
subject of the CORN -PLANTS. beard.
We will examine, together, the P. Now examine these parts,
rice and all these other grasses and see if there be anything
which yield grain. else worth describing.
L. Look, Willie! Papa has L. Yes. papa. The root of
brought several more plants, the one I have in my hand is
and each has grain at the end not a bulb like the root of a
31
 " DISTINCTIONS " OF CORN-1M, \N I<.

tulip or an onion, but it is a then answer for all the other

bundle of thin fibres, so we say corn-plants we may describe.
thatitisa,/i6rou.f root. I wonder Jon. I will write it, pupa.
whether the other plants have
fibrous roots. THE CORN-PLANTS
W. Yes. I have been no- Are
large grasses, distinguished
ticing them they all have fibres.
;

I will examine the stalk. The byahavingwhich is fibrous

root, ;
stalk is thin and hollow, and is
a which is
stalk, long, hollow,
divided into several parts by
and jointed ;
these joints. The joints make which are long and
leaves,
the stem stronger, because if it
narrow, with straight pa-
were not divided, and consisted rallel veins (they grow
nly of one straight piece it from the joints, and form
would be more likely to bend a sheath round the stem
and break. for some distance, thus
Ion. Iwillexamine the haves.
making it stronger) ;

1st, Each leaf springs from one

andt/rain, which sometimes
is
of these 2ndly, The
knots.
bearded, and sometimes
leaf grows round the stalk for
not and cither hangs
some distance, and makes a sort
loosely, or is arranged in a
of sheath to it, and then it close car.
branches out. 3rdly, The
leaves are not the shape of the P. That
will do. will We
leaves on the trees, but they now describe the rice itself.
are very- long and narrow, end- Suppose that I begin with its
ing in a point. history.
P. If you examine them Rice originally grew either
more minutely, you will observe India, or sonic other warm
in
that their veins are different part of Asia, for there it is still
from those of other leaves; they found in a wild stat* -flourish-
are all straight, and parallel ing near the bank of sonic
with each other, and extend river, or in the marshes. The
from the beginning of the leaf grain of the wild-rice, however,
to the end, while other leaves is much smaller than that which
have a mid-rib, and veins is cultivated.
spreading out on each side, so The plant was not long con-
as to form a sort of net-work fined to Asia. It was found to
all over the leaf. be so useful that it was carried
L. I will notice the ear, papa. by man to all parts of the world
In some of the corn-plants the suitable fof its growth, so that,
grains form a close ear, and in now, it is said that no grain
many the grains hang loosely. supports the life of so large a
The ear of some is bearded, number of persons as rice. It
and in others the ear is not. was transported to the Western
P. You may now write down world about 150 years ago; and
" the distinctions" of a corn-
now, in the West Indies, and
plant, and this account will South America, enormous
32
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. RICE.

quantities are grown forming farmer manuring his rice-fields,

a very important of in the smallest degree. There
article
food. It feeds, also, as I told are fields in India which have
you, the millions of people in continued to yield a fine crop
China; and in the South of India of rice every year, for perhaps
immense numbers of the people thousands of yeai's; and during
get scarcely anything else to eat. all this time they have never
They eat it with a powder, been manured.
which consists of a few spices L. Will you tell us, papa,
mixed together, and is called how the rice is cultivated?
curry powder. The English P. Yes. Perhaps the method
people in India eat it with of cultivation will explain why
nearly every meal, and you manure is not wanted. The
have, I dare say, heard of the best places for rice-fields are the
singular way in which the low open plains through which
Chinese convey it to their rivers pass, as the large quan-
"
mouths, by means of chop- tity of water necessary is the
sticks." great peculiarity of the rice
If you carry your finger growth. As soon as the small
across the map, and touch each green shoots from the seeds are
rice-growing country, you will a few inches above the ground,
find that it also forms the food the water from the rivers is let
for the Egyptians, the Arabs, in upon the field, completely
and the people of othercountries flooding it, and causing it to
outside the tropics. Even in look something like a large
the south of Italy and Spain pond. As the grain grows, it
very fine crops are raised. is flooded a second time, and
L. Is that because Italy and shortly before the grain ripens,
Spain have a warm climate? it is flooded a third time the ;

P. Yes. And because the water being allowed to remain

people have, from the beginning, in the field until the grain is
carried out a good system of quite ripe, and ready for the
supplying the plant with water, harvest. This rule for flooding
great quantities of which are the rice is not always adhered
necessary to its growth. to. The fields are, in fact, kept
Perhaps one reason constantly wet, and are more or
for its
being so largely cultivated is less flooded according to the
found in the fine crops it yields. kind of grain for some descrip-
;

One acre of land, it is said, will tions of rice do not require nearly
give two crops of from 30 to 60 so much water as others. It is
bushels every year. Another supposed that the fertilising
reason for its cultivation is, substances left on the soil by
perhaps, that the process of these inundations, enable the
culture is not expensive. Very farmers to dispense with ma-
little, or nothing, is paid for nure.
manure. A gentleman who In those parts of the coun-
lias been to India says that he
try where water cannot be
never saw or heard of an Indian procured from the rivers, arti-
33
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. KICE.

ficial reservoirs are made to LISA RICE PATN.V KICK

supply water other crops of CEYLOX RICE. I have heard.
rice depend only upon the too, of EAST INDIA RICE, and
help they fret from the heavy MADAGASCAR RICE. There is
rains, and the atmosphere. rice marked at Ud. peril).. d.,
I do not think that you would 3d., 4d., and 5d. per Ib. I have
like to be one of the poor people never noticed any at 6d.
who work in the rice harvest. P. I have bought cheaper
You can easily understand that rice than any you have men-
the fields must be very muddy, tioned. There is a rice called
and in South America and the cargo-rice, which is sold for a
West Indies, where, I believe, penny per pound often for
much more water is used than less. It is so called, bei -au^e
in the East Indies, the sl.-.vcs it is brought mer in ships as
have to work in mud which " ballast" a substance used to
reaches to their knees. It is make the ship heavier, when
said that the time of rice-harvest the cargo is so light that the
is so
unhealthy that the masters ship is not deep enough in the
frequently leave the district water. This is brought from
during the time. the Ka-t Indies. mid is generally
;

When the rice has been cut used for feeding poultry. In
down by the men with their fact nearly all that is sold so
sickles, the straw is kept for cheaply is East India rice: it

fodder for the horses and cattle. is not so nutritious a* the best
during the hot weather. Tin- rice.
ear is sometimes stacked. H".
I have noticed, papa,
Sometimes the grain is trod- that some of the cheap rice is
den out by cattle, and > mu- very small and much broken.
tinies it is beaten out in large P. Yes, rice is a very brittle
stone mortars. Great quantities grain. The rice for which you
are not separated from the pay "1. per pound is not so
husk, in India, but are sent broken, because it has been
over in the cur. like that in the screened (or sifted).
Great Exhibition. The rice U'. .Just like the coals; I
thus sent in the car is called have heard of " the best screened
jfttddy. Several new and in- coals" the small coal is silted
p-uiuijs in.ieliines have been away from them.
invented t'or.scpnrutingthc grain 1'. Hefore we make up our
from the husk. .
you may notice the
There are many descriptions ijiiulitifs
of the riee.
of rice: it is said that the va- /.. I notice first, papa, that
rieties are innumerable at very u-ltitf, and that i;
it is

leat. from forty to fifty different to be a very hard grain.

kinds are known. H". And it is
///<< r/;Wr; it

Yes; I know a great makes :i very nice powder.

11".

many. I have seen their names Ada. Ami when you boil rice
on great tiekets in the grocers' it .M/V//.S very much; why is
shops. >uch as the BEST('AKO- that?
34
 ARTICLES OP FOOD. RICE.

L. That is because it absorbs therefore, that the most suitable

the water it is absorbent. place for its cultivation is in .tome
W. And it nourishes us it low level plain near a river. Some
is nutritious. species of rice can be grown with-
Ion. And it is wholesome. out any greater moisture than that
P. I will tell you a peculiarity supplied by the rain. The rice-har-
which distinguishes it from vest is very unhealthy, as in some
other grain. You seldom see countries the reapers have to work
bread made of rice. This is in mud, which is often knee-deep.
because it consists almost en- On the other hand, the matter left
tirely of starch, which will not by the inundations is so fertile that
form a dough tough enough to no manure is ever necessary.
rise. It is, therefore, princi- 2. (Different sorts.) There
pally used for puddings, or are several different sorts of rice,
cooked in some other way. differing very much in their qua-
We will talk more on this sub- lity and price, such as PATNA
ject when you have the history RICE, CAROLINA RICE, EAST
of wheat. You may now write INDIA and MADAGASCAR RICE.
the lesson on Rice. The common CARGO-RICE, sold at
W. I have brought my slate, Id. per pound as foodfor poultry ;
and have written " Object Les- and the best SCREENED RICE.
sons from the Great Exhibition" 3.(Description and qualities.)
on the top so you may begin
;
Rice may be distinguished from
as soon as you please ! other grasses and corn-plants,
Lesson 1. RICE. first by its ear, which is loose,
while each grain has a long awn
1.
(History.) Rice is the seed or beard. The grain is while,
of a corn plant found in the EAST hard, opaque, pulverable, and
INDIES, CHINA, ARABIA, EGYPT, very absorbent, containing more
the WEST INDIES, and other starch than any other corn-plant.
tropical countries. It originally 4. (Uses.) On account of the
grew wild in the warm parts of latter quality rice is not much used
Asia, but on account of its useful- for bread, as it does not rise or
ness to man it was soon cultivated
form a good tough dough. It is
in every country where was principally used for puddings,
it

found that it would grow. Thus cakes, blancmange, Sfc. The hard-
we find it growing in the south of ness of rice when dry, also ren-
Spain and Italy countries which ders it useful for making chimney-
are outside the tropics. ornaments, Sfc. In China, paper
The method of cultivating rice is made from rice; specimens of
The soil in which "
is peculiar. rice-glass" have also been seen.
it grows is always ki-pt in a state L. Willie has made a rather
of moisture. When the green long lesson for us. Are we to
shoots from the seeds are still commit it to memory as we do
very young, the rice-field is flooded the other lessons?
with water. Tltis flooding has to P. Certainly. It will be bet-
be repeated two or three times, commit each lesson to
ter to
until the grain is ripe. Weflnd, memory as you proceed. Do
35
 AUTICLE8 OF FOOD. MAIZE.

not begin a new lesson until is much thicker than that of

you can say the preceding one
"by heart;" otherwise your
lessons will he almost useless.
P. If yon leave the Indian
department of the Exhibition
and walk into the department
belonging to the WEST IN-
DIES
II '. Where is that,
P. The West Indian depart-
ment is beyond that of Canada,
ns you enter from the nave.
This part of the world has no
distinct department, for scarcely
any productions have been sent
from there. In the same room
are the productions of New
South Wales, and of the islands
of the Indian sea ; the produc-
tions of the Bermudas Isles,
and of British Guiana a colony
of Great Britain, which you
may look for on your map. It
wheat. The plant does not
look as though it belonged to
the grasses.
Ion. And I notice that the
seeds have a difl'erent shape
from the grains of wheat, they
are almost round.
L. And I notice their dif-
papa? ferent colour some are yellow,
others are white, and others are
of a dark red.
P. And I have seen some
which are a dark purple colour,
almost black. We
need hardly
describe the plant after your
former description of the corn
plants. The only point 1 would
wish you to notice is. the num-
ber of grains in each ear. In
some of the larp'-t ears there
are as many as sou grains, and
cadi plant generally bears two
full ears.

comprises three divisions M M/.I-: is the most important

Demerara, Essequibo, and Ber- corn-plant of the tropical
bice. countries after rice. Like rice,
Now, as most of these places it will llourish in the warmer
lie in or near the tropics, the temperate countries. It may be
productions sent by them are grown even in England, but as
very similar. The next article the frost is sure to destroy the
of lood we shall notice is young plants directly they make
their appearance above the
2. MAIZE.
ground, it has to be sown very
Yon will find a box of maize late in the year; it then-lore
in West Indian department, does not always ripen properly
the
and I have brought you an ear he-tore the winter begins again.
to examine. It is grown also in the limed
W. Why, papa, this is Indian State>, and other parts of
corn! have often seen Indian America which are not tropi-
I

corn. How much larger it is cal; there it is much ued, and

than the corn of our country ! forms the only bread which the
/'. Yes; Indian corn is only poor negro slaves eat.
another name for mai/.c. lleie L. Docs mai/.e make better
is the whole plant for you to bread than rice, papa?
examine tell me what you /'. Yes; but the bread is still

observe. not so good as that made from

II'. I observe that the stalk our wheat. It is better when
36
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. SAGO.

mixed with wheat ;

P. Yes, you do. Not long ago,
if not, it is

dry and husky. saw yon enjoying some which

I
However, it is an had been boiled with milk.
article of
food to an immense number of W. You cannot mean Arrow-
the people under the tropics but root, papa. That is the root of
;

it isnot eaten so much in the a plant.

shape of bread, it is formed P. No; in the same depart-
into a boiled mass, or soup, just ment of the Exhibition you
as we boil peas to make pea- will see several specimens, most
soup. Before they are ripe, of them sent from Borneo and
the large ears of maize are also the islands of the Indian Sea.
used as a green, vegetable, being Each specimen is called "
Sago."
boiled, or stewed, or baked.
Ion. I have seen maize grow-
3. SAGO.
ing, papa. I knew a boy who Sago is a Malay word, mean-
planted a seed in his garden, ing bread. If you were to ask
and it
grew up a fine plant. It one of the natives of the Malay
did not require so much water isles how he procured such
"
as rice does. bread," he might take you up
P. No. Being so different to a tall palm tree.
a plant from rice, it is very How you admire and wonder
differently cultivated The seeds at that glorious palm Its !

are sown by dibbling, and are height would, perhaps, be

dropt into the earth one or two twenty-five to thirty feet (or as
at a time. As the stalks rise great as that of five men). Its
above the ground, the soil is massive trunk, is not
thick,
hoed round them, so as to form tapering like that of some
a small hillock. Each plant is palms, but almost as thick at
hoed separately, three times be- the top as near the root. From
fore it is ripe, sometimes four the top of the trunk branch out
times, if the expense of labour an enormous tuft of leaves,
be not too great. Before the having the appearance of a
harvest time the maize is often huge shuttlecock. When they
thinned, and the stalks and are covered with a whitish
leaves of the green plants then powder, the tree is fit for use,
cut down, form famous fodder and it is cut down with a saw,
for cattle. or other instrument. This is
But the seed is not the only the only proper time for cutting
part of a plant used for food ; down the tree, for that white
men sometimes e&tpith. powder is a kind of starch pre-
W. Then they must be very pared by the tree to nourish the
nasty fellows !I should not like flowers and fruit, and it only
to live in hot countries. makes its appearance on the
P. But, the pith is so nice leaves, just when the fiower-
that it is sent over to the people buds begin to appear. If the tree
of the temperate countries in be left for the flowers to grow
great quantities. and the fruit to ripen, they will
W. And do thev eat it ? both derive their nourishment
37
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. ARBOW-ROOT.

from this starch, and from the quantity of sasro yielded by one
pith inside; then if the tree be tree is prodigious it i< not
cut down, yon will certainly unusual for one palm to pro-
have ripe fruit, but the trunk of duce between 500 and 600
the tree will not contain much pounds.
pith, it will be little more than I need not say anything
j

a hollow cylinder. about the uses of sago, i

|

Jon. But how do the natives " Don't yon, Willie, ever again
j

make the pith into sago? call people 'nasty' for <

P. Why, in the first place, pith." I may just add that sago
I

down comes the tree ! as I is so abundant, that, being a

said. When the natives have kind of starch, it is not only used
laid the huge trunk low, they for food ; it is used in the
proceed to cut him across in manufacture of calico, as a
five or six pieces. They then dressing to give firmness and a
split each piece, and take out fine surface to it.
the pith. The pith is rather L. Are there any more ar-
sticky and gummy, but it is tides of food, papa, in that
washed in water, and the gum department?
then rises to the top ; this P. Yes. In several places in
j

water is strained off, and the the department, you will see
sago is washed a second or specimens of food prepared from
third time. When the water the root of a plant, the sub-
poured away, the dried stance we call
'

is finally
sago, which is really the starch
of the pith, forms a powder. 4. ARROW-ROOT.
It is seldom used in England
in this state, but bv a curious ARROW-ROOT is grown not
process in which it is half baked. onlv in the East and West
it is brought into the shape of and the Spice Islands,
Indies,
small grains, about the size of found in the Bermudas,
but it is

a pin's head. Sometimes it is two little islands, which, if you

j

prepared in grains of a larger take your map, you will observe

size, and then it is called pearl- mated in the midst of
the Atlantic Ocean, on the way
L. Do the natives get much to America. Like sago, it is
sago from one tree, papa. I really the starch of the plant,
should think that by cutting although it is procured from the
do\vn the trees in that manner, root. Similar starch may be
the sago would soon be all procured from a root irri.wn in
eaten up. our country, and called the
/'. No. that is not the case. potato.
The tree grows in low marshy /..
Why is the root of this
situations, and as the root re- plant called arroto-root, papa?
mains, after the tree has been /'. The In.iians of South
a new stem springs up, America were accustomed to
which grows until it is again use the juice of another plant
fit for the axe. Besides, the of the same species, not for the
--
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TAPIOCA.

purpose of poisoning their ar- in the Exhibition are specimens

rows, as is generally supposed,
but as an antidote to the poison
in which the arrows of their
enemies were dipped.
In preparing the arrow-root,
the root, or tuber, of the plant
is first carefully washed, to re-
move theparticles of earth
sticking to it. The root is then
put in a wooden mortar, and
is beaten into a state of pulp.
The pulp is then mixed with a
great quantity of pure water,
by which means its fibres are
easily separated from the starch.
The mixture of pulp and water
is strained through a hair sieve
two or three times, each time a
finer sieve being used. The
water then has a milky appear-
ance, which is caused by the
of this food.
5. TAPIOCA.
This substance is prepared
from the root of a plant called
Cassava. There are two kinds
of this plant, that with a sweet
root, and that with a bitter.
The sweet Cassava root is known
by a long fibrous cord running
through the centre, while the
bitter has a highly poisonous
juice. On account of the in-
convenient " fibrous cord" in
the former plant, the bitter cas-
sava is preferred, and is largely
cultivated.
Ion. But the poison, papa!
Are the natives more fond of
poison?
P. Xo. but that is easily re-

particles of the starch. It is moved by heat, so that after

next exposed to the air and baking, the poison is "volati-
sun, and after some time it lized;" that is, its particles fly
"
evaporates, or dries up," as we off in invisible vapour.
say, leaving only the starch in In manufacturing tapioca,
a tine power. the roots of the cassava are
A very large quantity of first peeled, and are then ground
arrow-root is consumed in Bri- between millstones into a state
tain every year, as it is very of paste. This paste is pressed
nutritious, and very easy to be very tight indeed, so as to
digested. It is used for young squeeze out as much of the
children, and persons in deli- juice as possible it is then
;
j

cate health. placed in a vessel over a fire, j

Arrow-root is not the only and stirred until the moisture

food procured from the root of has entirely evaporated; when
a plant which the natives of it is thus dry it has a granular
tropical countries use. You or lumpy appearance. It is
may also see in the grocers' cooled, and packed in barrels,
!

shops, and I daresay have often and is then fit for for use.
eaten, a white substance, some- Tapioca is a very nutritions
thing like sago in its appear- substance. It is said that half
ance, except that it is prepared a pound of it per day is suffi-
in larger lumps or grains. cient to support a strong man,
L. I think, papa, that you but I almost question whether
mean Tapioca. the tapioca alone would be suffi-
P. Yes; in the same room cient.
39
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. YAM.

W. Do the tropical people rough, and of a violet colour,

feed on any other roots, papa? but it is often so dark as to ap-
P. Yes. There is a large pear quite black. Inside it is
ugly-looking root, which looks almost white, and when boiled
something like an immense po- it is firm and mealy like a po-
tato. Thousand of poor slaves tato. It is
exceedingly nice,
get little else but this. It is and forms very good food indeed
called
" Yam."
for the natives. Sometimes,
instead of boiling the yam, they
6. THE YAM. cut it into slices, and expose it
If you like
potatoes you to the sun to dry.
would like Yam.
It is hardly Yams are cultivated almost
right to call a
yam or a potato in the same way as potatoes:
a root. They are not useful the root is cut into pieces, and
in sucking up the juices of the each piece forms a new plant;
earth for the plant, they are that is, provided each piece
themselves formed from such contains an eye.
juices, just as the plants are; Now, Willie, will you count
and on examining a yam or a up the principal substances of
potato, the fibrous roots will be food which I have spoken of?
found attached to them. W. Yes. We
have heard
The plant itself is a twining of rice, maize, sago, arrow- root,
plant, with a long trailing stalk,tapioca, and yam. I suppose
which sometimes extends along that there are no other roots
the ground, and sometimes which afford food ?
twines round another plant. P. Yes the tropics yield ;

In some species of yams \\hich many more nutritive roots, but

trail along the ground, the stalk
they are not all known in Kng-
ha-~ knots or joints; and at each land.
joint it strikes a root into the
earth. At first, these roots are
only very small fibres, but as
eome stronger, and grow
larger, they form a small tube,
which in time grows into a
large yam.
ii '. How large, papa?
P. That depends upon oir-
You have, now heard
of the principal one-:.
Ion. I should like, papa, be-
fore yon begin a new subject, to
make one lesson of the subjects
we have heard of since the,
lesson on rice.
/ son 2. MAIZE, $-c.

cMin-tanccs: ].<T|I:I]IS as large as Al \I/K, nr Inillun

corn, is 11
your head, Willie. There i> a
a fid/it,
affording ln-mil
tnueli greater variety in the si/.- to L'ltiuxinnlx nf t/ie natives of
of yams, than in the si/,e of ti-ii/iiful countries. Tin- j'/">i <;/'

potato"*. Some yams have lieen rii/lim/iun uit)'i-rx from t/ml of

known toweigfa30ponnd*,and I fir, , ii* il i/,,,'* not in 1 1! xii linn-!,

have even rend of vams weigh - water. It cumin/ //<

f/rmrn in II

'MIL' )")
pounds. The eommoii in ci>l<l roini/riix. lurtnixi: tin'

weight is about 2 or .1 pounds. frnxt m'fi.t tin' /ii/t/x .v Koon OS

The <k\i\ of a yam is thiek and ij 1,,-ijin
to slioot. Maize alone
40
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. GINGER.

does not make such good bread W. Well! I don't know what
as wheat. it is. Do you, Ion?
SAGO is apart ofthe driedpith of Ion. No but let us hear some
;

a palm. It "starch" of the

is the more " qualities
"
first.

pith, being separated from it by P. Itsometimes a dark

is

repeated washings. A
sago palm brown, outside, sometimes it is
is a very large tree, and will yield white, its general colour inside

as much as 500 pounds of sago. is a yellowish white.

ARROW-ROOT is the starch of Ion. I don't know it.

a root or tuber. It is so called P. It is dry.

because one species of the plant W. Yes, very and very unin-
from which it is procured contains teresting, because we don't know
a juice which is an antidote to the what you are talking about.
poison on the arrows of the In- P. It is odorous, it is aromatic
dians. in its smell. Now, have you
TAPIOCA is also the starch of got on the right scent?
a root or "tuber." It is pro- W. I have never heard of
cured from the CASSAVA plant. such a root !

The bitter cassava contains a P. It is not used entirely as

poisonous juice, but it is preferred a food, but only with food, as a
" condiment." It is sometimes
to the sweet cassava, which has a

fibrous cord passing through its used as medicine so I may

centre. add it is medicinal.
YAM is a fine tuber, larger W. Oh!
Perhaps it is Rhu-
than the English potato, and very barb.
similar. It is the common food Ion. No. Rhubarb is not
of the neqroes in the West Indies, white, although it is hard, and
and other poor natives of the dry, and fibrous, and odorous.
tropics.
P. In its shape it is very
irregular, a sort of jagged, knot-
Since you have written that ted shape. In its taste it is very
lesson, Ion, I have reinembered pungent and hot.
that there are in the Exhibition W. Now I know !

specimens of another food, which P. And when used, it is sel-

you have often seen and used. dom bitten in large pieces; it
Ion. I do not remember is first rubbed on a nutmeg-
any
other. grater into little shreds, or a
W. Nor do /. powder.
P. Yet you have often seeii L. Yes. It is called GINGER.
it. I will mention its qualities. W. That is its name. Of
First, it is hard. course, there must be specimens
W. Yes. of ginger in the Exhibition, I
P. Secondlv, it is
tough.
should think.
W. Yes. P. Yes, let us proceed with
P. Thirdly, it is not fleshy, our lesson.
like a tuber, but the hard sub-
stance consists of fibres. It is 7. GINGER.
fibrous. W. We will make a regular
41
 AKTICLES OF FOOD. GIKGF.R.

" "
J'. Yes; and
Object lesson of this ginger, you may call it
papa. Please let us discover by a great many more names,
ourselves.
its i[u;ilities tor every object has a surprising
Ion. I will run down stairs number of "qualities," if you
and will ask the cook to give i

try to find them all. But,

me a piece out of the spice-box. instead of talking so much of
P. Stop, Ion
you may !
r
l>riti'_ the general qualities, let ns
np the spice-box, as we shall |
choose those which belong to
iiinl there many objects from the ^mger in particular which
tropical countries. tiiii/iiltlt it.

IT.Well; you toll u< some 11'. The only other "parti-
qualities, papa. Ginger is hard, cular" quality in ginger, which I
tough, fibrous, yellowish white, know of, is that it is useful some-
dry, odorous, aromatic, knotty, times to preserve other thing*
pungent, and hot. it is conservative.
L. And medicinal. Here comes P. And you may add that it is
Ion with the spice-box! Now used to render food more plea-
that we have the ginger itself, I sant to the palate, so as to
do not see many more qualities. exeite the appetite, or stimulate
W. Then feel (or some. Lucy. it, as we say. We therefore
Please lend it to me. It is not call it stiinnliitinff.
at all heavy, so there's a quality W. I should like. papa, to
it i> li'/fit! write down its qualities once
Ion. I have thought of some- more; and to remember them
thing, papa. You say it ha- an better I should like to put its
aromatic smell; and simply be- general qualities by themselves,
cause it has n smell, you say it and its particular qualities by
is odorous. What do you say of themselves. We have done so
the Hirer because it hasafrufe? before with other lessons.
_'
;

/'. \Ve say is is sapid; that is

another quality. GIXGER is a

L. Aiiilyoii may say that it is
niiili. it has not a smooth skin PART1fri,AR
like an apple. QUALITIES. QUA I.I II S. I

ic. A>"! beeMM i; d rou'j-h opaque

grow in Kngland. but in forci.'n til.roiis light
countries, we may rail it foreign. \. llouish white dry
Ion. And because it grows in pulverahlo
jagged
tropical < outlines, we ma;, e.ill knotty inanimate
it tro/iii-nf. hot foreign
I.. A:i'i ii--e:iu-e it has no life, punirent .lull

v. e may call it imiiiiiii'it- . aromatic hard

U'. And l.i-.-au-e i;
may be conservative tough
ground into a powder, we may stimulating ami
rail it
ptlreraMe. and solid
Ada. A n<l because ^ medicinal
not see through it, we call it root. It is

ep /.
* . bo
42
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. GINGER.

Now, papa, may we learn the The common roots are merely
uses of ginger? . scalded in boiling water, and
P. Yes. You shall learn its are then dried in the sun.
uses and its history together. They thus have a very brown
It is not more proper to call appearance, and are called
ginger a root, than the yam. black ginger. The better kind
It is really a kind of under- of ginger is peeled. The skin
ground stem the real roots are is
simply taken off", and it is

only the fibres which grow from dried in the sun without being
its surface underneath, and pe- dipped in hot water. It is then
netrate the soil. called white ginger. The quali-
The ginger plant is something ties pungent and nronittic are
like a reed or a flag, such as you much stronger in white than in
see in the garden. Indeed, the black ginger.
common garden flag
root of the Ginger is one of a class of
grows almost exactly in the tropical productions used in
same way as the ginger for the
;
this country with our food.
ginger "stem" (or root, as we This class are distinguished
generally call it) does not de- particularly by their aromatic
scend deep in the earth, hut flavour, and are called spices.
spreads out from each side. See, Ion, if you can find any
From the roots there rise, in the other spice in that box.
spring, the long narrow lance- Ion. Yes; here is a spice
shaped leaves of the plant, and called Nutmeg.
separate stems hearing flowers, P. This also is found in the
which are white and lilac in Exhibition. In the department
colour. containing so many tropical
The plant sometimes pro- productions, there are thirty-
is

pagated by seed, and sometimes six very pretty drawings, the

by cuttings from the root these work of a Malay artist. They
;

cuttings are planted out in the have been sent by W. P. Ham-

spring; and, in the course of mond & Co., Merchants,
three or four months, the shoots London. Here you may see
from the young underground the different trees and plants on
stem have a flavour which which the spices grow, and be-
is mild, compared with that of neath each drawing is the
the ginger we use. The young spice, or the fruit, or the gum
root is called green ginger, and itself. From this contribution
it is gathered to be preserved to the Exhibition may jet be
in sugar. It thus makes a drawn many more lessons.
beautiful preserve, or sweat-
meat. The ginger which we
8. NUTMEG.
have for use is not taken out of P. Should you think tha't this
the earth until after the first also is a root ?
twelvemonth, or even a longer L. No it appears more like a
time. Then, when the root seed or a stone. Is it the stone
stocks have been collected, they of any fruit ?
are prepared in two ways. P. It is the kernel of a frnit
43
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. NUTMEG.

which hang.? from one of the on a frame of bamboo canes.

most s{)leiidi(l trees in the v held over a slow tire.
tropic--. This tree is not at all When, on taking up one of the
like the palm-tree, but belongs nuts, it is found that the nut-
to a family which is widely iii the -hell,
le> they are
different. It is not unlike the then ready. The shells are
cherry tree, but is larger. The broken open, and the nutmegs
fruit as it lianas from the tree is are taken; many of ti.
green and pulpy, about the size do not require cracking, but are
of a peach. Each fruit hangs found to be already cracked
on a long stalk. On examin- with the heat.
ing one, you would find that the The collected nuts are then
green part is only an outside sorted,and are dipped in limc-
coat, just like the outside green water to preserve the;
coat of a walnut. Like that of :ie. however, are
a walnut, also, it opens as soon not dipped in lime: t!
as the fruit is ripe. may notice at the F.xhihition.
On taking off this outside where you may find "limed"
covering, you find a large round nutmegs, having a white ap-
nut, which is covered with a pearance; and other nutmegs
thin membrane, like network. which have a brown app
This is of a bright scarlet co- because they have not been
lour, and is called mace. After dipped in lime.
carefully removing this, you Nutmeg abounds with oil.
find the nut underneath it to be Every pound of nutmeg yields
of a dusky brown colour. On an ounce of what i-
cracking the woody shell, yon "fixed" or "essential"
tir.il a kernel which you
in.-idc while it also contains a large
call nutmeg. How many cover- quantity of "volatile"
ings has the nutmeg? which is lighter than water.
Ion. Three, papa. The woody
1

Nutmegs are often di-

shell, the scarlet membrane extract the volatile nil. .

round the shell, and the large then passed oft' as fiv-h. They
grec-n pulpy husk, which is out- are, however, nt very little n-e.
:-'.et membrane. "goodne*-" has thus
as all the
The best time of the year tor been taken nut of them. The
gathering nutmegs i> i;i
April; .iy Mich mi:'
to try
.
IlM-lieve, gathered rt a hot nc'-dle in one:
-
.n> in Au- ami if. on being taken out. the
gust and in 1 but the
April gatherings are the hct. then you know that the nutmeg
It N imt well toopcn the \\ondy ha> been Yon mav ;;l>o
spoilt.
-hell- directly they arc picked. tell by feeling it. a- such nnt-
as the niitinc_r found to be
i
megs are much lighter than
Hither -"U and oily. (J-Micrally. others. I suppose t!

:;-|er t!i" mace has h know, pretty well, the qualities

moved, the shells are dried in of nun
the sun ami then, being placed
; /.. Yes, papa. Its "distinc-
44
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. MACE.

live" qualities are aromatic, bit- America, and in the West

ter, and pungent in taste rather Indies. We may add a few
pleasant, also, if a small piece words about mace.
be taken at a time. What
other use has it besides that of
9. MACE.
flavouring our food ? Ion. We willsay, first, that
P. It may, I believe, help in it isthe thin scarlet membrane
digesting our food, if a moderate found outside the woody shell
quantity be taken. Or, if any of the nutmeg.
one be sufferingpains from wind P. You may say. secondly,
or colic, the nutmeg is useful in that when taken off the shell
removing them. But, if too and dried, it loses its brightness
much nutmeg be taken, it is of colour, and changes to an
found to affect the head, and orange coloured brown.
produce sleepy diseases. It is, L. Well; I was thinking so,
therefore, a bad thing, for I papa, for I was going to say
have even read that the con- that / had never seen any scar-
stant use of too much nutmeg let mace.
in the East Indies has been the P. You may add, thirdly, that,
cause of death ! like the nutmeg, it contains a
" essential "
Ion. Your speaking of the strong oil, and that
East Indies reminds me of its is rather more bitter
taste
something, papa. We
have
"
than that of the nutmeg.
not heard of the "place of Ion. Now, papa, shall we
nutmeg. In which tropical make up a lesson on Nutmeg
countries are nutmegs princi- and Mace.
pally grown ? W. And we have not made
P. In Ceylon, an island at the any lesson on Ginger.
south of India, and in the Spice P. You may make a lesson
Islands. Now it is also found on these three spices, and
in the West Indies. then commit it to memory.
Ceylon formerly belonged to
the Dutch, but in the last great Lesson 3. GINGER, NUT-
war, that island, and the colony MEG, ,j-c.
of the Cape of Good Hope, GINGER and
(Qualities.)
were taken from the Dutch by NUTMEG are two spices often seen
the English. The Dutch still
together in England, and rubbed
possess the Spice Islands, where on the same grater. Ginger is a
the greater part of the nutmegs
hot, pungent, aromatic, conserva-
grow, but, when they also pos- tive, stimulating, and medicinal
sessed Ceylon, the entire nut-
ROOT, being yellowish, white,
meg trade was in their hands. rough and knotty in shape.
They thus had what we call a
L. Now let us see if we
monopoly, and they charged very
cannot say nearly the same of
high prices for the nutmegs; I
now how much the nutmeg.
forget a-piece.
Since then, however, it has been NUTMEG is a bitter, pungent,
grown in the tropical parts of aromatic, conservative, stimu-
, 45
 ARTICLES OF FOOD PE1TER.

lating, and medicinal root, Ion. Do you Know what spice

being brown, wrinkled, and papa is talking about ? It is

oval in shape. jyt

MACE hag qualities similar I
1
. True.
to thenutmeg: it if rather 10. PEPPER.
more bitter, and is thin in
shape, somewhat like a ntticork. to the West You may go
(Uses.) As the qualities of Indies, as well as the Spice
these substances are so nearly Islands, to see the pepper
alike, their uses also must be growing.
similar. L. Does it grow on a large
II Which is seen in their tree, papa, like the nutmeg
'.

tree.
being so often found together
in the nutmeg-grater.
P. No; the pepper-plant is
a creeper. It is not unlike a
(History and place.) GINGER vine; sometimes it is called the
is grown principally in tlie
pepper-vine. The outside of
East Indies. It is the undir- the leaves is of a deep green
ground stem of a plant rfsi'in- colour, the inside is of a more
'

bling a reed or fl'ig. There pale green. The berries, when

are three kinds green ginger, ripe, become red, and then
black ginger, and white ginger. of a darker colour almost
NUTMEG is grown in ( '/""' black. A pepper-vine, when
'i

the Spice Islands, and the the berries are on it, \ a

\
West Indies. It is tin pretty sight. As it is generally
\
of a nut which grows inside a planted near a bu.-h. it grous
\
ijrten-lookitig fruit, something around it, or entwines itself be-
Itke our walnuts. tween its branches, like in/.
MACE is the thin membrane Sometimes it is made to grow
found outside the woody shell on a pole, like hops, while
of the nutmeg. another kind of pepper trails
along the ground.
L. This lesson we will com- There are two kinds of pep-
mit to memory. Are there per. When the commoner sort
any more spices in the Exhibi- is required, the cluster of berries
tion, papa? are not allowed to ripen; they
/'.Yes. I will mention one are picked when given, the
to you. It is of a spherical .seeds are not taken out of the

shape, sometimes black and berry, but are dried with the
.-niiictiiiii s white sometimes tin-en berry on them, being
rnmi/1 and trrin/./i'tl, sometimes exposed to the sun on mat.-,
smooth. It is very j>n>i<ft, and thus dried quickh. I'\

very hot, and is puln ////.. this process they turn black.
Unless it had the latter quality. and \ve call them blm-k /"'/'/><
r.

it would not. dan- >ay. heI

\Yhy. that is very much
\\'.

so often brought to the dinner like the biaek ginger, that is

tnlile, and u>ed in connection dried with the skin on.
with the .-alt. J"ii. And to make irhite gin-
46
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. PEPPER.

ger, the skin is taken off. I tive. Pepper is sapid and con-
wonder whether it is so with servative.
the white pepper. P. It is also used for flavour-
P. Yes, that is the case. To ing food, particularly in hot
procure white pepper, the countries. It is said that
natives allow the berries to 50,000,000 pounds of pepper
ripen. They are then picked ;
are collected every year, and
the bunches are rubbed as be- that of this large quantity only
fore, to separate the berries one-third is sent to the cities of
from their and the
little stalks, Europe, and two-thirds are
red pulp removed by wash-
is used by the Chinese. Like
ing. The seeds, which are nutmeg, it helps in digesting
white, are then taken out of the food, and is very useful when
water and dried. Here are two taken with cucumbers, and
pepper-corns one is white and other cold, raw vegetables
the other is black. Tell me which are hard to digest. But
what difference you observe if too much pepper
be taken,
between them ! it is even more hurtful than

W. The white, papa, is nutmeg; it injures the liver. A

smaller than the black ; the very large dose of pepper is
black is shrivelled and wrin- very likely to be fatal, by ex-
kled, and the white pepper is citing inflammation in the
smooth. stomach, and by injuring the
P. Yes ;
and there is a more nerves. Hogs are easily poi-
important difference to be dis- soned with black pepper.
covered by tasting. The dried
outer skin on the black pepper
P. In that same room of the
gives it an unpleasant, fiery
Exhibition, I have seen many
flavour, which you do not find
in the white. Thus the white specimens of a spice, which at
first appeared like long sticks.
pepper is said to be better than But on examination I found
the black.
these sticks to consist of a num-
Ion. Now will you tell us of
ber of thin pieces of bark rolled
the uses of pepper, papa? I
have seen peppercorns in the up together.
Here is a piece for you to
pickle-bottle very often. examine it is called Cinnamon.
P. What should you think ;

they are put there for? 11. CINNAMON.

Ion. To flavour the onions,
perhaps, or else to help pre- W. I notice, first, that it is
serve them. rather thin and brittle.
P. Theyare useful for both P. Mention only the qualities
purposes therefore what quali-
;
which render it different from
ties would you say that the the spices mentioned before.
pepper must have ? Ion. It has a very nice sweet
Ion. To give a flavour it taste. Ihave a piece of the cin-
must be sapid, and to preserve namon in my mouth, and now I
the onions it must be conserva- have got all the sweetness out
47
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.
of it, and it leaves a sharp, hot
taste.
L. And it differs from the
others in colour. It has a very
pretty light-brown colour.
P. There is a proper name
for this colour it is
"cinnamon brown."
The history of cinnamon has
been long known. It is a spice
which has been in use since the
earliest times. The Greeks
used it, and they procured it
from the Phoenicians, a people
whom I dare say you have heard
of, as famous for travelling
about in ships. They, it is
thought, gave it the name Kin-
nrimomon, from two Malay words
which signify " sweet wood."
The tree from which the
bark of the cinnamon is pro-
cured is a kind of laurel grow-
ing in the same countries as the
former spices. When the plants
are young they require a
shade and, therefore, they are
; branches; such branch,
generally in some open space in
the woods, where there are a
few large forest trees to shade
them.
The bark is seldom taken from
the tree until it is about nine
years old, and is becoming very
strong. The natives begin the
peeling in May, at the end of
the rainy season; and continue
it for five or six months. The
operation is very simple ; the
b;irk is merely slit lengthways
with a knife, the outside bark is
then scraped <>ti'. and the inner
bark is pra'lually loosened until
it can be removed easily. It
is then cxjinseil to the sun, the
heat of which causes it to curl
up, just like the piece of cinna-
mon vou see in HIV hand. Such
48
CIXNAMOX.
a piece is called a quill of cin-
namon ;
and if we open this
piece, we find that the
shall
smaller quills are rolled up in-
side the larger ones.
The same plan is not adopted
called in every place, for instance,
in some parts, the tree is peeled
before the outer bark has been
scraped away. The pieces which
are taken off are tied in bun-
dles for twenty-four hours, and
during fhis time a sort of fer-
mentation takes place. This
enables the natives to separate
the outer bark very easily,
leavingonly the pure cinnamon.
Ion. But, papa, 1 know a
tree, the bark of which lias been
peeled off, and now it is dead!
P. That is because the bark
has been peeled from the trunk,
so that, as the winter comes on,
the sap of the tree cannot de-
scend but the cinnamon is
;
little procured from the bark of the
about three years old are the
best; if they are too young,
they have not sufficient flavour.
The inferior kind of bark is,
I believe, used for the purpose
of obtaining oil of cinnamon.
The best cinnamon is
wrapped
in double cloths made of hemp,
and N packed in holes.
L. We know the common
uses of cinnamon, papa. Can
it be used as a medicine, like
nutmeg or pepper?
Yes; being the bark of a
/'.
tree, it contains an astringent
property c.illed ttmjtin.
Ion. What do you reallymcan
by "astringent." pupa. I can
tell an astringent ta-te. t-ecaii-e
anything with that taste seems
to draw up my tongue.
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. PEPPER AND CINNAMON.

P. And that is why we call Ion. Now we will make a

it "astringent." The word is "memory lesson" on Pepper
derived from the Latin ostrin- and Cinnamon, before papa
gSre, to draw together and an ;
teaches us anything more.
astringent substance really
draws together the particles of Lesson 4. PEPPER and
your tongue and of other sub- CINNAMON.
stances. Tell me something
PEPPER is the seed of a berry,
that is astringent.
produced by a climbing plant,
Ion. Alum is very. called, "thePepper Vine." CINNA-
W. And so are sal-prunella MON is the " inner bark " of' the
balls very, very! young branches of an evergreen,
L. Ginger, we said, is rather or laurel.
astringent; so are nutmeg, mace, Pepper is used as a "condi-
and tea. ment" with food, and is useful
to assist digestion,
W. Have you ever tasted particularly
with ram vegetables, such as the
nut-yolk, Lucy, which are usedcucumber.
in making ink? They arc as- Cinnamon is used to Jlavour
tringent, and so is the ink
puddings, fyc. Being the bark of
itself. a tree, it hats the astringent
P. Nut-galls are procured property " tannin," which ren-
from the oak and the bark of ders it useful as a medicine also.
;

the oak, as well as all other

P. There are still more spices
barks, has, as I said, an astrin- in the Exhibition. Would you
gent property, called tannin. like to hear of the rest?
The tannin of the oak-bark is
used to convert the skins of
W. Yes; / should like to
hear of all of them, now that
animals into leather, which it
have begun their history.
does by drawing together so you
P. Then here is a spice
closely the particles of the skin, which
that it becomes more tough and very much resembles one
we have heard of before.
firm, and the wet cannot easily
L. Ah, it looks like a pep-
penetrate it.
per-corn.
Now, the tannin of the young P. It is not, however it is
bark, cinnamon, is not strong
;

called ALLSPICE.
enough for this purpose, but it
contains enough astringency
to serve other purposes
12. ALLSPICE.
in
the stomach; especially where P. Look at it ;
tell me what
the digestive powers are weak, you think it is. Is it a seed,
and in case of bowel-complaint. a root, or a bark?
It is also useful sometimes in L. It looks more like a seed,
cases of fever. papa ; and yet it cannot be,
W. Yes; I have seen cinna- because now that I am shaking
mon-powder in Mr. Phial, the it, I can hear something rattling

chemist's, shop. It is nearly of inside. May I open it?

the same colour as this piece P. Yes.
of cinnamon.
Lucy. Come here, Ion and
49
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. ALLSPICE.

Willie, and look ! The All- however, these berries must be

spice has a partition which picked bifore they ripen, as
divides the berry into two cells, their taste, when ripe, is not
and there is a pretty little seed K Mi.-ng. The birds only like
in each, so that the allspice is the full-ripe berries, i

If a seed.
they hare lost their aromatic
1'. Xo; it is the dried henry, and hot flavour. They are
or seed-vessel. Its qualities gathered by hand, and are
and uses are like those of the dried by the sun almost in
futility,mace, and cinnamon. the same way as the black
our seems to unite the pepper. The berries are known
flavour of all other spire*, and be dry enough when the
to
why it is called " All-
rattling of the seeds inside can
its real name being be heard.
Pimento. Ion. Here, papa, is another
Tliis berry grows principally spice which we have not yet
in the West Indies, ou a species heard of. What a curious shape
of myrtle. In Jamaica espe- it has! It is something like a
cially, it is cultivated with great short nail, such as the shoe-
care, and is there called -.Ja- makers use.
maica pepper." The myrtles P. Yes and it is supposed to
;

abound on the hills, thriving in have derived its name from

rocky lands, or rich soil which that circumstance. The French
r>i at the bottom. The word for nail is clou, and this
trees are most beautiful objects, spice is called a CI.OVK: which
especially when they are in name is generally belu
,. as
they are then loaded be only a " corruption" of that
with bunches of white flowers, word.
which have a most fragrant
smell. 13. CLOVES.
Some of the old trees are
thirty feet in height, but they P. Examine this little clove,
begin to bear when they are and tell me how many principal
-are old. They are not parts you see.
in perfection,however, until /on. I sec tiro, papa; the
they have reached the age of aight part with the four
S'-M-II years. They are gene- points which project, and the
rally arranged in regular walks. little round knob which is fas-
So nice is the flavour of the tened to the end of the straight
berries, wlirii they arc fully ripe, part; but what to .-((//either the
that they are a favourite food straight pan or the knob, I do
of the birds. They pick them not know.
and cam- them away, but in P. Then I must tell you.
doing so they often drop some This straight part is a pan
of the seeds, so that they are which is common to all flowers:
i

said to be more industrious it is the cup in which the flower

planters of these trees than the is
placed. ''Flower-nn
natives. To serve as a spice, very good name for it but the
50
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. CLOVES.

name given to it in general is L. Yes, papa ; I have been

the ciilyx.
Ion. And now that you have
told me that, papa, I see that the
little knob looks something like
a little bud of a flower.
biting one, and the taste is very
strong and pungent indeed,
stronger than that of pepper,
or any other spice. The smell,
too, is very strong.

P. Yes and if you will fetch

;
P. That is because of the
" essential "
a cup with some warm water, oil it contains.
and put the clove in it, you will The quantity of this oil is so
find that this bud can easily be great, that it may be pressed
opened. out by the finger. Sometimes
The clove, like the other the oil is pressed out before the
spices,grew originally in the cloves are sold, but such a pro-
Spice Islands; but it was after- ceeding is a very unfair one, as
wards transported to the New they then have very little smell
World, and is now flourishing or taste.
in the West Indies as well as in L. It
is as unfair as the prac-
the East. tice of depriving the nutmegs
The tree is a species of laurel. of their oil. But what is the
At a certain time of the year use of the oil of cloves?
the tree brings forth very large P. The oil, being the essence
and abundant clusters of flowers, of the cloves, may be diluted,
and before the flowers have and used for the same purpose
opened, when they are too small as the clove itself; but being at
to hide the four points of the the same time much stronger
calyx which you noticed, Ion, than the clove, it is used for
they are picked. They are curing the toothache.
next smoked over a wood fire, Ion. I suppose that that is
and then are finished by expo- because it is so HOT and stimu-
sure to the rays of the sun. lating. Have you finished the
Each tree yields a large sup- account of the Clove, papa?
ply of cloves. Trees 12 years P. Yes, I have nothing more
of age will yield from 5 to 20 to add.
pounds weight every year! It Ion. Then I will sum it up,
is rather to imagine
difficult all of it, in one sentence.
how " THE CLOVE
correctly many cloves are is the unopened
required to make a pound. As bud and the calyx of a laurel ;
the tree becomes older the pro- it is distinguished from the other
duce increases, until they are spices by its very strong and pun-
known to yield as much as gent flavour, and is called Clove
"
60 pounds!" After that the from the French word clou" a
yearly quantity diminishes. A
nail, because it resembles a nail
single tree, however, may live in shape.
150 years, and during that time P. You have now heard of
it
may supply 1,100 pounds of the principal spices found in the
cloves. Exhibition. I think it would be
Do you notice any peculiar as well for you to make another
quality in the clove? short account of each, and ar-
51
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE SUCKS.

range them together so as to tioning, such a* the Cocoa-nut,

form one lesson on the whole the Date, the Banana, Bread-
class. fruit. c. And there arc other
\\'. We can easily do that, articles useful for food, although

papa, and we will commit the they are not sufficiently nutri-
whole account to memory. tious to support lite. They are
used particularly as drinks.
Lesson 1. ARTICLES OF FOOD /.. Such as TEA,
papa.
P. Yes, that is one which yon
(Tropical Climates).
know comes from China, and is
THE SPICES. irrown rather on the borders of
the tropics than in the very hot
The Spices are a class of vege- countries.
table productions, distinguished W. COFFEE another sub-
by is
a peculiar smell, called " aro- stance.
matic," and a strong And COCOA.
pungent Ion.
taste. Ada. SI-GAR, too, comes
In Utis class are included from hot countrirs.
1. A P. True the three last were
yellowish-white, rough ;

and knotty root called GINGER, included in our course in

2. A /./-..////.
icrinkled, oval- PLEASAST PAGES. I may
shaped kernel, culled NUTMEG. supply a few additional par-
3. A thin, scarlet membrane, ticulars on each, but the prin-
called MACE. cipal of these subjects will be
4.
.1 small, wrinkled, spherical TEA. Suppose that we take
seed, tcilh a rery hot, pungent tea next.
taste, called PEPPER. It is found
inside berry of a climbing
the
14. Tl.A.
jib nt called the Pepper Vine.
i

5. T/ie inner bark

of the three- If you wi*h to find specimens
yeir-old branches of a laurel; it of tea iu the (I real Exhibition,
is of a find several in the
light brown colour, and is you will
called CINNAMO.V. 'MISUSE DEPARTMENT; I must<

6. The dried however, before begin-

berry, or seed- repeat,
vessel, of a myrtle, which, from its ning our loson. that lea i- not
hurin;/ it fluruur like that of all strictly a tropical plant. It will
oUier spices, is called ALLSPICE. grow inside the tropics, but not
7. The
calyx and unopenedbud in the very warm climates. It
of a laurel, which contains a is cultivated by the Chinese,
strong essential oil, and has a particularly in the tract of land
taste more anmuifir, nad even round alM.ut the thirtieth degree
limn hut iiinl nt. of latitude.
fiiiii'/i tlmnpqmer.
r'roin tin rittinliltincr
vfits stuijit
Here are some specimens for
t tliut
of a nail, it is called you to examine. You may be-
CLOVE. L'inbv discovering tlie ijuulitus,
and the uses. Then, if you li.ive
There nre in the tropics of
/'.
paid attention to your part
more foreign fruits worth nten- the lesson, I will pay attention
H
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

to my part, and see if I can P. You

say that it loses some
give you an interesting history. of itsmoisture. By thus losing
W. The first quality I ob- its moisture, it loses one of its
serve in the tea is, that it is qualities.
thoroughly dry. W. Yes. One of its natural
Ion. It is also brittle "
crisp" qualities, papa.
would be a better word to use ; P. Then it is no longer in
and it may be ground into a quite a natural state. It has
powder it is pulcerable.
;
been changed by the art of man,
L. It is shrive/led that is a so it is in an artificial state.
very good word to apply to it. Ion. And yet, papa, the tea-
W. I do not see any more leaf is a natural substance, be-
qualities. We
have examined causemen could not in any
its appearance, and its sub- way make such a substance.
stance: we cannot say anything When a substance is compound
of its shape, but we may add (that formed of two or three
is,

something of its colour, and different substances such as

something about its weight. It bread, which is made of flour,
is black, and green, and in water, yeast, salt, &c.), then I
weight it is light. call it an artificial substance.
Ion. We
may add that it is a So, this is what I should say
of tea " It is a
vegetable substance. It is really natural sub-
necessary to say that to describe stance in an artificial state."
it properly. Will that do?
P. Why? P. Perhaps that is the best
Ion. Because nobody would way to express it. It certainly
really think that it was a vege- isnot an artificial substance ;

table substance at first sight. and it is not in a natural state.

W. That is because it does Ion. Then I will write down
not look natural. I suppose we the qualities of the tea. " Tea
must not call it a natural sub- is a reqetable substance, and is
stance. We will say that it is therefore natural; but it has
artificial. been brought into an artificial
Ion. I don't think that that state, for it is dry, shrivelled,
is correct. It is not made by crisp, light, and pulverable ;
man. sometimes it is black, and some-
W. Well,
I have heard that times (freen."
it is. Men dry and shrivel it P. You have not made a
up, in some way or other, to complete list of the qualities.
make it like this. Therefore I I think I have said before, there
think that it is an artifical sub- are many hidden qualities in a
stance. substance, which you cannot
Ion. But at the same time, discover by observation.
yon see, men do not make it, L. You mean, papa, the
they only alter its shape. qualities which we discover in
L. And they alter its state using a substance. call We
from a moist green state to a them its effects.

dry state. W. I know one effect of tea ;

53
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

it causes people to talk, and be I have abook on che-

little
more lively. When people are mistry, written by a German
dull, it serves to slir tlnm n/>, gentleman named Licbig, and I
just as coffee does. What is will read you what he says of
"
the Latin word for " stir-up ? Tlieine. "When common tea
I forget. leaves are placed in a watch-
Ion. I remember it. Stimulate, glass, loosely covered with
to stir up and we call the coffee
; paper, and gradually heated on
stimulating. a hot iron plate, until they are
L. And, if you remember, brown, long white, sliininti r///s-
we said that coffee is refreshing ; tals appear on the paper, and
and because it makes people on the surface of the leave*.
glad, we call it exhilarating. This is thfine." You can now
II
And, because it acts as easily understand that, if in-
a medicine, and keeps the stu- stead of heating the leaves on
dents from going to sleep, we a watch-glass, they are heated
call it medicinal. in boiling water, the theine
P. Yes. You said that the wonld not form dry crystals.
coffee, in its "effects," is re- L. No, it would be dissolved
fresliinp, stimulating, exhila- in the water.
rating, and medicinal: and these P. That is the case. So, the
eiVccts also belong to the tea. next time yon are going to
If. It is very easy to know drink a cup of tea, you may
that tea has such effects, because look at it and remember that it
we can feel them, and can is the theine dissolved in the

notice them in other people, water, which will refresh you.

but I should like veiy much to W. Now I know something
know how the tea does so. Do more, pupa. I'uf vtill yon have
you know, papa? not told us Itmr the theine in
/'. What do you want to the tea refreshes us.
know? P. I will tell you ns much as
H". I low the tea exhilarates I know of the subject. Yon
people, and refreshes them. have often heard how, when
What it does inside them, to your food is bein;.' dige-ted, it
change them so. i\ di i'l\ed by a fluid called the
P. Well, cannot say that I
I tin*r, ii-jii'uf. The food i> after-
know, exactly, but will tell wards acted upon by another
I

you all I have learned about it. fluid from the liver, which we
There is, both in the leaves of call Mi' ; hut if we have not
tea. and the berries of eoJi'ee. n sutlicient bile within us, what
peculiar substance which pro- then?
dnc'-* the-e etl'ecN. Although L. Then our food will not. In-
this substance is found in both digested. J
Ml],J,,
articles, we give it dill'erent And we .-hall feel unwell.
/'.

names. When found in tea, Person* who do not take suili-

we call it "Tlieine;" and when ci. nt cxd-cUe, do not form
found in coffee, we call it Mitlicicnt bile: hut the theine in
"Caffeine." tea will supply the sub.-tanee
54
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

required for the purpose. This a nation could not procure any
fact explains why men who sit tea! The English people had
much, and study, and females no tea at one time, I suppose.
who do not often go out of What did they do then?
doors, are so fond of tea. P. Then, they used some-
W. Then, we may say as thing else which answered the
the tea helps to form bile, the same purpose by helping di-
food is digested more quickly. gestion; or by stimulating and
P. Yes ; or the food is assimi- refreshing their bodies. Let me
lated, as we say. By assimila-
tell you something which is
tion, we mean worth remembering. If people
that the food
becomes part of our body, by would only live on proper food,
being changed into blood. The and eat it in proper quantities,
bile helps in this process; and and take proper exercise, they
thus, when the theine of the would seldom require such sti-
tea helps to form bile ? mulants. But whenever people
W. The bile helps to form are poor and are poorly fed,
the food into blood. they make up for the " sinking
"
Jon. And the blood begins feeling which such want occa-
to circulate more quickly, and sions, by tea, coffee, tobacco,
we feel more lively we are opium, and worse still, beer and
stimulated and refreshed. Most spirits. It is said that in Ger-
people feel lively after tea. many, those who receive the
P. Thus, where food is diffi- lowest wages, while they are
cult to digest, tea is often useful. obliged to live on bread and
Which kind of food have I told potatoes, always reserve a por-
you is harder to digest Animal tion of their wages for coffee.
or Vegetable food ? Ion. I quite understand why
L. You said that vegetables they do that !

were more hard to digest, and P. I should like you to un-

that grass-eatinganimals requir- derstand it very clearly. I will
ed salt to help their digestive sayit to you once more: "Where
organs. there is good and nutritious
W. Just said that we
as you food (containing azote, a word
require pepper to help to digest which I will explain to you
cucumber, and other raw vege- some day), and with such nutri-
tables. tious food exercise is taken, the
P. Thus we find that tea, also, azote in the food forms sufficient
is much used amongst nations bile but, where the food is poor,
;

which subsistprincipally on or hard to digest, and sufficient

vegetables. The great chemist exercise is not taken, then suf-
named Liebig, whom I men- ficient bile is not formed and ;

tioned j ust now, says in one of
his books, "Tea and coffee were
originally met with among na-
tions whose diet is chiefly vege-
table."
Ion. But suppose, papa, that
men use the theine in tea, or
the caffeine in coffee, or some
other stimulant,for the puqiose."
L. Then the lesson we may
make about tea, is, that if we
took great care to have proper
55
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TKA.

food and exercise, we might do L. And

a pound of tea will
without it, and other stimulants last long as two or three
as
also. pounds of coffee.
P. Yes; butitis notvery likely If. What a long lesson we
that this will ever be the case. are having on the H.-YN of tea!
Until all men give due attention Now I will sum it all " Tea
up.
to their food, there will be some and other stimulants are rcry
people craving for stimulants, 11 n< fill thimjs, ln'i-iiiisi>
llii-i;
liin-i-

to make up for their careless- rrfri-x/iiiii) i/iiaUtii-x ir/iirfi make

ness. In another part of M. up for the want of good food."
Liebig's book, there is a para- P. Oh, indeed! 1&~ tl>t the
graph expressing this opinion. lesson yon make? I make out
I will read it to you: a very different case. Listen!
" It is a
Tea and all other stimulants
question whether, if we are (except in occasional CAM!
had no tea, and no coffee, the
bad things, because they enable
popular instinct would not replace to neglect their diet, and
them. Every people of the globe people
has appropriated some such means indulge in bad habits, without
of acting on the nervous life, from feeling the natural conse-
the shores of the PACIFIC, where quences. As long as men will
the Indian retires for days, to en- use such stimulants to remove
joy the bliss of intoxication with for a time the bad effects of
Kokn, to the ARCTIC RKOIONS, their neglect, so they will not
where the Kamschatdales prepare
give the attention they ought
an intoxicating drink from a poi-
to give, to their diet and ex-
sonous mushroom."
ercise.

when Jon. To be sure. Willie!

Ion. Or he might add,
the student in the university. Don't you see that? If the
who wants to study all night, tea and other stimulants were
taken away, then people would
prepares a decoction containing
either theine or caffeine. be obliged to take proper care
P. Yes, whether the uni- of themselves.
P. Shall I show you another
versity be in England or Ger-
many, or elsewhere; or whether way in which tea and stimu-
it be in the cottage or mansion,
lants are bad?
such stimulants are still in use. II'. Yes. papn. please.
In the same book it is said P. Because they n-rnr out the,
concerning Germany body. We do not observe this
fact so much, because we take
" In the Customs Union
(flic them in small <|iiamitirs. and
Zollverein), more than 00.000,000 their action is gradual; but as
pounds of coffee are consumed soon as the stimulants are used
every your while in Europe and in a little more than moderate
:

America Tea forms part of the

quantity, their effect becomes
daily arrnnpements of the poorest
evident. It is said of the fre-
labourer and the richest Inmlou HIT
and the consumption
of this ar- quent use of TEA, that it an-
ticle is more
than 80,000,000 swers the purpose for n time.
pounds per year. but the object is attained at "a
56
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

fearful price" the destruction L. Have many people abs-

of health, and vigour of body tained from using them?
and mind being the penalty. P. Yes, great numbers; es-
Tea is worse in this respect pecially drunkards, who had
than coffee, as its effects are suffered from their bad effects;
more permanent. and when these societies do
The property which more to teach poor people how
in tea
has such injurious effects is to spend their money in buying
weakened by keeping the leaves the best food, and how to regu-
for a long time. Fresh tea is late their diet and exercise,
so stimulating, that it is seldom then these people will be able
used until it has been kept to give up stimulants more
twelve months. The injurious easily, they will not want
property may also be weakened them. It has been found in
by heat, for green tea is more the reports of large towns, that
exciting than black, because, when wages have been high, or
when being prepared, it is not food has been plentiful, there
"roasted" so often. has not been much drunken-
Tea is a very improper drink ness; but that when there has
for young children ; it produces been scarcity and poverty,
too strong an excitement, and drunkenness has increased: for
causes a diseased state of the when the poor cannot obtain
brain and nerves. It has been the natural refreshment for the
said by a well-known physician, body from wholesome food,
that " it ought by no means to they get artificial refreshment
be the common diet of boarding from stimulants.
schools. If it be sometimes There we must not go any
!

allowed to the children as a further into the question of

treat,they should be informed stimulants in general. have We
that might, if used frequently,
it made too long a subject of it
injure their strength and con- already. I should, however,
stitution." like you, when we print this
Before we
leave the subject lesson, to read it over several
of tea, I must not forget to times. Then, perhaps, you will
mention that, although it may see that it will be one of your
produce bad effects, the effects duties so to attend to the diet
of stimulants which contain al- and exercise of your body, as to
cohol, instead of theine or caf- enjoy life without the help of
feine (such as beer and spirits), stimulants.
are far worse. So dreadful are L. Now, papa, will you pi ease
many of the evils which these to give us the history of tea?
stimulants bring, that a great P. Yes. But before we leave
society, called the NATIOKAL the qualities and uses of tea, I
TEMPERANCE SOCIETY, has been may as well add that in the
formed both in England and in composition of the tea-leaf are
Scotland, to induce the British found two metals, viz., iron and
nation to abstain totally from manganese, of course in very
their use. small quantities. Again, you
57
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

said that tea was astringent. are made. The holes are about
This hecausc it contains the
is five feet distant from each other
substance which I said was to allow space for the young
found in the bark of trees. plants to grow. The seeds
W. Do you mean tannin, sown are always such as are

papa? quite fresh, as from their oiliness

P. Yes. I once heard a lec- they do not preserve well. Five
ture from a chemist, in which or six seeds are sometimes
he amused the company with a I

dropped into each hole, as their

curious fact. You know that
the tannin of the oak-hark is
used in making leather. The
lecturer showed us that when
the tea with milk in it reaches
our stomachs, the curds of the
animal substance, milk, are of-
ten hardened by the tannin in
the tea, so as to form a thin
tough substance, like leather.
\V. Then I wont take any
more I don't like the pro-
tea!
cess of leather-making to be
going on in stomach !
my
P. The tannin in tea has,
however, been rendered useful.
There have been cases in which
it has been used as an antidote
to poison. Even arsenic
been decomposed by the
geut tannin.
The natural history of tea is
the next point to engage our
attention.
The Natural History of Tea.
Tea
is brought from < 'HIV v.
where it is grown principally
on the hills, and in dry soils.
It nourishes best with plenty of are of a tlnrk green colour, and
growth is very uncertain. Fre-
quently all of the seeds will
grow; and as the plants rise
i and grow together, they form a
j large bush. After they are
| sown, very little trouble is ne-
j
cessary, except that of clearing
;
away the weeds. The trees are
: left to grow for three years,
when the plantation yields its
first crop.
If you were to ask a China-
man which are the best kind of
leaves, lie would tell you that
tho>e which are from tiie young
wood, and are grown in ex-
posed situations, are the best.
He might further inform you
has that the leaves are gathered
astrin- three times in the year; those
which are gathered in April
being of a briyht and delicate
colour, and aromatic flavour,
and without bitterness; the
leaves which are gathered at
Midsummer being of a duller
colour, and le<s pleasant ta>te;
"while," he would add. "the
leaves of the third gathering

light, air, and a good sunny very coarse and inferior." "As
aspect. The plant is a species the trees become older," he
of camellia, and it is cultivated would tell you, " the leaves
by means of seeds. The plan are less iiii.il.'..'. and u lien
\

of culture is very simple. When they are M-VCH yars or t.-n

a new plantation in required. years
old they are cut down.
the ground is care fully pre- Numerous young shoots then
pared, and a number of holes. spring up, and give a good sup-
about four or live inches deep, ply oi '\.iung wood and 1

58
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

Thus you see how many differ- packing it in chests, which are
ent qualities of tea there may lined with tin-foil, and sent to
be. The quality of the leaves England, and other countries.
depends on the time of gather- I might as well add that the
ing, the age of the plant, the Chinese preserve their own tea
soil, and the situation in which in porcelain jars, with narrow
the trees grow. mouths, which they say give
W. And I should think, additional aromatic flavour to
therefore, that it is very easy to the tea.
procure bad tea, when the good W. You have told us, papa,
quality depends on so many of six operations; but I think
points. you have left out the history of
P. When the leaves are ga- the tea picking, which is the
thered, they are put in wide first thing.
shallow baskets, and are ex- And that is a very
P. Yes.
posed to the air or sun for some important business, especially
hours. The first dampness of when the finer sorts are being
the leaves is thus removed, and picked. The collectors of fine
they are now ready for the dry- tea are generally men expe-
ing-pan. The drying-pan is rienced in their business, and
made of cast iron, and is of a trained to it from a very early
flat shape. When the China- age. They are compelled to
man is going to dry his leaves, clean themselves three weeks
he prepares a fire of charcoal, before they begin their work;
and places the pan over it; he and they are forbidden to eat
then puts in not more than half fish, or any other kind of food
or three quarters of a pound of which is reckoned unclean, lest
leaves, and stirs them about by their breath they should
quickly with a kind of brush. contaminate the leaves. They
When they are ready, they are are also made to bathe two or
swept out of the pan into bas- three times a-day; and when
kets; and, as soon as a basket they gather the leaves they
is full it is handed over to must not use their naked fin-
another workman, to undergo gers, but must wear gloves.
the operation of rolling. This W. There, papa! You have
he performs by carefully rub- mentioned seven operations.
bing them between his hands. The picking drying in baskets
The fourth operation is that of drying in a cast-iron pan
drying the rolled leaves they rolling drying of the rolled
are again placed in the pan, leaves picking and cleaning of
but in much larger quantities ;
the rolled leaves and the pack-
and are heat ;d just sufficiently ing of the leaves in tin-foil.
to dry them without scorching. So that we have learned the
The fifth operation is that of "qualities," "uses," and "de-
pickin (/ and cleaning; when all the scription," of tea. Now will
leaves that are imperfect, or not you please tell us of the dif-
dried properly, are removed. ferent sorts?
The last operation is that of P. Yes.
59
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

The Different Sorts of Tea. tea leaves are gathered without

There are too many sorts of the stalks, and are not prepared
tea! but they may be
arranged like the black. It was sup-
in two divisions good the posed, at one time, that the
sort, and the bad sort. Let green colour of the leaves was
us first name them accord- owing to their being dried on
ing to their place. Beside the copper pans, but this I believe
CHINESE TEA, there is a tea isnot correct. It is true, how-
which, about twenty-five years ever, that the Chinese can so
ago, was discovered growing change damaged black tea by
wild in a district of India the addition of colours, &c.,
called ASSAM. Assam is in that it cannot be distinguished
the north-east corner of India, from the green. The principal
near Bengal and Burmah. black teas are named Bohea,
The ASSAM TEA, when it first Congou, Souchong, and Pekoe;
attracted public attention, be- and the principal green teas
came very celebrated, as it was are Singlo, Hyson, and Gun-
grown in a colony belonging to powder.
England. On account of its There is a species of tea
nov.-lty, it sold at very extra- called 7Y/e-tea, because it con-
vagant prices. sists of leaves and leaf stalks,
The tea-plant may also be compressed in the shape of a
grown in
England, being very flat cake or tile.
common in our conservatories. The had kinds
of teas arc the
It may be seen growing in Kew coarse large-leaved teas, which
Gardens, or in Messrs. Lod- are obtained in the third pick-
diges' gardens at Hackney. ing M-asi>n--the.e are liy no
The list of names of the Chi- means good for common use,
nese teas is almost endless. It and are often used in dyeimj.
is said that in the catalogues of The poorer classes of Chinese
the Chinese merchants there also use them. But the \\orst
are at least one hundred and kind of all an' the adulterated
fifty names. Many of these teas. It is well known that the
names, however, are only in- Chinese use many strange sub-
vented to impose upon foreign- stances to mix with their tea.
ers, and obtain a high price. It is adulterated still more in
The principal kinds of tea, England, where the leaves of
however, are the BLACK TEA the elm, ash, hawthorn, sloe,
ami the (ici.KN TEA. and apple, are mixed with the
The plants from which the tea. Old tea-leaves are also
green tea is picked are more dried.a n d chopped up with stalks
hardy than the others, and "ill of raisins. In (iennauy, green
flourish \\lien the snow is on tea is adulterated \\itli the very
the -round. The two teas are young leaves of the strawberry
cultivated in ditlercnt parts of plant. It is singular that we
the empire. The principal dif- cannot, in England, enjoy the
ference between the green an. I
very fine teas, in which the
the lilack tea is, that the green Chinese take so much pride,
CO
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

for they are always spoilt by known drinks were then in use.
the sea voyage the change of Tea had perhaps been intro-
;

climate, and the dampness duced to England some time

from the water, deprive them of it is most likely that it was pro-
their fine flavour. cured from the Dutch East
Ion. Now, papa, that we have India Company, who first sold
heard of the different sorts, will t in Europe. It is likely that
you give us the history of its use was known about the
tea? same time as that of coffee,
P. If we do not find the sub- which, you may remember, Avas
ject too long. I will try and first sold in England in the year
make it as short as possible. 1652.
Ion. Yes, I remember, papa,
The History of Tea. TEA
your telling us of the Greek
has a separate history in the servant who opened a coffee-
different countries in which it house near Corn hill.
is used. The Chinese History The continuation of the his-
of Tea begins (like many more tory of tea is connected with
Eastern histories) with a fable. that of theEAST INDIA COM-
It is said that in A. D. 516 a PANY. It appears that its use
good Indian prince, of religious was not very general for some
habits, came to China as a mis- time; for in the year 1664, thy
sionary, intending to set a good purchased, as a present to the
example to the natives, and to king, two pounds and two ounces
teach them their religious du- of tea. Five years later, in the
ties. However, he was once so year 1669, the directors ordered
overcome with his long fasting their servants in India to " send
and want of rest, that he fell home by their ships one hundred
asleep he was then so angry with
; pounds of the lest tey they could
himself, that he cut off both his get;" to be sent on speculation.
eyebrows and threw them on In 1671, we read of their im-
the ground. Both of these eye- porting a package of 1 50 pounds
brows grew, and became tea- in 1678 they imported 4,713
shrubs the first ever known! pounds. It then became well
The Indian prince soon dis- worth the consideration of the
covered the virtues of the shrub, company as an article of trade,
and recomended it to his dis- for it still yielded the large
ciples. They all declared that price of 60s. per pound. The
it gave their minds fresh vigour, EAST INDIA COMPANY, there-
and use became general.
its fore, obtained a "charter," by
The English History of Tea which they were allowed to
may begin with an act of parlia- keep the whole tea trade of
ment. In an act of parliament, England in their own hands.
of the year 1060 or 1661, it is Such a charter, which prohibits
ordered that 8d. per gallon duty others from competition, is call-
be charged on all tea, coffee, or ed a monopoly; its purpose is
chocolate for sale. Thus you very unlike that of the Great
see that all three of our well- Exhibition, and the Free Trade
61
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA.

of the present day. On the Poor man his mouth was hot
!

abolition of the Company's and dry; how long and anx-

charter, in the year 1834, the iously he waited for that tea !

tea trade immediatelyimproved. At length it came !

The yearly sale was then above Yes! In came the maid, tri-

31,000,000 pounds, but it has umphantly bearing the smoking

since increased to more than tea in a tureen. "Very odd,"
40,000,000 pounds per annum, he thought, " to bring me my
and yields an enormous sum of tea in a tureen; but, never
money to government as duty. mind! here is a ladle; they
The history of tea in Scot- wish me to drink it like soup."
land may begin with an anec- No sooner had the German
dote. Apound of fine green damsel turned her back than
tea was sent to a certain lady the thirsty man lifted up the
as a rare and valuable present. lid joyfully, and Ah!
The lady took care to have it VVha-a-a-a-t? The German
cooked ! It was served up with cook was no better than the
melted butter and salted meat, cook of the Scotch lady The !

but the cook found that the teatureen was full of ten-leaves,
was not exactly "suitable." which formed a hard compact
She complained to her mistress mass, for they had been care-
that "she had tried all manner fully squeezed, so that all the
of ways to cook them, and she water had been drtiiurd <;//".' He
didn't believe that all the was much surprised, but not
cooking in the world would half so much as the people of
ever make those foreign greens the inn, when he rang the bell
tender!" violently, and insisted on them
L. And now, papa, end the bringing him, instantly, the
history of tea with an anecdote! irutrr those greens were boiled in!
will you? for I am getting Fortunately, it had not been
tired of it. thrown away; and, to the still
P. Very well. Even in the greater surprise of the whole
present century people will household, he exchanged his
.-tick to the idea of cooking tea. tureen for the. steaming sauce-
I told yon of the quantity of pan placed it before him on
:

coffee used in Germany, but the the floor; and, while they were
Germans, especially the'' Khinc- gone for cup and saucer and
l.imlcr-." who live around the milk and sugar, he ladled some
river Rhine, drink plenty of wine, of ''the water those greens were
and therefore know little about boiled in" into his drinking-
tea. A gentleman whom I horn.
know, and who is an wa- So you see that the quality of
arti>t.

travelling in Germany about tea may not merely dt-p'-nd on

forty years ago, and had quite .1, or the climate and
tired himself \>\ sketching all country in which it iscultivated :

day; so when he returned to it may depend on the people

his inn, he called for some tfa who prepare it. There! we have
to stimulate hia weary frame. talked long enough about tea.
62
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.
W. We will not make a
son on Tea, papa; but will wait,
please, until we have heard
about coffee, and cocoa, and
sugar.
P. As you please.
15. COFFEE.*
You will find plenty of
Coffee-samples in the Great
Exhibition. In the department
where the arrow-root and
other tropical productions may
be found, you may see many
West Indian
specimens of
coffee.
As yon have already learned
of this and the two following
subjects, they will not long oc-
cupy our attention.
In our lesson on coffee, what
did you say of its qualities?
Ion. That, when it has been
roasted, it has a rich brown
colour, is crisp, aromatic, bitter,
and pleasant to the taste.
W. And, when you spoke of
its uses, you said that
they were
almost like those of tea.
P. Yes and that
; it has in-
jurious effects like those of tea.
And I added in our lesson on
tea, that its bad effects may be
removed on ceasing to use cof-
fee, but that the injuries pro-
duced by tea remain until the
end of life. Since you had
that lesson, I have discovered
another use for coffee. de-
coction of decayed coffee toge-
ther with pure soda, will form
a beautiful green colour. This
green colour will not change,
and cannot be acted upon by
* PLEASAKT PAGES, rol.
153, 170.
COFFEE.
les- acids, or by light, or by mois-
ture.
What did I say in our
Natural History of coffee?
L. You said, papa, that it is
the berry of a shrub growing in
the West Indies and Arabia.
You spoke of the different
modes of cultivation in each
country. The principal coffee-
growing countries are Brazil,
Cuba, St. Domingo, Jamaica,
Berbice, Porto Rico, Java,
Sumatra, Borneo, and Mocha.
P. In speaking of the dif-
ferent sorts, I might as well
tell you that I noticed in one
of the galleries of the Exhibi-
tion specimens of coffee in
which care had been
great
taken to supply the public with
the pure seed. If you take a
coffee-seed (or coffee-bean, as it
is generally called), and break
it open at the
groove running
through the centre, you will
find that it contains a very thin
woody In the specimen
fibre.
in the a coffee-
Exhibition,
dealer, who is named Snowden,
has, by means of a patent
process, entirely removed this
fibre before the coffee is ground.
There is another specimen of
dessicated coffee, which unfor-
tunately I had no time to ex-
amine.
I did not, in speaking of the
different sorts of coffee, men-
A tion the bad, or adulterated,
coffee. Coffee may be easily
adulterated. For this purpose,
burnt bread, burnt rye and
wheat, and especially chicory is
much used. The latter sub-
stance is the dried root of a
i. pp. plant which was formerly cul-
tivated in Belgium and Ger-
63
ARTICLK8 OF FOOD. COCOA.
ARTICLES OF FOOD. SUGAR.
 AHTICJUES OF FOOD. SUGAR.

when it is going to flower, and fanners let their g-

when the leaves are < too ripe before they cut it for ;

with awhile powder. This white the sugar in the stalk having
powder on the leave?, and the been changed to starch in the
pith inside the great trunk, are seed, the hay ha* not a
both starch, which is to be taste, and the English horses do
into sugar, to nourish
1 not like it.
the flowers and fruit as they /,. Will you please to tell us.

ripen. Thus, to save the pith papa, whether sugar, is nutri-

for themselves and prevent it tious?
from changing into sugar for /'. Yes we use it as a luxury.
;

the fruits, the natives of the but it is a universal article >f

Spice Islands cut down
It is mure general!. the food.
tree as soon as the white the cane, which is either
pow- in
der appears. chewed or sucked. It is said
This change is constantly that it is inconceivable what an
going on in plants, but not enormous amount of the
always in the same way. Some- cane is consumed in this way.
times the change is reversed. Vast ship-load* arrive daily at
and the sugar is changed into Manilla: and in Rio Janeiro.
starch. The stalks of grasses, and the Sandwich Islam! -

wheat, and other corn-plants child is seen going abont with ji

have a rather sweet taste. I dare piece of stiL'ar-cane in his band.
say y< HI hare noticed this. This Your uncle, who has been to
is because they contain sugar CHINA, tells me that he has
which, when their sei-d bought many a piece of sugar-
is ripe,
becomes starch. When, how- cane for a Chinese boy it is

ever, their >><</.; begin to sprout sold in little pieces on stalls

and grow, the starch in them in the streets, just as tli
again becomes sugar, and is of cocoa-nut are >old on the
used np to nourish the young apple-stalls in the streets of
tender plant. This is the. case England.
with barley, which is full of itc (or rather
sugar. When soaked in water, the s-i. [a eminently
it be-.'ins to sprout, ami has a nutritious, and lias been called
sweet taste. It is then called ./ in iintHrf.
mult. This is truly -i--n
ap- in the
/.. Then I will remember pearance of the negroes, dur-
that the malt has a swe ing the time of the sugar har-
because the starch in it has be- vest. Then, although they
c.inic sugar, to nourish the undergo the mo^t severe labour,
'lam. they lia\e a plump and sleek
/'. True. Yon may appearance. In the midst of
:ie thing in the garde!) their hard work they seam-h-
pea. which we call the .< eat anything during the whole
The hay, too, has a sweet .-niell
day. I'orthe very air they breathe
-ugar in iN -talk. ro nourish them. Old
It is said, that in Scotland the and sickly negroes often recover
66
 ARTICLES OP FOOD. SUGAR.

their health by going to work L. I have noticed that,

iu the cane-harvest. papa. The lean consists of
L. How different that is from fibres, and the fat is deposited
the account of the rzee-harvest ! in very small pieces between
P. Yes the truth
; is, that the the fibres.
plant itself not only contains P. And this fibrous "lean"
sugar, but ivater, gum, acids, we call flesh: so you may make
green fecula, gluten, and other a rule that the flesh (or tissue)
nutritious things. of your body is formed by the
W. What a number of dif- food which contains azote, and
ferent substances in one vege- that the fat of your body is
table! I will count them 1, formed by the part of your
2, 3, 4, 5 1 Jive .' food which does not contain
P. The most nutritious are azote. Now you may answer
the green fecula and the gluten, your question yourself.
which contain azote Ion. I think I can answer it.
\V. There is that word The food in which there is no
"azote" again! What does it azote, such as sugar and starch,
mean ? oil and fat, are useful to make
P. Well, I will stop to ex- the fat in my body.
plain to you. Azote is the P. And they have some other
quality in food which is neces- use. Although they do not con-
sary for it to sustain life; and tain azote, they contain another
the food containing azote forms gas. called carbon ; and this
new blood and new flesh in gas is required to supply the
your body. heat in your body.
j
Ion. Then I suppose that all L. Ah, I have often heard
food contains azote. of heating food !

P. Not There are some

all. P. Yes. I cannot stop now
articles of food in which it is to tell you how the heat is
not found; therefore they do formed, because the subject
not form new flesh. The sugar does not belong to our lesson,
of the sugar-cane does not nor but you shall hear that some
does starch oil does not. other day. I will only tell you at
Ion. Then, papa, what is the present, that unless you had
use of eating them? plenty of food containing sugar,
P. Yon may easily see. If oil, and the other substances
you notice the meat from an which supply carbon, your body
ox or a sheep, you will per- would not feel warm.
ceive that there are two parts L. But, how is it, papa, that
the lean and the fat. the sugar will sustain the little
W. Yes, sometimes there are children in other countries, and
roiind masses of fat and some- will not make flesh in us, or
;

times the fat is in streaks. keep us alive?

P. And you will also find it P. Because they feed on
in much smaller quantities sugar-cane, which contains all
intermixed with the particles the substances 1 mentioned but ;

of the lean. in extracting the sugar from the

67
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. SUGAR.

cane, the green fecula and the ontain so much sugar, that it

gluten are removed. s not necessary to add more.

Ion. Ah ! and you said, papa, iVben hung up and expo-vl to
that they are the qualities which he heat of a bright sun, they
contain the azote. And it is Iry and are preserved by the
the azote that sustains lite. iiigar within them.
W. Are you sure, papa, that L. I know those fruits, papa;
we could not live on sugar? ou mean the tigs, raisin-, and
P. Yes, the experiment has he little dried grocers' currants.
been tried on dogs who were P. You may now make np
fed on brown sugar and water vour sixth lesson on the tour
for some weeks. The conse- micles of food we have lately
quence was that they died. talked about.
Before we leave the subject
of sugar I must correct one Lesson 6. ARTICLES OF FOOD
mistake you have made, in say-
(Tropical Climates).
ing that it does not contain any
azote. The coarse, very brown TEA, COFFEE, COCOA,
sugar which is sold for three- AND SUGAR.
pence per pound, is more nu-
tritious than the white or clayed TEA. (Qualities.) Tea is a
sugars which have been very li'/lit. dry, s/i ririllul. cris/i, }nd-
much refined. The more the n ruftli; black or yrnn rt>/<tn/i/e
It is a natural pro-
sugar is refined the less azote
iii/islance.

it contains; thus the sugar used dni'tinii. l/nt is imported in an

by the poorer classes isu better arlijirial atatt . J/t its i

article than that used by the is

stimulatiny, rtfrt shiny, and
rich. njchilnnitiny.
II '. You have not told us The tea produces those effects
of the
conservative its action the tu //< .>, lie-
anything tifum
iisi- it I'liiit'inis <i ele-
quality in vegetables. jif-rn/iiir
/ There will not be time to
'.
ii,, tit vulii il i H i. IM .. 7/i/v 7'lnine

talk on that subject now; but 1 is snid tn assist in f'onniii'! bile,

will just mention an interest in;. ii nd t /ins to In !/i diijvstion. Tea,

fact which you may perhap;> it is suiil, has bven titnrh
li.ivi- noticed. i
tries where, vegetable food

You have, seen fruits pre- is i uti as suclifood is In

,

served in sugar, and have seen dii/ist thuu animal subst<-

currants and raspberries pre- (Natural History.) 'I'm is
served in the form of jam. Ho the leaf of a shrub grou in;/ in
ilo those fruits taste before the} rniiiitiiis initsiili thr
Trupi s.aini
an- ripe? particularly in China and India.
I'm. They are rather sweet, 'J'/n
IIJH
1-atitinx
iifjiickini/. drying,
but they have a sour taste also mill flruiiiny art's
rnlliiiij. of tin It

/'. And thus the cook i are perffrmnl u'itlt nrmt nut-,

oMigcd add more sugar ti

to and ri'jiiii-i'
tnurh *////. /

preserve them. Hut there an if

unlit i/ of the h-aves d#/>fn</s on
some fruits which in thcmseh es tin ir ii'/c, and the aye of t.

68
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEA, COFFEE, COCOA, AND SUGAR.

it also depends on the situation and L. I think, papa, that we

soil in ichich the plant is
grown, must have heard of all the ar-
and on the time of picking. There ticles of food in the Tropical
are three picking seasons in the counl.ries. You began with the
year ; the leaves of the first pick- seeds of the corn plants, such as
ing are the best. The two prin- RICE and MAIZE then we heard
;

cipal sorts of tea are the BLACK of food from the pith and roots
TEA, (Hid the GREEN TEA. of plants, such as SAGO, AR-
( History. ) Tea was intro- ROW-ROOT, TAPIOCA, and YAM ;

duced into England at nearly the we then learned of the spices

same period as Coffee, about two
hundred years ago.
COFFEE. (Qualities.) Coffee
much resembles tea in its qualities
and effects; but it is less hurtful.
Its stimulating quality is similar
to THEINE, and is called CAF-
FEINE.
Its history, &c., have been else-
where described. It is often much
adulterated by chicory,
bread, Sfc.
COCOA. Cocoa has also been
GINGER, NUTMEG, MACE, PEP-
PER, CINNAMON, ALLSPICE, and
CLOVES; and lastly, we have
heard of TEA, COFFEE, COCOA,
and SUGAR. What can come
next?
P. Several important fruits,
which you may see either in
the Great Exhibition, or the
grocer's shop whichever you
burnt please. Canyourememberany?
W. Yes. I have seen DATES,
COCOA-N UTS, POMEGRANATES ;

and I have heard of BREAD-

previously described. Its nutri-
tious and refreshing quality is so FRUIT, PLANTAIN, and one or
two more, but those I have not
excellent, that it is called THEO-
BROMIXE (from two Greek yet seen.
P. Then we make a
will
words, meaning "food for a
short description of them, that
god"}.
SUGAR isanother useful article you may be able to see them
with your mind's eye.
It is very refreshing ;
of food.
but like tea, coffee, and cocoa,
We will begin with

it is not
sufficiently nutritious to
sustain life, because it does not 18. THE COCOA-NUT.
contain much ''azote." Its con-
This fruit is one which you
servative quality renders it very
well know. Its shape and
useful, especially in
preserving
qualities, therefore, I need
fruits, just as SALT is useful in It grows in
hardly describe.
preserving animal food. and SUMATRA.
W. And that is the end of CEYLON, JAVA,
W. Where the Sago palm is
the lesson! Vinegar, papa, is found.
used to preserve other vegetable
P. Yes; and it is also found
substances, such as pickles; further east. Sail in a ship
and fish, as pickled salmon, &c.
past the Spice Islands, and you
Spirits, too, preserve both ani-
mal and vegetable substances. may reach the islands of the
South Seas.
Ion. I can read on the map,
69
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE COCOA-M I.

"
papa, Society Isles, Friendly P. True; but, sometimes,
Islands, &c." All the islands when our friend the Cocoa-nut
round about here are together palm begins to grow, he docs
"
called Polynesia." not stop until he has reached
P. However important the the height of seventy or even
pith of the Sago palm may be, ninety feet! Then, having
it is not so valuable as the reached a commanding posi-
fruit of the Cocoa-nut palm. tion, from which he can over-
This fruit has been called "the look all nature around him, he
most important produce of the is satisfied.

tropics." Amongst the Poly- Ion. I have no idea as to how

nesians it has been called with high ninety !-

emphasis "the tree of lite," for P. Ninety feet is twice as

its uses are even more nume- high as a house, if you can un-
rous that that of the sago, or derstand how high that must be.
even of the Bread-fruit tree. What an immense creature it
another famous tree of the must be, for a man to look up
tropics. to! Do you know how long :;

L. I wish, papa, that you .-pace five, feet is?

would describe the Cocoa-nut L. I do, papa. Our uncle is
tree to us. only live feet high.
P. I will do so with pleasure, /-*. Then you can imagine
as far as I can. There i> no how must be the Icnris of
large
family of trees which have the Cocoa-nut tree some are
caused so much wonder and as long us TIIIJKK t NCI.KS placed
admiration as the Palms. They r on the ground in a
are one of the most ancient straight line that is to say, fif-

families, as you know, because teen feet long. Only a few are
you heard of them in the Geo- quite 80 large, but the length of
{agjr lessons of PLEASANT many is twelve or fourteen feet.
PAGES. H. What enormous leaves
li~. I remember
Oh, yes! they must have! I should not

that the palm trees grow before, like to carry home a caterpillar
man was made, when the air on a cocoa-nut leaf. I wonder
was so full of carbonic acid: how large the caterpillars are!
and I remember how great P. Never mind that subject;
forests of them were sunk to think of the .-tupciidous nve !

be made into coal. These magnificent leaves grow

lint the most interesting at the top of the trunk, and
of their character arc branch out from the centre; and
their gigantic xizc, their hand- in the distance the trunk looks

appearance, and piv>cnt

s'.iii.- like some vegetable; (Joliath. or
uefelneM. Indian chief, with an enormous
Let us think of the size of a tut'l of vegetable plumes, worn
Palm tree. to shade his noble brow from
/.. You told us, papa, that the. glare of the burning sun.

the sago palm was tliirty feet Kach slowly-waving leaf looks
high. like an overgrown o.-trich
70
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE COCOA-NUT.

feather. It is said of this tree, from its meat embalms the

that " asserting its supremacy
by an erect and lofty bearing,
it
may be said to compare with
other trees, as man with inferior
bodies of the dead.
" The noble trunk itself is
far
from being valueless. Sawn into
posts,it upholds the islander's

creatures." dwelling; converted into char-

W. Yes, it is all very well coal, it cooks his food; and
for a tree to be so fine and or- supported on blocks of stone,
namental, but is it more useful rails in his lands. He impels
than the others? Those who his canoe through the water
"
have a " lofty bearing are not with a paddle of the wood, and
always the most useful at least goes to battle with clubs and
we found it so in the animal spears of the same hard mate-
kingdom. rial.
" The fruitfulness of the tree
P. After all I have said, its
numerous uses are more striking is remarkable. As long as it
still.To give you a just idea lives, it bears and without in-
;

of worth, I will read you an

its termission. Two hundred nuts,
account written by a gentleman besides innumerable white blos-
who observed it very minutely.* soms of others, may be seen
" The
blessings it confers are upon it at one time though a ;

incalculable. Year after year whole year is required to bring

the islander reposes beneath its any one of them to the germi-
shade, both eating and drinking nating point.
" The tree
of its fruit; he thatches his hut delights in a sea-
with its boughs, and weaves side situation. In its greatest
them into baskets to cany his perfection, it is perhaps found
food ; he cools himself with a right on the sea-shore, where its
fan platted from the young roots are actually washed. But
leaflets, and shields his head such instances are only met with
from the sun by a bonnet of the upon islands where the swell of
leaves; sometimes he clothes the sea is prevented from break-
himself with the cloth-like sub- ing on the beach by a reef. No
stance which wraps round the saline flavour is perceptible in
base of the stalks. The larger the nuts produced in such a
nuts, thinned and polished, fur- place. It does not flourish
nish him with a beautiful gob- inland ; and I have frequently
let ; the smaller ones with bowls observed that when met with
for his pipes ; the dry husks far up the valleys, its tall stem,
kindle his fires their fibi'es are
;
inclines seawards, as if pining
twisted into fishing-lines and after a more genial region.
cords for his canoes; he heals " The finest orchards of
co-
his wounds with a balsam com- coa-palms I know, and the only
pounded from the juice of the plantation of them I ever saw
nut and with the oil extracted
;
at the islands, is one that stands
right upon the southern shore
* Melville's Adventures in the of Papeetoe Bay.
South Seas. " At
noondaythis grove is
71
 ARTICLES OP FOOD. THE DATE.

one of the most beautiful, se- very little expense, being n.-e-
" as
rene, bewitching places that ever ful wedges between the
was seen. High overhead are tubs, and other round packages
ranges of green rustling arches, in the cargo of vessels."

through which the sun's rays L. Then they are like the
come down to you in sparkles. cargo rice.,
You seem to be wandering P. You may remember, lastly,
through illimitable halls of if you like, that the trunk re-

pillars; everywhere you catch sembles that of the Sago palm,

glimpses of stately aisles inter- in yielding (from the pith) a
secting each other at all points. quantity of good starchy matter
A strange silence, too, reigns far for food; while from the juice
and near; the air flashed with of the stem a kind of palm-inne
the mellow stillness of a sunset. is procured; it also yields a
"But after the long morn- coarse, dark-coloured sugar,
ing calms, the sea-breeze and an intoxicating spirit.
comes in, and creeping over Which fruit shall we talk of
the tops of these thousand next?
trees, they nod their plumes. /on. Please tell us about the
Soon the breeze freshens: and Dates, papa.
you hear the branches brushing P. Very well.
against each other, and the
flexible trunks begin to sway. 19. THE DATE.
Towards evening, the whole
grove is rocking to and fro, and We must not give much time
the traveller on the Broom to this fruit, although it is a
Koad is startled by the frequent truly valuable one, because the
fallings of the nuts, snapped Date palm is not strictly a
from their brittle stems. They tropical tree, as the others are.
come flying through the air, This tree and the Dwarf-pfdm
ringing like juggler's ball>: ami are the most northern of the
often bound along the ground Palm family. Dates are found
Cor many rods." in Egypt and the North of
P. I need scarcely add any- Africa, and in more northern
thing to such a nice account as climates. By far the finest
that. I will only say, therefore, dates are, however, found in
that the fruit is called "Cocoa- Persia.
"
nut from the Portuguese word In Palestine, also, the dnte
ina'oro," a monkey, which is well known ; and it is often
'

name was givm to it beeaiiM- mentioned in the Scriptures.

the three Mark spots at the rml In the hot sandy deserts, also,
of the shell have an expression they liordcr the rivers, and their
something like that inlcn--tiii;_ fruit is most refreshing to the
r

animal's countenance. tire<l traveller.

I may also add, that these These trees by the side of the
nuts grow in Im/trlien of from rivers and wells arc suppu.M/d
five to fifteen, and that they to have sprung up from date-
arc brought over to England at stones, which have been thrown
72
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE BANANA.

away by travellers who have are laden with fruit, and to dig
stopped for water and for rest. round the roots.
All gross and putrid matters W. Don't you think it would
are unfavourable to the growth be a good thing if we had such
of the young plant. The Arabs a tree growing in our country?
are very careful of all the young how much trouble it would
trees they find growing, there- save !
fore they surround the root of P. I hardly like to answer
the plant with salt and ashes, that question. I have read that
so as to assist its growth and the natives of those countries
strength. where the Banana grows, do
not find it necessary to labour,
20. THE BANANA and thus they become idle. It
is said that the native sits in his
(OR PLANTAIN).
cabin, gathering the fruits of
The most striking thing his little patch of bananas,
about wonder-
this fruit, is the no greater luxuries,
asking
ful quantity which the trees having no higher aim
and
yield. We will go into that than to eat and sleep. It is also
matter at once. The celebrated said that in the New Continent
philosopher, M. Humboldt, cal- civilization first began on the
culated that the same space of mountains, where the soil is
ground which would yield 100 less fertile and the climate is
Ibs. of potatoes, would
yield colder, and where "necessity
4,400 Ibs. of plantain. awakens industry."
W. That is forty-four times W. But I do not think snch
as much ! a hard-working tree as the
P. At the same time he cal- Banana could make the En-
culated that where you could glish people lazy, for industry
grow 100 Ibs. of whe'at, 13.300 is awake here !

Ibs. of Bananaswouldbe Ion. Yes; look at the EXHI-

yielded.
W, And that is one hundred
and thirty three times as much.
Ion. How large is the fruit,
papa?
L. It is about an inch in
diameter, and eight or nine
inches long; when ripe, it is yel-
low, and filled with a sweet, lus-
BITION OF INDUSTRY. I don't
think that industry can ever go
to sleep again in our country.
Think of the great engine-fires
which roar and burn all night,
and of the industrious classes,
the machines, which work all
night !

cious-tasting pulp. It is said that L. Yon must not call the

when the fruit has ripened, and machines " the industrious
the stalk is cut, a new sprout classes." If you go to the Ex-
springs forth which bears fruit hibition, you will see that they
again in three months. Thus, it are the classes 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
seems that there is very little section II. !

trouble in the cultivation of the P. How often you children

Banana; the natives merely do run away from your subject !

have to cut the stalks, which We were talking about the

73
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE BREAD-FRUIT TUBE.

Banana. I should tell you that is

very much like a piece of
there are many sorts of Ba- dried biscuit; while some say
nanas; as many varieties as that if mixed with lime or
j
there are of apples and pears orange juice it tastes like
in this country. Sometimes apple-sauce.
they are eaten instead of bread. M". The best way to judge
sometimes they are fried in would be to taste it ourseh es.
3
butter, and powdered over with I . On the whole, the plant
fine sugar; sometimes they are must be very useful, for in
eaten raw as fruit. The tree some places it is in season liijht.
months in the year; and it was
grows best in a rich fat soil. In
sandy places it produces plenty at one time said to be the most
of flowers, but no fruit. useful vegetable in the world.
We will next speak of a tree This, however, is by no means
which is almost as valuable. the case; it is not so valuable
as the plantain. When the
21. THE BREAD-FRUIT public had so high an opinion
TREE. of its good qualities, a ship
called the Bounty was fitted up
This tree is found chiefly in to transplant a number from
the Society Isles, and the other Otaheite to the West Indies.
Isles of the South Seas. It was returning with a cargo

You may see in the Exhibi- of 1,015 plants cart-fully secured

tion a beautiful picture of its in boxes, tubs, and pots, when
fruit, and that of the Jack- a mutiny broke out amongst the
fruit, which is very similar. It crew, who seized the ship for
is said that they grow on the
themselves, and turned the
boughs like apples, and are as captain, and other officers,
big as a large penny loaf, or, as adrift on the ocean. You have,
some say, " about the size of a I dare say. read of the Mutiny
child's head." They arc really of the iJiiuiilij, ami of Captain
the fleshy coverings of the seeds BlighJ
or nuts. I.. I have heard, papa, of a
W. Are they like the cover- tree called the Cow Trt>
ings of the walnuts ami the yon tell us anything about it ?

nutmegs, papa? P. Yes. We will include it

/'. Yes, except that thev in our list.
contain a great deal more fh-'h
or pulp. This pulp must be 22. THE COW TREK.
eaten when new, for if it be
kept above twenty-four hours, I think I cannot do better
it becomes too stale, having than give you the account of this
:

a harsh choky taste. Some tree, which has been written bv

compare its flavour to that <>!' Ilmnboldt. He sa\s in one of

a roasted potato; <>th hi- books of travels:
that when baked it is like the "Among the many curious
soft, lewder, and white crumb phenomena, which pr>
of new bread; others, that it C8 to in,- in the course
74
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE COW TREE, THE BANIAN TREE.

of my travels, I confess there 23. THE BANIAN TREE.

were few by which my imagi-
nation was so powerfully af- This is one of the many kinds

fected as by the cow tree. On of Jiff trees. After the trunk has
the parched side of a rock on grown to a great height, it sends
the mountains of Venezuela out its branches in a horizontal
grows a tree with dry and lea- direction to the length of about
thery foliage, its large woody twelve feet. These branches
roots scarcely penetrating into then shoot downwards to the
the ground. For several months earth, and there take root; and
in the year its leaves are not when they have become strong
moistened by a, shower; its enough, they grow on ward again
branches look as if they were horizontally, and shoot down-
dead and withered; but when wards as before, until the tree
the trunk is bored, a bland is like a great tent supported by
and nourishing milk flows from so many columns. Some of
it. It is at sunrise that the these trees grow to an immense
veget ible fountain flows most
(
size, and are more like groves
freely. At that time, the blacks than single plants. In an ac-
and natives are seen coming count of a large Banian tree,
from all parts, provided with it is said that the space it
large bowls to receive the covered measured 1,700 square
milk, which grows yellow and yards. How beautiful must the
thickens at its surface. Some cool shelter of such an extensive
empty their vessels on the spot, tree be to the Indian, and his
while others carry them to their herds and flocks! In the East
children. One imagines he Indies it is held sacred.
sees the family of a shepherd W. I think, papa, that such
who is distributing the milk of a tree would have made a
his flock. splendid appearance in the
" It
is named the polo de vaco, Exhibition.
or cow tree, and has oblong P. The fruit of the Banian
pointed leaves, with a somewhat tree is not much larger than a
fleshy fruit, containing one nut hazel, but it is very pleasant.
or sometimes two. The thick This is the last tree we will
glutinous milky fluid which mention in our long account
issues from the trunk has an of the articles of THE VEGE-
agreeable smell. When exposed TABLE FOOD IN TROPICAL COUN-
to the air, this juice presents on TRIES. There are yet a vast
its surface a yellowish cheesy number of fruits which might

substance, in layers, which are aft'ord interesting lessons, such

elastic, and in five or six days as the Pine Apple, and the
become sour, and afterwards
Pomegranate, Mangoe, Citron,
putrefy." Orange, and Tamarind trees.
There is one more tree worth There are also many more
mentioning. Its name you fruits produced from the va-
have perhaps heard before; it rious members of the palm
is called family.
75
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE LENTIL.

Although we shall not notice You read that he was making

any more of the tropical trees, from some lentils a mess of red
there is one plant to which we pottage, and that he sold this
will turn our attention before mess (perhaps the first he had

making the next lesson. In- ever made) for a very great
deed, it will be necessary to price. He sold it to a hungry
make our list complete, because brother of his for his birthright.
it belongs to an important class. W. Oh, you mean Jacob,
papa!
24. THE LENTIL. P. That is the man and you ;

may remember from the pottage

A
specimen of the Lentil may being red, that there arc two
be seen in the South Gallery of kinds of lentils. The red lentil
the Exhibition. It is numbered obtains its colour from the red
103, and has been sent by M. soil in which it is grown; it is
GUILLEREZ, of Edinburgh, who supposed that it was new in
cultivated it in the neighbour- Palestine in Esau's time, be-
hood of that city. cause, when Esau saw it, he
W. But, is not the lentil a could only ask his brother to
tropical plant? give him some of "that red"
P. one of those plants
It is Ion. Ah, he did not know
which be cultivated in
may what to call it!
the temperate as well as the W. But, papa, Egypt and
tropical climates. At the pre- Palestine are not tropical coun-
sent day, it is an important tries I can see that on the map.
article of food in Hindostan (or P. True. And. on the whole,
East Indies), which is a tropical the lentil is not much used in
country it has always been
;
the tropics; but we will mention
much eaten by the working it now, been use it
represents an
classes in Egypt and Palestine. important class of foods. This
You may suppose from its class is said to inhabit "the
being used in Palestine that it coldest and lioilc-t. the drycst
would be mentioned in Scrip- and dampest parts of the world."
ture.* We read in the Bible I will describe the lentil,
of the time when it was first and you shall tell me whether
introduced and brought into use you have seen many similar
in Palestine. plants. In us appearance it is
L. I don't think I have ever something like Ihe tare or the
read it. pea, and like those plants it lias
P. Yes, you have. You have seeds which grow in a pod these ;

read of the careful man who seeds are boiled just as we boil
liked to stop at home in his peas, and form a soft mn-s ex-
father's tents, and who uced to actly like "peas pudding,"
take an interest in the cooking, which you have doubtless
and other domestic afi'airs. tasted. This was the kind of
mess which I dare say tempted
Gen. TXT. 2 Bam. ii. 34 XT. Esau. Now, will you think of
; ;

28, xxiii. 11; Ezekiel iv. 9. all the plants you know, and
76
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE LENTIL.

tell me if you remember any ontain" azote," and does notform

which are like the lentil? flesh.
L. You mentioned the pea, GLUTEN (found in the corn-
papa, and the tare. plants), which does contain
W. Beans, perhaps, are a "
azote," and forms fiesh (or
part of the class the broad fibre).
beans and scarlet runners. LEGUMEN (found in the legu-
Ion. Do lupins belong to the minous plants'), which does contain
same class? "azote" and forms Jlesh (or
P. Yes; or rather to the fibre}.
same order. In this order are P. But I must add once more,
not only lentils, peas, beans, that the nutritious leguminous
and lupins, but clover, trefoil, plants abound more in the tem-
indigo, liquorice, and many perate than in the tropical cli-
other plants some grow to mates.
;

the size of large trees. The You may now make up the
Tamarind tree belongs to this seventh lesson.
order.
L. But you have not given Lesson 7. ARTICLES OF FOOD
us the name of the order, papa! (Tropical Climates).
P. They are called the Legu-
minous plants. They are more THE COCOA-NUT, DATE,
useful and nutritious as food AND BANANA PALMS;
than sugar, because they con- THE BREAD FRUIT, -
tain azote.
BANIAN, AND CO W
W. Then I suppose that they
form the fibre, of our bodies? TREES.
P. Yes: these vegetables The COCOA-NUT PALM is dis-
would sustain life where the tinguished as being the most noble,
others, containing only starch, and yet the most useful of trees:
would not. You see now why it is also remarkable
for its gigan-
I have noticed the lentil. tic size. It is useful for fo'ad,
Ion. Yes, because it is a legu- for fuel, for clothing, for dwell-
minous plant, and contains ings and furniture ; for making
azote. I suppose that the corn- canoes, paddles, and all kinds of
plants^ too, must contain azote, implements. It grows in SUMA-
because bread will keep us TRA, JAVA, the Spice Islands, and
alive. the South Sea Islands.
P. That is the case. That The DATE PALM is another
part of the CORN PLANTS which good tree of this useful family.
contains azote, we call gluten; It grows in more northern
and the part of the LEGUMINOUS climates than the other palms.
PLANTS which contains azote, As it grows in Palestine, its
we call legumen. fruit is mentioned in the Scrip-
Ion. So we have learned of tures. It is much valued by the
three nutritious qualities in traveller in the desert, and the

vegetables. young plants are carefully pre-

STAECH, &c., winch does not served. The tree is generally
77
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.

found near the bank of some the Script ii 1-,-s. mid ;/( r.

river. /
thkuteryofJacob nd /-.'///.

The BANANA (or Plantain) is There arc tiro //'////.> ///' A ////'/

a smaller palm than the o///<rx, the red lentil and aimtinr. The
but is, par/Mpt, tin', mast /iiitritimis /iri'pri-ti/ in !

able in
promising fond. With I/7//V7; sn.ttiiins life,
is called
" minif
tji-nrcr/i/ iiitif trouble, in ciiltii-u- Ii //."

tiii'/ it, tin I ndinn and hia wlmlf. Besides these /;..<'

family will depend mi tlif p/nn- trees, there are muni/ others ir/n'ch
t tin
'
tree for their subsistence. bring forth //<// fruits, such us the

44,000 His. of litnunias do not I'm-:- -.rri.i-: I'I.AM tin I'OMI:- :

require more soil than 100 Ibs. of <;I:AXATK, MANGOE, CITRON,

potatoes. and TAMARIND trees; ;
.

The BREAD-FRUIT TREK is trliich are (/rurinns/i/ /

not so large as the former /UK/ is by the Creator to nourish, ami, ;

not a palm. In its appearance mid n fresh those wham // Ims

it is si tine
thing like an apple tree, appovuttd to live under the burn-
11,, 'I In its size it is
equal to a ing heat oft/ie tropics.
i;id <ui(-. Tin' fruits nt
a distance are much like Inn/? W. Before you begin to tell
apples, but on ex<nninini/ t/n-ni us about the animal >ul>-t;mces
closely, tlifi/ (in- found to have a used as f><><i. I should like to
tli i<-L roi/i/h rind. The JACK know. ]>;i]>:i. whether all these
FlM'IT lif/n/n/s tn //IP siinir fa HI ill/. thin^ are really the Kxhi- /'//

Tin- tnste of both in some/// ////////.-< hition.

tfnit of' new bread or potrtt"!*, l/nl /'. have. I think, seen all
I

it nirii'S
very much, <i<-<-<irdin<i t<> except the Bananas and the
uner of coo/.-//*//. 'J'lu-si- Uread-l'rnit. Some which can-
trees abound in the South Sea not be found in the department
Jslnnds. of the country in which they
The Cow TREE is a pi-i-nlinr n. may Ke seen in the
.-.

'.id in S< iii lit Ann rim. mid .So///// f

////A-/;//.
There yon may
which .-< tin- ct
, /.>-. '/'/n' irliiti juice only specimen
fi'iirs fmiii tin- In/iil.-, has tin' nn- wliich I c<>uld tind. There are
t, -it inns /in-/n rtii's
if milk,
i and is al>o specimens of f///Vo/-_// (No.
/>!/
>/n- nn/ives. 144) in all it< stages, trom the
I ', \\I\S TllF.K, /7/ /'/// kiln-dried root to the ground
- ///< A'-/-./ /iidii-s, is a Jit/- dust lit tor use." There are
tree of HH'St pn-idiiir ylin/M mid some leaves of a tree (No. 142)
iHummus si-r. It Ims In which arc said to contain n
pan -/ t-i a /I'li/i/
ti
in/ili .
siippurtfd quality very much like the'

in/ iniini i-iiiis natural pillars. / 'Ahieh we talked ahont :

The Ll.STII. is (t /ri/initi/i'iiis and I

suppose we shall

plant sotni't/iiii'/ ///.' tin- / '/. // is one day try to sec if we like
i
i nt, iil,i/tl,rlnl,niir- them a- much as tea. Another
i,,ii<'/iixsi-siii iinli'i. It a Ixo grows cnrio>itv is a small lout' ot'

in /'''/if/it
"ad I'nh ^tiin : il i*. sn-jar ( No. 14'.l ),
which ha^ Inen
.

i',-i i/ni ullij

an iitinin d in made I'rom su^.ir-citne.s <rrown
'78
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. PRESERVED MEATS.

in England! They were culti- W. That is 27 years ago.

vatedin the county of Surrey. P. And this has been pre-
And, lastly, there are (No. 143) served without salt, or any other
samples of tea from Assam, conservative substance; yet af-
which I told you is a British ter twenty-seven years it is fit
This fact is testified
colony in India. This tea is for food.
still, I find, a favourite
article by CAPTAIN SIR JOHN Itoss,
;

for in the Catalogue it is said who in the year 1833 found it

to sell for high prices, because in Fury Beach, a place in the
of its fine qualities. It is pre- most northern part of North
pared entirely by natives of America.
The canisters had
India. been prepared for the ship Fury,
W. So that it is purely Indian when it was sent on an Arctic
tea. Now for the animal foods Expedition
! the ; ship was
wrecked, and thus the canister
of food was washed on the
CHAPTER ELEVENTH. beach.
The name of the Exhibitor
RAW MATERIALS, ANIMAL SUB- who prepared it, is Mr. J. H.
STANCES USED AS FOOD. GAMBLE, 33, Eoyal Exchange.
W. Then, when I want to go
(Tropical Countries?) on an Arctic expedition, or to
P. In the hot countries ani- a tropical country, I will ask
mal food is not eaten so largely Mr. Gamble to prepare some
as in the temperate and colder mutton for me!
climates. Animal food is more Besides Mr. Gamble's canis-
stimulating than that from vege- ter, there are others, sent by
tables;
and neither stimulating Messrs. DONKIN, HALL, and
food nor stimulating drinks GAMBLE, of Bermondsey.
should be much used in such One canister contains fresh
climates. We therefore shall mutton and vegetables, which
not find in the Exhibition were preserved in the year
many specimens of such food to 1813,
nearly forty years ago.
engage our attention. There
are also preserved
W. When we were in the hams for use in India, China,
Exhibition, papa, you showed and the tropics.
us some specimens of preserved Other canisters contain pre-
meats for food in warm cli- served fresh mutton, veal, beef,
mates. fresh salmon, and other fish ;
real turtle soup, ox-tail soup,
25. PKESERVED MEATS. and others.
There are specimens of green
P. Yes ; suppose we begin fat, preserved for making turtle-
with them. soup, and all kinds of soup for
In the South Gallery (No. 12) emigrants, and troops at sea.
is a canister, containing boiled
Pheasants, too, and partridges
mutton, which was preserved in are preserved; and indeed all
1824. How long ago is that? kinds of things, which, as we
79
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. PRESERVED MEAT.

read at the end of the

list, will of the oxygen gas in the air.
keep in any climate, and for When we speak of meat <!<-
any length of time! OMtfOiUy^ we mean that its par-
Ion. I should like very ranch ticles separate and change.
to know how it is done; I This is because the gases of
thought that salt and spirits which the meat consists unite
were the only things that would with the gas oxygen, and form
preserve meat. What substance new substances. But suppose
is used to preserve it? that there is no oxygen for the
P. Not any. You shall hear gases of the meat to unite with?
the account which is given of W. Then the meat cannot
the way in which it is done. change cannot decompose, I
The first part of the process should say.
is to cook the meat /*/</; Ion. And it must remain as
it is then shut up in the tin it is for ever and ever, until
canister with a little juice of some oxygen comes to it.
the meat, and the cover of the P. I should tell you that it
canister, which has a small hole is impossible to drive out every
in it. is soldered on. The tin minute parlicle of (his gas. I
canisier is then placed in a bath will therefore read to you what
of hot salt water heated above is said of the remaining oxygen ;

boiling heat; but is only im- it is said that the "minute

mersed partly, the top not being portion ol' oxygen still remain-
under water. ing in ihe tins, enters into
W. I suppose that is to combination with the animal
prevent the water from getting matter, at the iiutncxl t<m]nr<i-
in at the hole. lure" (that is, at the boiling
P. That one reason; but heat), "thus fun her change is
is
the hole was made for a dinercm prevented."
purpose; it uas made flint the It is very easy, then, for you
air inside might get out. When to understand the principle
the canister has been in tin- the object is to remove crery-
water some time, the meat and t/iiny from the case except the
the meat juice inside begin to meat; when the space is so
steam, and thus all lie air in the periecily "empty" that not
t

rani-KT is expelled. As soon even the thin atmosphere re-

as it appears that every pa: tide mains, then we call such a space
of air lias been thus driven out. RvacuiuH. Thus we read in the
a damp sponge is
placed <|iiick- hook that u tin' i-iirriiiiii must lie.
|
ly on the hole, and it is tlieu <-(iin/,/,t,
tu render the preserva-
stopped up and made air-tight tion of i he lood successful."
with a little, solder. II'. There is one thing I have

L. I can understand that, been thinking about, papa.

papa, but I cannot see how the How do the people, know that
driving out of the air can pre- the vacuum is complete? there
serve tlie meal. might be a little o:;ygcn left,
/'. You will soon see how and the meat might lie putrefy-
that i<. I have oi'teu told von ing without their knowing it,
80
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. CONCENTRATED FOODS.

when "
I
for they can't see inside, parent, and is called liquor
the hole is stopped up. sanguinis," which is the Latin
P. The putrefaction would for the liquor of the blood; it
soon be discovered: the water consists of water, and other
and gases which the meat more important substances,
would form, when decomposing, from which new flesh is made.
would burst the tins. So, we I will mention one of these
find that after the tins have substances to you. If some
been sealed they are placed blood just drawn from an
in the testing-room, and made animal be left at rest, it will
very hot. If the meat in any <-<nii]ijliite; that is, apart of it
of the cases has begun to de- will become thick and solid,
compose, the heat hastens the forming what we call clot.
decomposition, and the gases When it is thus left of itself
thus generated burst the tins at to form clot, it does not sepa-
once. rate into the two distinct parts
In the same gallery may be I have just mentioned. The
seen some specimens of con- red clot is more than the pure
" blood
centrated food, which we will discs," for it consists of
talk about. the whole of the " blood discs"
entangled with a sulixtance
26. CONCENTRATED drawn from the " liquor san-
FOODS. guinis." Thissubstance from
the sanguinis is called
liquor
What "
Ion. is concenti'ated fibrin," because as it becomes
food, papa? cold it forms strings, or fibres,
P. It is food in which all the and it is the substance from
nutritious quality has been which the fibre or tissue of our
brought into a small compass. body is made.
The firstspecimen we shall W. Do you mean by the
notice isNo. 16. fibre of our bodies the jlesh,
This is " Concentrated food which we call "lean"?
prepared from the blood of P. Yes. That is the sub-
cattle." Perhaps you have stance. Fibrin is flesh which
never examined your blood, but has not yet become solid. By
you are at all events aware some people it is called " liquid
that it is red in colour, and so flesh." If you were to examine
is that of all Vertebrated Ani- a piece of clot, you would easily
mals. see that the red " blood discs"
This blood consists of two are in the midst of the " fibrin,"
principal parts which may be but do not mix up with it. It
easily separated. 1st, the colour- is
very easy to prevent the blood
ing matter ; this composed of from becoming clotted.
is Go
a number of very minute red and ask the butcher, and he
particles, of a circular shape, will show you When I was a !

which are called "blood discs." boy, a butcher once showed me.
2ndly, the fluid in which they He had a pailful of fresh warm
float; this is white and trans- blood, and taking a stick in his
81
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. CONCENTRATED FOODS.

hand, he stirred the blood round P. Yes. That is the very point
quickly. I soon saw that the I wanted to lead you to. Of
stick appeared to become lar- o>ur.-e you remember what I
ger anl thicker, and when he said to you of the food contain-
took it out, it was surrounded
by a stringy substance. This J"ii. I remember it, papa.
was the.w7i/v', which he had thus And 1 remember now. yon .-aid
easily drawn out from the blood. that only the food with azote
Now,you like to think and
if in it would form flesh. Thus
answer me an easy question. I we may say the food with
will tell you something eKe. azote forms albumen, the albu-
Question When the butcher men formsyiVw-j/i, and the nbrin
took that fibrin out of the forms//' *h.
blood, what was left? the food with azoteP. How
/-. I forms albumen in the blood, is
can answer that, papn.
1st, The red blood discs; and. a point we must not now enter
lindly. a jHirt of the liquor san- into; I (inly wished toshow you
guinis* that is lie watery part, which part of your blooii
t

without the tibrin. to form newHc-h. Now. when

11 And was there anything you see in the Exhibition " tht
'.

good left in the watery part? roiii-i utrntiil fund from the blind
P. Yes. There were several of cuttle." you may nnder>t;md
"good" substances, one of which which part of the blood is likely
I am
going to talk to you about. to be nutritions.
It'
you were to hold this \\a- Ion. I should like, papa, to
tcry part" in a saucepan over know what is the ii*e of the red
the fire, until it had reached a " blood discs," and of the "other
certain heat, it would separate part of the liquor sangninis."
into two parts, just as milk sepa- /'. This \ou
may hear some
rates into curds and whey. The other day, but it is no part of
part which is like the whey of our present subject. The blood
milkf we cannot now notice, contains a great variety of sub-
but the other part, like the stances fatty substances and
curds (or like the white of an mineral Mil'M.inces. Mich as salt,
may say, for it is almost iron, lime, and phosphorus
the same substance N vcr\ im- . Cor, from our blood, there ia
portant it is called albumen. formed not only tlc-h. but skin
It i- from thi- albumen that or membrane, gristle, bone,
the fibrin is made. You may, mucus, water, milk. bile, gastric
it'
you like, rail the albumen juice, and so on a very great
young fibrin." and liquids.
of solids
/"/(. Yes : the albumen U Jl".
Kcaliy. what a wonder-
"
young fibrin," and the fibrin ful liquid our red blood i>! I

ing iloh.
a;:i not surprised now that
1C. 1 wonder if papa can tell men make concentrated food
us what "young ulbinncn" i>? from it.

I do not
1'. understand how
ilucus. the gentleman who exhibits this
M
 ANIMAL FOOD. THE SHEEP.

food has prepared it. He lives P. I can only give you

at Paris; therefore, if you want short descriptions. But to begin.
to know, you had better write The principal animals which
and ask him. form the food of man in all
At some distance from this climates are those which feed
food there are specimens of young with their own
their
Essence of Milk 139 and 140. milk, and which, you know, are
One is quite solid, for the curd called mammals. Not all mam-
of milk is solid albumen. This mals, however, are usually eaten
cnrd ami the sugar of milk, and for food.
other nutritious substances, are Ion. No, papa; Lions are
preserved by driving off all the not ; neither are Wolves, nor
watery particles in the form of Tigers, nor the other beasts of
vapour; it is said that "in the prey.
absence of a certain quantity of P. The principal animals
water putrefaction cannot pro- which supply food are the
ceed." This milk is useful for hfrbivnrous (or grass-eating)
long sea voyages and hot cli- animals, which chew the cud;
]

mates; when it is only necessary these we call Ruminating Ani-

to put a lump in boiling water mals.
and it produces fresh milk,
which will keep pure for four
(RUMINATING ANIMALS.)
or rive days.
There are also specimens of 27. SHEEP. THE
coffee and cocoa dried with tite
milk, winch must be very con- The SHEEP a ruminating
is
venient. animal, and one of the most
is

In another part (35) is Es- useful; it is found in the tro-

sence of Coffee, which I have pics ;
but does not flourish there
tasted, and find very nice. nearly so well as in temperate
You may remember that we climes. It is the first animal
spoke of the gluten in the we read of as subject to man,
wheat as containing azote, and for the Bible tells us that
There are " Abel was a
being nutritious. keeper of sheep."
specimens of biscuits which In Egypt, which country,
have been rendered very nutri- however, is outside the tropics,
tious by the addition of wheat- there is a breed of sheep with
gluten. enormous tails. It is said that
None of these preserved the tails of some, with the valu-
meats, however, have been sent able wool upon them, weigh ten
from the tropics; they are prin- pounds, while others are said
cipally made for warmer cli- to have tails which weigh 70,
mates. 80, or even 100 pounds, and
are then supported on a piece
Ion. Now, papa, will you tell of wood drawn on wheels. The
US of the animdls, which are sheep of tropical countries
used as food by the tropical mostly live on the high lands,
nations of the Exhibition? where the air is thin and cold.
83
 ANIMAL FOOD. THE ANTELOPE, THE PEER.

Some of our fine Southdown -.

prey to man, and fur-
were once exported to
slid.'])
nish him with food. When the
the West Indies; but in that rain begins to fall, the hordes
warm climate, in the course of return, but their numb,
a \car or two, they lost their much thinned by the attack of
thick woolly fleece, and, instead, man and beast; yet it is said
were covered hy short, crisp, that their numbers whiten or
brownish hair; they also be- speck the country as far as the
came thin and lean. eye can reach. A
traveller who
fell in with a swarm thus re-

(Kl'MINATING ANIMALS.) turning, supposes their number

to have been from 25,000 to
28. THE ANTELOPE. 30,000. In a few day-, the
whole disappear.
The ANTELOPE is another In Asia, antelopes are often
ruminating animal of the tro- hunted with dogs and falcons.
pics. It supplies food for the The falcon flies at the head of
JM-asts of prey as well as for the animal. thu- the bird -tops
man. The head-quarters of itsprogress, and gives time tor
animals is in Africa. the dogs to come up. lu India,
There may be seen vast troops the Antelopes we meet with are
of the sub-family, which we larger, more cluni>y. and have
call the Tnif Antelopes. more of the form of an ox;
The most beautiful of these they are therefore calK-u
is the Spring Buck Antelope-, (or ox-like) Antelopes. One of
(often spelt Spring /,'./). They the largest is called the Nyl
spread themselves over the OkOM,
-. as (lie vast wild
plains
in the interior of that region
(Hi MIXATING ANIMALS.)
are called. But sometimes these
wonderful plains are subject to 29. THK I) HER.
drought; for you have, I dare
say. heard of the dry seasons in The DEER (which, by the
Anica, when there is no rain way, are very different from the
for many weeks. Then, the Antelopes) are not \cry numer-
pn.-turag;- being completely ous in the tropics. The Ante-
dried up. immense multitudes lopes supply their place. The
:!iiiiiuii> lire from the small Mn*li I >i </\ which is
karroo.* in -eareh of food : and. hornless, is found in Southern
a- it is said, "literally inundate India, Ceylon, .lava, Sumatra.
the fertile di.-tricts nearer the &c.; and a larger species i-
Suarms alter sanp- found in the North of Indiaand
! to pav. like \\a\e after in China. They are hunted not
.er the cultivated lands only for their flesh, but for the
of the colon!-:-,
destroying cosily perfume situated in a
their fields and crops, ain'l ail
pouch in the body.
In turn. /.. Are tl.'-re any <

r, they iitford abundant oxen in the tropical countries?

84
 ANIMAL POOD. THE BUFFALO, THE CAMEL AND LLAMA.

P. Yes; the supply of food of buffaloes and bisons are

from the Ox tribe is consider- found in America. When
able. We will mention them America was first discovered,
next. there were no ruminating ani-
mals there except the Llama,
Horses and cattle were, how-
(RUMINATING ANIMALS.)
ever, introduced by the Spani-
30. THE BUFFALO. ards, and now they are found in
immense herds. In some of
The appearance and habits the prairies beyond the tropics,
of the Buffalo are very different have been seen num-
herds
from that of our more genteel bering 20.000 individuals. In
animal, the Cow. In the firstSouth America they are now
place, the Buffalo is a clumsy, so abundant that they are
heavy, lurking animal, although shot merely for the sake of
he is stronger than an Ox. In their, hides, and their carcases
the second place, he is a dirty are left for the birds and beasts
fellow; for during the heat of of prey. The American bison
the day, he will wallow in the is killed merely for its tongue.
thick morasses of India, rolling
in the thick mud, or walking
(RUMINATING ANIMALS.)
j
with only his head above the
muddy water. The Indian 31. THE CAMEL AND
Buffalo is, however, a very LLAMA.
useful animal. I am sure you
will pardon his dirty habits, P. These animals are not
when you know that he will much used as food still we find ;

drag a heavy, wagon-like cart, that in Arabia the Camel sup-

through places where it is chest- plies milk, and is sometimes,
deep in the mud.. Thus he is though very reluctantly, killed
useful in more ways than in for its flesh. The Llama is an
supplying food. The buffalo is animal found in the higher parts
found in other parts of the of the Andes, near Peru and
tropics, such as China, Siam, Chili, inSouth America.
and the Indian Isles. The Whenthe Spaniards invaded
Brahmin Ox is another Indian America, it was the only beast
animal; it is so called be- of burden which the natives
cause it is held sacred by the possessed. It was useful to
Brahmins. It may be known by them not only in carrying goods,
the hump on its back. but in supplying food, just as
The Yak. which you heard of the camel is useful to the
in your Physical Geography Arabians. You might ;ilmost
lessons,* is also an Asiatic ani- call the Llama the Am< rlrnn
mal. camel, for it has cells in its
The Cape Buffalo supplies stomach to carry water, just as
food in Africa; and large herds the camel has; but it labours
in a different sphere, for it
*
PLEASANT PAQES, vol. ii.
p. 237. carries gold and silver from the
 ANIMAL FOOD. THE HOG, BABYROL'SSA, ETC.

mines over mountains, instead tusks; it is found in Java, and

of carrying spices and silks
o%-er the flat sandy de>
lon. That makes three ani-
mals which are useful as beasts
of burden and for food
The Buffalo (of India and
the Molucca Isles. There are
other animals of the hog family
in Africa and America. Wild
Boars of different kinds are
abundant, Indian and Amer'n-an
Tu/tir*, Prrcar'n*. ic. the last
;

the Cape); two are the only pig-like ani-

The Camel (of Arabia) and mals which were found in Ame-
;

The Llama (of South Ame- rica at the time of its discovery.
rica). The largest of all the pig
P. And you may add the family is found in the rivers of
Horse. When we talk of the Africa; it is called the HIPPO-
temperate countries you will POTAMUS. Its flesh is very
hear that horses are eaten by good food, and is much sought
the Tartars; the milk of the after; some parts of the fat are
mare isalso used by them. a great delicacy !

Sheep, too, in the Himalayan

mountains are used as beasts
(NON-BUMINANT ANIMALS.)
of burden, as well as for food.
In tlu- same region is also found 33. VARIOUS SMALL
the Yule, which I told you was MAMMALS. & c .

used for both purposes.

There is no accounting for
There are other animals used As in the tropics there
as food in tropical climates, are all kinds of people, so do
which however are not rumi- they eat "all kinds of things."
nant. In the small order " Kden-
tata" (or toothless animals) is
an animal called the ARMA-
(NON-RCMI!CANT ANIMALS.)
DILLO. It seems to be amongst
32. THE HOG, BABY- mammals what the tortoise
the

ROUSSA, &c. amongst the reptiles, for its

is

body is encased in a bonv ar-

The CHINESE PIGS form an mour. It lives in the plains of
article of food for many millions South America, feeding on the
:

they :uv smaller than our Kng- putrid carcases of the ONCH left
lish hog, but, their flesh is nut there, as well as on vegetables,
nice food; especially in the A.C.. Occ. The native.-., and the
warmer parts of China, it is soft Kuropeans in America, roast
" and
and flabby," the lean is these animals whole in their
hardly more solid than the fat: shells; and when they are very
in the colder parts, the fli-.-h is plump. //<// also are esteemed
more firm. Some people speak a "delicacy.''
of it as being a an The SLOTH is another Ame-
The I5.viiYitorssA is a larger rican animal living in the dense
animal of the pig family, with a tropical forests. Thu animal is
pair of singular hook-shaped 'tropical food." 1 have read
86
ANIMAL FOOD. VARIOUS SMALL MAMMALS.
 AMMAL FOOD. VARIOCS SMALL MAM.MU.s.

will see a specimen of the Chi- pal suhstance in these nots':"

nese edible bird's wxt.
These liird's nests are found
in Java, and the other Easteni
Islands, and are sold to the
Chinese for very high prices.
They are the nests of a kind
of simlluu; and fire found in
o:ives l>y the side of the sea.
The principal substance of which
they are formed ^da- is
tin, which is found on the sea
shore; they also contain sea-
weed, and a soft greenish mat-
ter found on the rocks.
The natives of Java and the
Ka.-tern I>lcs cannot eat them,
hut the Chinese have persuaded
.ves that they are very
nice.
Ah! I have hoard the
"
-ion, Imagination
a prat way," and now 1 know
what it means. The-
are not nice according to their
hut according to their
Jiiii't/iiH-iit,
i//i(n/iiintiim.'
II V< -: and the people of is coiiMinicd; and, allowing tit'ty
.
has been a matter of some dis-
pute. By some it is believed
not to be the slime found on the
r.ck>. hut an animal sultance.
formed from the bird itself. At
all events, the nests are
very
much valued.
they have been col-
lected by the natives, they are
a .-limy dried in the sun, and packed in
boxes. I have read that they
are sold by weight, and that the
price of the best is nearly 6
per Ib. Thus, only the richer
classes can have the pleasure
of eating them; they are sold
chiefly to the emperor and his
court. Sometimes they are
eaten in broths and soups, and
sometimes they are "soaked in
goe.- water, pulled to pieces, and put
in the body of a fowl." I have
also read of the total quantity
sent to C'hina.
It is supposed
every year, about a <i>u--
that,
ter of a mil/ion pounds' weight

-lava say that they arc not nice, or si.\ty nests to a pound, the
i.i'i-aiiM-
they use their judg- annual supply would tie from
ment! How can slime and sea- twelve to tit teen million-
\M d he nice food?
(
equal in value to 300,000.
/'.
Anything can be nice How very true it is that'"the
according to the ta.-tc of the imagination goes a great way"!
piTx.'ii who cats it. To a
hedgehog, snails and worms are H'. Please, papa. !"!'
"nice:" to the cat. hlack hectics I
any further, we should
are nice; and to \ oiiiself, cooked like to ma!." .1 i. on on these
meat is nice. Now, suppose mammals, and learn it.

the hedgehog's nicety he given

to the cat, the cat's hlack Lectio Lesson 8. ARTICLES OP FOOD
to given tn you. and your
I.e

food to be given to the hcdgc-

li-.g: in cadi C;:M-, that which Till-. FOOD SUPPLIED
!i::,l been "nice," would By M.\.M.M.\L>.
now he culled "lia-ty."
I should tell you that the 1. The most strU:imj urtii-l--* "f
i|nc.-tioii. -What
is the princi- in i it inn are t/ie
J'"'nl
88
 ANIMAL FOOD. DUCK, HEN, ETC.

PRESERVED MEATS, ivhich are order, ivhich (ire sometimes killed

kept fresh in air-tight canisters, for the sake of their flesh.
by expelling evert/ particle of the 9. The HARE, belonging to the
air. A " vacuum" is thus
caused, gnawing animals, is represented
and therefore there is no oxygen by the Agoutis, Capbyras, Gui-
to cause putrefaction. nea-pigs, $r.
2. The CONCENTRATED 10. T/ie BAT and DOG. are
FOODS, such as the essences of strange articles of food, used
MILK and other substances, are by the Chinese, whose tastes differ
useful in tropical countries. from those of other nations.
3. The ANTELOPE and DEER,
found in Africa, India, ~c., af-
ford a large supply of food. In
We will next notice the food

Africa, the head-quarters of the supplied by the birds.

Antelopes, there are enormous
herds of from 25,000 to 30.000 THE FOOD SUPPLIED BY BIRDS.
" karroos." These
feeding on the
in the dry season migrate towards 34. DUCK, HEN, &c.
the shores for food, and damage
the crops of the farmers. The most useful of all birds
4. The SHEEP is also found for food are those we call
in the tropics. Those of Egypt " poultry." To begin with
and the Cape of Good Hope China, an immense trade is
are celebrated for their enormous carried on in the eggs of poul-
tails. try. The Chinese are said to
5. The BUFFALO, YAK, and the most skilful people in the

BISON, are of the Ox tribe. These, world in managing and rearing

u-ith the Camel in Arabia, and these birds. Ducks particularly
the Llama in South America, are they bring up in great quanti-
useful as food and as beasts of ties; at Canton, a great many
burden. Chinese get their living solely by
6. The BAT in also used as rearing ducks and other poultry.
food in Madagascar, J/ivn, $'c. In EGYPT, also, there are men
The species eaten are fmgivorous who are egg-hatchers by busi-
(or fruit-en ting), and nearly as It is said that the country
ness.
large as a fowl. contains four hundred artificial
7. The CHINESE PIG, */ieBA- ovens, and that perhaps nearly
BYROUSSA. the HIPPOPOTAMUS a hundred million eggs are
in Africa, the TAPIR in the hatched every season. The
Eastern and Western Hemi- men undertake to return two
sphere, and the PECCARIES of chickens for every three eggs,
America, also supply food. Their and they are paid Very good
flesh, however, is
different in its wages for their work.
appearance and substance from W. Are there any poultry in
that of the "Humiliating Ani-India?
mals." P. Yes, indeed. Our com-
8. The ARMADILLO and mon barn-door fowl is a native
SLOTH are Mammals of another of India and of Java. The
89
 AMMAL FOOD. TURKEY, PIGEON. Ql'AIL. KTC.

Peacock and Guinea fowl, which THE QUAIL.

36.
belong to the same order of
birds, are all natives of warm The smallest birds of the
countries. They are all used poultry tribe are the Qi AILS.
as food. The quail lives in Europe, but
L. Do people eat peacocks, when the cold winds of winter
papa? come, they " migrate " to Africa
P. Yes; not very
though and other warm climes. It is
extensively. dare say you
I said that in the autumn the air
have read in your Roman his- is nearly darkened by their pro-

tory of the ancient feasts, when digious number.*. As they cross

dishes were made from the the Mediterranean Sea. and
heart, tongue, and liver of reach Africa, they fly very low,
thousands of peacocks. being tired out by their long
passage over the water. In
35. TURKEY, PIGEON, &c. some places they are caught by
nets spread on high poles:
Turkeys and Pigeons also against these the exhausted
belong to the poultry tribe. birds strike and fall. The sul-
They are found in some of the tan once sent orders to his offi-
warmer climates, particularly cers to catch four hundred dozen,
in America. The turkeys may and in three days they were all
be seen in very large numbers; caught alive, and brought to
but it is difficult to imagine the him in small cages. At harvest
multitudes mentioned in the time the Egyptians take them
accounts given of the pigeons. by thousands, and, having
It is said that the passenger stripped off their feathers, they
pigeons fly in flocks of A//W/W.* dry them in the burning -and.
of thousands of millions, darken- and sell them for a penny a
ing the country they pass over. pound.
According to Messrs. Auduhun You have road in the Bible
and Wilson, two celebrated how the Israelites were ted by
naturalists, the flocks are about the swarms of quails, and how
a mile wide, and two hundred they spread them round the
miles lung. When they alight. camj) to dry.*
the branches of the tn-<
under them, and thou*an<l* 37. THE OSTRICH.
may lie knocked down without
difficulty. When they pa** In the sandy deserts of Africa
over a place, the inhabitants lives the great bird called the
" for a week feed
only on Ostrich. If you know anything
pigeons, and talk of nothing ot' its habit*, you will easily un-
but pigeons." derstand that its flesh cannot
II .I wonder how large must be very nice. If it would be
be the place they live in content with the grass and
!

P. It said that one of their rough herbage it finds, it would

breeding places consists of 40
miles of forest. Numbers xL 31, 32.
90
 ANIMAL FOOD. THE OSTRICH.

be all very well, but it is said to his true character is not dis-
eat rags, leather, wood, iron, covered until the finest bird is
stone, &c. anything! Its flesh brought down by his arrow.
certainly is an article of food, Ion. But it seems that the
but the natives of Africa will ostrich is hunted for its feathers,
not eat it while they can procure not for its flesh.
its eggs, which afford a more P. Yes, the feathers are by
palatable meal. far the most valuable part.
Ion. I suppose that it would There are many more birds
not be quite so easy to catch an which supply eggs and flesh
ostrich with a net as to catch for food. In China, the natives
the quails ? eat birds which we should ob-
P. No. The ostrich is hunted ject to as much as their rats
by men on horseback, and is suci birds as Oicls, Ha tries,
often caught with a rope thrown Eayles, Storks, and others, which
round its head. I once read an are not noted for their fine fla-
account of an ostrich hunt in vour.
Paraguay, a place in South The gaudy Parrots, which have
America. It is said: "With always inhabited the forests of
crest erect, and angry eye, India, and the banks of the
towering above the tall her- Ganges, are eaten there, and in
bage, the nimble, conspicuous, other parts of the world, but I
and athletic ostrich, flew before am not sure whether they are
us at the rate of sixteen miles much used in China.
an hour. The chase lasted half In many of the tropical
that time, when an Indian, with islands, food is also obtained
admirable grace and dexterity, from wild ducks, gulls, and
whirled his balos over the half sea-fowl of all kinds. There is
running, half iTying, but now only one of these which I will
devoted bird. Down came the mention first, because it will
giant foe, rolling, fluttering, and amuse you; secondly, because
panting, and he was in an in- it is like both bird and Jish.
stant despatched. The com-
pany stripped him of his 38. THE
PENGUIN.
feathers, stuck them in their
girdles, and left his carcase on Imagine that you are in the
the plain a prey to the vultures." South Sea Islands, on the sea-
In AFRICA, the mode of shore. In the distance you see
ostrich hunting is different. a row of these birds, sitting
The natives disguise themselves upiight with their bodies resting
by putting over their shoulders on their feet and tails. Their
a stuffed ostrich skin, with the wings, like those of the ostrich,
head erect thus only their legs are short, and useless for Hying ;
;

are seen, and the trick is not the feathers of their back are
detected by the bird. Armed black, and their breasts are a
with a small bow and arrow, shining white ; so, as they
the native then joins the com- stretch forth their short arms
pany as a familiar friend; and or wings, they look like a row
91
 AMMVL FOOD. THE PKM.IIN.

of children in black coats and in ils iKitire vmids. tmd t/rnirs fn

white pinafores. They walk, .-/:'; //
jliniri.~-li
or strut, about on the land, in /In'
temperate than the
holding their heads high, with climates.
a stately look, and yet they are The eygs, cut well ns the flesh
very stupid, for it is said that of birtla. lire nutritions. In
they permit the sailors to walk Africa the eyys of the OSTRICH
up to them and knock them are eaten ; and tire much nicer
down with sticks. of t/tiui i/x flesh. Even the Jlffh
the EAGI.K, HAWK, and
L. Is their flesh nice, papa ? t/,i r

P. No, by no means; it is birds of j>r< is eaten in China </ ;

only used as food when nothing while in different parts of tin'

better can be procured. It has /,-1,/iics fnni! in firticinnl from the
a fishy taste, because the bird PAKBOT, WILD DOCKS, iii i.i>.
feeds on fish; and it has al>o a I'LM.riNs. ,y. A *inti>ilarfiMid
rank oily taste, for its feathers is n/so tilitnini-d in Ciiina funn
and skin contain oil to protect IUKD'S M-:>TS thf /.>/ of n
its body from the water. Some Of *n-tilti>u; licintj ill the
are called Hopping Penguins. Eastern Islands.
and .Mime Jumping Jacks, from
their habit of leaping quite out P. We shall, for a little while.
of the water when pursuing see if any supply of lo'>,l can
thc'ir food. In-
supplied from the class
\V. Now, papa, we will make H I
>t lies.
i on the "Bird-food" of
the Tropit-s. FOOD SUPPLIED BY REPTILES.
Lesson 9. ARTICLES OF FOOD. 39. THE TURTLE, &c.
(Tropical (.'limates).
You have hoard in your Na-
THE FOOD SUPPLIED tural IIi>tory Ic-suus that
the
BY BIRDS. K.'ptili-s are vi-rtrliratrd ani-
with cold blood, which
mals,
1. The most useful birth far live I U it h on the laud and in
food in trujiic'd countries, tut the water laying eggs, as the
tiiose which we call "poultry," birds do.
such as thf HKN. I)r< I If \ou look at the map of
KI.V. PAKIHIIH.I:. PIII.\-\M. the Western H.'ini-plieiv. you
PEACOCK. Pi'.i.nv. (^i MI. will see on the western .-ide of
/''. MUM // " is a na- South America a tew \ery
fii/li'i tun/ .Idrii. 1 1, small i.slands called the (iida-
China ti'iil
Eijy)>t thf i>c<'i>!t
m< pagoa. TheM islands abound
'If'ul in rtarin;/ poultry; with Turtles, which are truly
in tlif In/ti r coiintri/ iii-arli/ iilniii- enonnous animals; they have
been known to weigh 500, 600,
fiatf/iril

i >>
r// i/i
'ir In/ aitifii-iiil and even 8<>O Ibs. They are
nii-"iis.

1 U mi Ann icnn liirtl

i ful animals in supply-
;

in .\.,itk Amn-icn it runtjes wild ing food for a ship, and the
92
 ANIMAL FOOD. THE TURTLE, ETC.

sailors earnestly engage in the The word Turtle is only

Business of catching them. another name for the Sea-
The turtles come on shore Tortoise there being two kinds
;

during the night for the purpose of tortoises those living on

of laying their eggs. They try he land, and those living in
to conceal themselves in the the water. There are small
darkness, but the sailors lay fresh-water tortoises living in
wait for them, and as they re- ;he ponds and ditches of Europe,
turn to the water, they are dis- [n the rivers of the tropics, in
covered either by the moon- the Nile and the Ganges, there
light or torch-light; the men ives a very large fresh-water
attack them with clubs and turtle some individuals weigh
handspikes, and quickly lay usmuch as 240 Ibs. They may
them on their backs. also be seen in the rivers of
L. And
then they can never lava and Sumatra; and in the
turn themselves over again, I Ganges there are four species
have heard. which, it is said, are constantly
P. No; they are then made seen eating the bodies of the
prisoners. In less than three natives thrown into the sacred
hours, it is said the sailors will stream. They also devour
turn over forty or fifty turtles birds, reptiles, and young croco-
full of eggs. When the day- diles and in their turn become
light conies, the turtles are cut the prey of the older ones. I
up, and their flesh and eggs are cannot say whether they are
salted. Salt turtle is a favourite ever eaten by man. I should
food, with the white men as hope not.
well as the negroes. The salt Turtles are found all over the
turtle in the tropics supplies the tropics. In the East Indies,
place of the salt cod in the the Molucca Isles, and New
temperate countries; it is, how- Guinea; in the Bahamas sand, the
ever, much richer: it is more West Indies; in Demerara&nd
oily quantities of greenish oil the Brazils. If you will look
used for food, and for burning, for these places in your map,
are procured from each indi- you will see how widely the
vidual. tortoise family are distributed.
Sometimes in calm weather, W. Are there any specimens
and moonlight nights, the green of tortoises in the Exhibition?
tortoises are caught out at sea. P. I could not find any.
They are soon discovered by the Amongst the goods from Trini-
froth they make in the water, dad, there are specimens of
when rising to the surface, and tortoise-shell from the Hawks-
they are killed with a harpoon bill turtle, but I did not see
like that used in the whale any turtle itself.
fisheries. It requires tremen- The tortoises are an ancient
dous force to send the harpoon family of animals, and they
with sufficient swiftness to have the same standing amongst
pierce the animal's hard horny the land animals as the palms
buckler. have amongst the trees.
93
 ANIMAL FOOD. SHARKS FINS, ETC.

There are many more reptiles that is.with a skeleton of

in the tropics. Indeed, the tro-
pics are their principal region,
for they are about twice as
numerous, and three or four
times as large as their brethren
in the temperate zone. JAVA,
in the Old World, and BRAZIL,
in the New, contain the greatest
variety. Besides the tortoises,
fi<h
soft cartilage instead of bone.
They contain largely a substance
called gelatine, and a jcllv-like
slime which is highly nutritious.
One family of this order con-
tains the nutritious substance
called isingla.-s.
L. I know that isinglass jelly
is nutritious!

there are all kinds of liznrt/*, P. These fish, as I said, are

chameleons, crocodiles, serpents,
found in the Chinese and Indian
salamanders, fowls, and frogs. Seas, and thus it is that we lind
All of these are highly inteiv-t- utnglats, sharks' Jitx, and ji.th
ing; the great butt-frog of the mnws in the Chinese and Indian
West Indies, and the tree-frog, departments. The I 'him -M- en-
are curious specimens. Many joy the flesh of the Sturgeon, for
of thc<e reptiles are eaten as it has a delicate taste, like veal.
II". How does the shark
food, but not all. taste,
papa?
L. Now, papa, will you tell P. Shark flesh generally is
us what Jish are eaten in the coarse food, but I believe that
tropi the sharks in those seas have a
P. Yes, we will speak of pleasant flavour; particularly
them next. their r/risl/i/ tins, which are full
of slime and jelly. The species
THE FOOD SUPPLIED BY FISH. called the
Basking Shark is

40. SHARKS' FINS, &c. quite harmless.

In the Chinese seas Soles also
P. The tropical fish are such abound. The cartilaginous
that I should have to give you fish the Cod belongs princi-
their whole natural history l>c- pally to Northern
the cold
fore you could feel any interest Ocean, but we find members of
in them as food. In the Indian the same family round about
department of the Exhibition China and India. The people
you may sec specimens of Itin- feed on what they call Rock Cod.
Mfiirs. and Sharks'
'i.-i.'i The RAT FAMILT, which I
/'ins. which remind me that the told you are cartilaginous ii.-hcs,
in different climates are are. 1 think, represented in the
very different in character. Chinese seas, tor I have read
Some are not near so dangerous of aflat fish found there, called
as others: in the Chim the PoiHf'rff. The Sksite is a
particularly there is a species of member of the Ray Family,
shark which is often used as with which, I dare say, you are
loud.
acquainted*
The sharks, and certain flat II'. Yes, I have often seen a
fish called /trit/x, belong to the skate!
onler of cartilaginous fishes; P. And there is often found
94
 ANIMAL FOOD. THE OYSTER, THE CRAB, ETC.

in the tropics another member as the CRAB and LOBSTER are

of tli is family a flat fish, called also very famous in the tropics.
the Torpedo, which is celebrated Just as the tropical bats are
for tbe violent electric shocks large compared with the Eng-
it gives to those who touch it. lish bat, so the enormous crabs
The Torpedo is still more of the West Indies are truly
abundant in the seas that wash large when compared with those
the shores of Europe. of England; although, perhaps,
W. Are there many more fish the English crabs have a better
eaten in the tropics? flavour. There are three kinds
P. Yes, more than we need of crabs, just as there are three
mention now. Besides the kinds of tortoises. There are
true fish, there are abundance the Marine Crabs, the River
of Mulluscous and Articulated Crabs (living in the rivers,
animals, known by the name brooks, and lakes), and the Land
of "shell-fish." Crabs. Most of the river crabs
and all the land crabs live in
the tropics.
(MOLLUSCOUS ANIMALS.)
The land crabs of the West
41. THE OYSTER, &c. Indies generally inhabit moist
woods, and, it is said, "hide
Oysters abound in the tropics, themselves in holes which they
and they not only yield food, but dig in the soil. Some dwell in
the oysters round about Ceylon, low marshy lands near the sea,
Borneo, and some of the Spice others in wooded hills far from
Islands contain pearls. the shore; the last-mentioned
L. I have read, papa, of the perform every year a pilgrimage
pearl fisheries of Ceylon. to the sea, for the purpose of
P. The NAUTILUS, another depositing their eggs there."
shell-fish, is nearly tropical, but These important journeys are
the largest "shell-fish" of the performed crab-fashion, by
tropics are those belonging to walking side-ways; the pil-
the order of snail-like mollusks. grims journey, as pilgrims ge-
You have, I dare say, seen nerally do, in large companies,
many of the large massive shells moving toward the sea in a
brought from the tropics. Many direct line, and seldom allowing
of these shell-fish are found in any obstacle to interrupt their
the temperate zone, although progress. They travel by night.
of smaller size. They are known A species of land crab has been
under the names of Whelks, noticed by Bishop Heber in his
Cowries, Cones, Limpets, $-c. journal. You shall hear his
account :

"All the grass through the

(ARTICULATED ANIMALS.)
Deccan generally swarms with
42. THE CRAB, &c. a small land crab, which burrows
in the ground, and runs with
The articulated animals, which much swiftness even when en-
are called the Crustacea such cumbered with a load of food
95
 ANIMAL FOOD. THE LOCUST.

as big as itself. This food is baked, they are dried in the

either grass, or the green stalks sun, and then put into large
of rice; and it is amusing to sacks, with the mixture of a
see the crabs, sitting, as it ^ civ. Another way is to
little salt.

upright, cutting their crop of throw them alive into boiling

rice with their sharp pincers, water, in which a good deal of
and then waddling off with salt has been mixed; after a
their sheaves to their holes." few minutes they are taken out
There! I think you have had and dried in the sun the heads, :

"description" enough. The feet, and wings are then torn

Lobster, Cray-fish, Pnnrnx. and off, the bodies are cleansed from
S/ii-iiiijis, might be talked about, the salt and perfectly dried,
but you know these animals after which they are stowed
very well they are all supplied, away in sacks. They an- never
more or less, to the inhabitants served up as a dish, hut every
of the tropics, as well as our- one takes a handful of them
selves. We may now close our when hungry. They are some-
account of the food eaten in times eaten broiled in butter;
tropical countries. Do you
and they often contribute mate-
re-
member any other? rials for a breakfast when spread
L. Yes, papa, /.m-nsls and over unleavened bread mixed
wild honci/ That was St. John with butter.
!

the Baptist's food. " In some

parts, after being
P. True. The inserts ;uv dried, the Arabs grind them to
the servants (as well as the a powder, of which a kind of
enemies) (>!' 111:111 in the tropics. bread is made in small cakes.
The desert in which St. .John Of all Bedouins known, tho<c
the BaptUt lived, is not, how- of Sinai alone abstain from
ever, in those parts. using locusts as food. In the
towns of Arabia there are shops
in which locusts are sold by
(ARTICULATED ANIMALS.)
measure. They are not eaten
43. THE LOCUST. by the peasants of Syria: al-
though some poor fellahs in the
It is mther on the borders llaoiiran will make a meal of
than within the tropics that them when pressed by hunger.
Locusts are eaten. In Dr. They break oil' the heads and
Kino's History of Palestine take out the entrails before
there is a good account of the drying them in the sun. whereas
manner in which the locust- M iv most of the I>cdi>uins swallow
used ax food. It is said them entire."
Locusts an- c.-.t ii
by th" Thelocusts belong to the
r.cdouins: they collect 'them same order MS the grasshopper
numbers in th,. and the cricket, but they are
n;ie_'of April, when they me much larger. The service \vl-jeh
easily caught. After liaving they ma\ render as food is not
been roasted a little upon the M-i\ ;:ivat. and it cannot be
iron-plate on which bread is
compared with the injury, past
 ANIMAL FOOD. THE LOCUST.

calculation, which they do to beach, they formed a li;

the vegetation of Africa and
other warm countries. I will
read you another account of
the locust which is very dis-
tressing:
"Tims the 'plague of locusts' is
not unfrequently repeated in tropi-
cal countries, and is dreaded by the
inhabitants even more than an
earthquake. These insects are of
miles long, and produced a barrier
along the coast three or four feet
high ; and that, when the wind
again changed, the stench created
by the putrefaction of their bodies
was perceived at a distance of 150
miles inland."*
Ion. Now, papa, will you tell
us about the Wild Honey ?
P. If you wish it but Honey ;

such extreme voracity, that no green cannot fairly be called an animal

thing escapes them and their num- substance.
1

bers are often so increased, that they

fly in masses which look like dark
clouds, and cover the ground where
they alight for miles together, it
may be easily conceived that they
must produce incalculable injury.
"The North of Africa and the
West of Asia are the countries most
infested by these pests. It is related
by Augustin, that a plague, in-
duced partly by the famine they
had created, and partly by the
stench occasioned by their dead
I
44. WILD IIONEV.
HOXET is the vegetable juice
collected from the nectaries of
flowers. You may read in your
Natural History of the bees,
how they have a long trunk
(or proboscis) which they insert
into the tubes of the flowers.
This vegetable juice is passed
from the proboscis of the bee
into its cross or

honey bag.
bodies, carried off 800,000 inhabi- Here
|

undergoes some change,

it
tants from the kingdom of Numidia
so that when it is brought up
and the adjacent parts.
again to be placed in the honey-
"They occasionally attack the comb it is not purely a vege-
South of Europe. It is recorded
that Italy was devastated by them table substance.
in the year 591 ; and that a prodi- The honey in Palestine and
gious number both of men and the borders of the tropics is,
however, the most famous.
beasts perished from similar causes.
no than 30,000 persons in
less There wild honey abounds. I
the kingdom of Venice alone. have read that the account of
These tremendous swarms usually Palestine as "a land flow-
advance towards the sea and being
:
with milk and honey." was
there checked, and having com- ing
literally true. The combs of
pletely exhausted the country be-
hind them, they themselves d'ie of the bees were placed usually in
clefts of rocks and hollow trees
famine, or are blown into the sea
:

by
"
a gale. and when the honey which they
" In 17S4 and had made from the rich vege-
1797, they devas-
tated Southern Africa; and it is tation around was melted by
stated by Mr. Barrow (in his tra- the sun, it actually flowed down
vels in that country) that they in streams.
covered a surface of 2,000 square The traveller Buckhardt no-
miles ; and that, when cast into the
sea by a strong wind from the *
Dr. Carpenter's Animal Phy-
north-east, and washed upon the sioloev.
ARTICLES OF FOOD.
OBJECT LESSONS FROM THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

tjp Cijiit

RAW MATERIALS FOOD OP TROPICAL COUNTRIES.

VEGETABLE KINGDOM. ANIMAL KINGDOM.

RICE. PRESERVED MEATS.

MAIZE. CONCENTRATED FOOD.
SAGO. MAMMALS: SHEEP.
ARROW-ROOT. DEER.
TAPIOCA. ANTELOPES.
YAM. BUFFALO.
GINGER. CAMEL and Llama.
NUTMEG. HOG, Babyroussa,
MACE. Hippopotamus, &c.
PEPPER. ARMADILLO, Sloth,
CINNAMON. Bat, &c.
ALLSPICE. HARE, Rabbit, Rat,
CLOVES. Dog, &c.
TEA. BIRDS: HEN, Duck.
COFFEE.
PIGEON, Quail, &c.
COCOA. OSTRICH EGGS.
SUGAR.
EAGLE, Hawk, &c.
COCOA-NUT.
WILDFOWL, Gull, &c.
DATE. PENGUIN.
BANANA. RurriLps: TURTLE, &c.
BREAD-FRUIT. SHARK
FISH, &e. :
FINS, &c.
COW-TREE. ISINGLASS.
BANIAN TREE. MOLLUSKS,
OYSTER, Crab, &c.
LENTIL.
LOCUST, &c.

99
 AKTICLES OF FOOD.

W. Now I call that a very should ice be! "\Yhenwe think

nice, easy to remember.
list how many and how different
P. And I see a nice thought are plants and
the beautiful
which easily arises from it. Is animals; and that all are good
it not pleasant to think that, for our use and comfort, then

though these animals and vege- may we remember the great

tables are so many and so dif- truth which thi> Exhibition so
ferent, there is One Maker to plainly sets forth.
them all? and that He rules ';
The earth is (he Lord's, and
over all, cares for all, and keeps all that therein <'.- .-

all in perfect order?

" The of the irm-ld,
cotii]Ki.<s
It is pleasant, too, to think and they that dic> II ttrtiu."
how each animal was made by And you may sing also this
Him for some good purpose. good song
Many of them have their "Mountains, and all hills;
boundaries marked on the fruitful trees, and redan :
" Beasts, and
earth, and only go to and fro all cattle ; creep-
in their appointed place, to do ing thinf/s and //'/".'/ fotrl :
" and
their share of work in the great Kings of the earth, all

plan of nature. Suppose that people ; princes, and all judges of

each could think and know that ? the earth : .

L. Then he would be very " Both and

yovny men,
pleased ! maidens ; old men, and childn n :
" Let them
IT. I think, too, that the ani- jiraise the name of
mals would be very thankful. the Lord : for his name alone u
P. To be pure they would. t
; his glory is above tlie

Then, how much more thankful eartli and h>

8c*, moon, and stars, by dny and nijrht,

At God's commandment, give us light ;

And when we wake, and while we deep,

Their watch, like guardhn angels, keep.
The bright blue sky above onr head.
The soft preen eartli on which we tread,
The ocean rolling round the land,
Were made by God's Almighty hand.
Sweet flowers that hill and dale ndorn,
Fair fruit-trees, fields of ^TH.-.H nnd corn,
The clouds that rise, the sOimvers thnt full,
The winds that blow God sends them all.
The beasts that graze with downward rye,
The birds that prrrli. and sing, ami .

The fishes swimming in the sea,

God'a creatures are as well as we.
But uf* he forra'd for better things;
As servants of the King of kings,
With lifted hands nnd open f.v .

And thankful heart to seek his grace.

100
ARTICLES OF FOOD. TEMPERATE COUNTRIES.
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. WHEAT.

have grown when planted. The

(CORX-PLANTS.) ear of the Egyptian wheat is
different from that of English
45. WHEAT. wheat.
Suppose, Willie, that we re- Ion. I observe a second dif-
capitulate a little just try and ference. The wheat has not
remember the distinctions of any beard, as some of the other
the corn-plants, and tell me corn-plants have.
how you know that wheat is P. That is because this speci-
one of them. men is what we call winter
W. I will try. I snppose I wheat. There are two kinds of
mnst describe the wheat as a wheat the winter wheat, which
corn-plant, without saying any- is sown at the end of the year.
thing else about it. Please, will and lies under the hard ground
you lend me the specimen of duringthc winter; and the spring
wheat to look at. wheat, which is sown in the
WHEAT is one of the trilw of spring; this wheat generally has
a beard or own, as it is called.
grasses, which yield seed large
enough to form food for man, and Besides the winter and >pring
are therefore called "corn-plants." wheat, we hear of rerfand white
It is known by having a fibrous wheat. The difference of co-
root, a long, hollow, and jointcil lour is, I believe, owing to the
stalk long and narrow leaven, soils in which they are grown.
1

with parallel veins nnd an ear If white wheat be in .-tiff

grown
containing grain. wet becomes red, and if
soils, it
P. That is correct. Will red wheat be sown in a light
yon now compare this specimen soil, it becomes yellow and then
of wheat with the other corn- white.
plants which I have brought Wheat not only differs in its
you? colour but in its substance.
IT. The first difference I no- There are what are called the
tice is that the wheat seems to hard wheats, and the soft wheats.
lie Mronger. These may conjtantly change
P. True the plant is stouter in their substance, just as the
;

and stronger than most corn- white and red wheats change in
plantB. The seed, too, is not
easily destroyed. There may
be seen in the Exhibition speci-
mens of mummy- wheat.
three L-rains of wheat from which
this was grown are said to have
been found in the hand of an
Egvptiun mummy. There, per-
hap-. they had been for thou-
sands of years; still you see,
they have not perished but have
grown. Other specimens of
mummy-wheat besides this
102
colour. The hard wheats con-
tain more gluten than the
others, while the soft wheats
The contain more sturch.
What tell yon was the
did I
most important difference be-
tween the gluten and the starch
of a vegetable?
L. You said, papa, in one of
our other lessons, that gluten
contains azote (or nitrogen),
which forms new flesh in our
bodies, and that starch docs not
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.
contain nitrogen, and only forms
ah, you did not finish the
subject! you only said that the
gum and sugar, and the starch
in plants,would form heat in
the body, but you did not tell
us why you promised that you
would do so.
P. Very well; but, first, a
word about the gluten of wheat.
It is this tough gluten which
renders wheat so nutritious that
it has been called "the staff of
life." It is the toughness of the
gluten which causes the dough
to be tough. You know that
bakers put yeast in their dough,
which ferments and makes
it rise. The gluten causes
the particles to hold together,
so that the bread becomes
porous.
W. And, when we had a les-
son on papa, you said that
rice,
rice did not make good bread,
because it is nearly all starch.
I can understand that now; it
is because there is not enough
gluten to hold the particles of
the starch together.
P. True. Now, you have
heard that the gluten forms the
"albumen" in our blood, that
the albumen forms "fibrin," and
that the fibrin forms "flesh."
Let us next talk about the starch
of the wheat.
L. I remember, papa, that
there were several specimens
of starch in the Exhibition. In
the corn-trophy of the Russian
department there were bowls of
starch some was made from
;
wheat, some from potatoes, and
some from other vegetables.
P. Yes. But our question
now is What is the use of
starch as food? I must first tell
WHEAT.
you that, just as gluten contains
the gas nitrogen, so starch is
formed principally by a very
different element called carbon.
Whenever carbon meets with
another gas called oxygen, the
oxygen instantly consumes it,
causing an intense heat. Thus
if we happen to receive any car-
bon in our body, and afterwards
to receive some oxygen, suppose
that the oxygen happened to
meet with the carbon inside,
what would happen ?
W. The oxygen directly it
met with the carbon would burn
it and there would be a bonfire
;
inside one's body.
P. There would not be so
violent a burning as to cause a
bonfire, but there would be
combustion enough to cause
heat, which we should feel.
And this kind of combustion is
going on within each of us
now, and it continues all the
day and night long, making us
warm. You know how you
receive the oxygen into your
blood.
Ion. Yes. You told me a
long time ago that the oxygen
gas is a part of the air, and that
when we breathe, the oxygen
enters our blood through our
lungs.
P. And as our blood passes
through all the little arteries
and veins of the body, it ga-
thers carbon from the wnste
tissue of our flesh; this carbon
the oxygen burns. But I must
tell you that the tissue of our
fleshdoes not waste fast enough
to supply much carbon for
burning; how, therefore, is more
carbon supplied?
Ion. From the starch in our
103
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. W1IKAT.

food, jnijia. You said that the and, when we come home we
starch contains carbon. feel wanner, and our cheeks
P. True, this starch is lite- look red.
rally bunit away inside the P. And something else we
liody. You must not suppose, then want more food to make
however, that the carbon is fresh carbon; we then feel that
"
burnt into nothing," as I have we have an <t}>j>ctite. I may as
heard you say. When the well add that there are other
oxygen and the carbon meet, gases in our food besides car-
although there is a combust ion,bon and nitrogen. The oxy-
it is
impossible for them
gen unites with another gas,
to de-
x/i<>'/ c'iich other. and forms water, which is pass-
L. Then, what becomes of ing out all day long through
them, papa? the pores of your skin. And
P. By the union of the two, when you have been taking
a new gas is formed, called <,- strong exercise the oxygen and
bottle acid gas. You call it this other gas (hydrogen) form
" breath"! On a cold this water so quickly that you
day you
can see it, as it comes out from see it standing on the skin iu
your mouth. drops, and call it
fn-/-t;/ii,-<tti:iii.
W. Now, papa, I think I can Ian. 15nt suppose that instead
sum up the account. of taking exercise we sit still,

The heat of our body is caused

and do not breathe so much:'
P. Then you do not feel so
by the ga oyygen uniting with
cnrbim. We get oxvjren from the
much appetite and if you still
;

air, and we get a little carbon from eat without taking exercise. \ou
our tissue (or llesh) as it wears do not breathe enough o\\ geu
out. l!ut, the ti.ssue does not wear to consume these starchy foods;
out Hirtt
enough to
supply ;dl tlie therefore nearly all that is not
f.-irbon we wnnt
to keep us warm, thus consumed is formed into /;//,
BO tlie greater part of the carbon and is stored up in the cells be-
"i!
by the starch, sugar,
:

tween the libres of your llesh.

fat, mid oilier kinds of food, which
'ontain nitrogen.
And then, on the other hand,
when yon become, too fat, by
..t
papa?
rLdit, taking more exercise, so as to
/'. Yes. and yon may nlsosec get more oxygen from the air,
[QQg MS we breathe, we this fat is u>cd up in supplying
want l'oo<l to make, carbon for the carbon required for that
the oxygen to burn; and the oxygen.
more we breathe, the more fund Ian. Yes, I have heard of
v. e \\iint. Thus if you g.i our people running to keep down '

and take a long walk, or run. their fat," and now 1 under-
you breathe more quickly, you stand they run to get more
consume more oxygen, and get ox\gen to liiini down their iat,
rid of more carbon. What are or cl.-e to make it into vi perspi-
till- C01IH'<[IU ration." Ha, hah! Willie! if
11 '. Then
has been there you like make yon run all
I'll

more burning going on in>id'-: the way to school and all the
104
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. BARLEY, OATS.

way back again, and then we there are two barley harvests
shall see if you look thinner. in the year. Accordingly, we
P. You will not see a differ- find in the history of the plague
ence so soon as that. In the of hail (in Exod'us ix. 31) that
works of nature we find that " the flax and
barley were
" order" Such
the first law.
is smitten, for the barley was in
changes are not carried on the ear . . but the wheat and
;
.

violently or suddenly, but by the rye were not smitten, for

slow and gentle degrees. But they were not come up." This
let us return from the subject happened in March.
of exercise and food in general W. Is not barley a cheaper
to the Wheat. Now you can grain than wheat, papa?
understand why the bread from one time theP. Yes ;
at
wheat is called THE STAFF OF poorer people of this country
LIFE. In the seeds of this could get no other bread but
corn-plant God has provided barley-bread. Now, however,
all that we require for nourish- they use wheaten flour, and the
ment. 1st, The gluten, con- barley is kept for fattening
taining nitrogen to form albu- poultry, and feeding the pigs;
men, fibrin, flesh, &c. and a small quantity is prepared as
;

2ndly, The starch, containing pearl-barley, but nearly the

carbon. &c., which form heat and whole year's crop of barley is
perspiration, fat, c. Here is now used to make malt for the
another corn-plant yielding a brewers. I have read of
grain almost equal to that of 30,000,000 bushels of barley
wheat .
being used for the purpose every
year. Since the establishment
(CORN-PLANTS.) of Temperance Societies, how-
46. BAELEY. ever, the quantity thus wasted
has been much smaller.
Ion. I can always distinguish There is another corn-plant,
barley, papa, by its ear it has which grows in even colder
such long regular awns. climates than those of wheat
P. And UNTO is something and barley. The grain is called
else worth noticing in the bar-
ley the grains are all exactly (CORN-PLANTS.)
of the same length. Being so
uniform in size
47. OATS.
they have been
used as a measure, for we say The difference between this
that three barleycorns make plant and wheat or barley is
one inch. Barley is even a easily noticed.
more hardy plant than wheat, W. Yes; I can see, papa,
for it will grow in colder cli- that the oats are not arranged
mates. in a close ear; they hang
It is also an early plant, for loosely, just like the seeds of
it grows more quickly and the grass which grows in the
ripens sooner than wheat; so fields.
that, in some warm countries P. There are advantages in
105
 ARTICLES OF FOOI?. OATS, RYE.

the grains being loose, as each often called "The Land of

grain lias more light and air Cakes."
than if in a close ear: again, In the north of England, in
from their drooping posit inn. the Lancashire, and in Ireland, as
rain does not soak and spoil well as in Scotland, oats are
them, but trickles off. There cultivated. One reason for this
are two or three kinds of oats: is, perhaps, because they may
the bearded oats, the common be grown so easily in any soil.

oats, the black oats, &c. Oats, It is said that "wherever the
like barley, were formerly used land is of inferior quality, and
by the English to make their wheat is apt to fail, oats are
bread, but now we have wheat a much safer crop."
instead, and oats are principally \V. We may remember the
used to feed horses. It appears wheat, barley, and oats, j.ajia.
that they were used as provender in this way wheat is hardy and
for horses by the Romans, for will grow in a rather cold cli-
the Emperor Caligula fed his mate hurley will arrow in a
;

favourite horse with gilt oats colder climate; and the oats
out of a golden cup. will grow in a colder climate
As. however, oats are fitted for still.

a colder climate, we find that P. Yes. The next corn-

they are eaten very large-lv
still plant we will notice is
in S<-<it/<iiid. There, they are
a nnt important grain, being (CORN-PLANTS.)
ground into a coarse meal. 48. KYK.
This oatmeal is either made
into porridge, or into cakes. RYE another of the corn-
is
II'. Weused to have oat- family which has given place
meal porridge for breakfast, to wheat. It contains, however,
papa. The doctor said that it more gluten than barley or
was very strengthening. It was oats, and therefore can be made
boiled with milk, and we used into a spongy bread. Ir also

to put salt to it. contains much sugar, so that it

Ion. And sometimes nurse would be very useful for mak-
put some treacle; then we used ing malt, if it were not that it
to call it "stir-about." quickly turns sour.
P. In England, we also grind Rye-bread is eaten in the
the oats into a coarse powder, colder temperate countries, such
which we use also for making as Sweden and Lapland, and
grnel. This powder is called round about the
the districts
Grits, or Groats a word which Sea and the Gulf of
Baltic
is probably a contraction of Finland districts which you
Ground-oats. The Scotch an- may look for on your map.
as famous for their oatmeal Quantities are grown in Ger-
cakes, as the English are for many and Prussia. The pea-
their whcaten bread. These santry of Sweden eat rye-cakes,
cakes are eaten universally, ju-t as the peasantry of Scot-
and Scotland is therefore land eat cakes of oatmeal. It
106
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. BUCKWHEAT, MILLET.

is said that they bake only food it is black and bitter, and
;

twice a-year, so that during the without nourishment.

greater part of the year these You must not suppose, from
cakes are as hard as a board. my mentioning buckwheat in
The Laplanders cannot grow this lesson, that it is one of the
rye in their country, and they corn-plants ;
it does not belong
g'ive their dried fish in exchange
to the grasses, and is altogether
for it. It is supposed that rye a different shaped plant, having
was so called because, in a a very elegant appearance.
certain time of scarcity, great Its seed, you may remember,
like that of barley ;
quantities of the grain were is something
brought from Germany, and it not eaten by the rich, al-
is

landed at Rye, in Sussex. though it is used by the poor,

IT. Is rye ever cultivated in and the lower animals.
England, papa?
P. Yes, but not much. It (CORN-PLANTS.)
will grow if sown in afield which 50. MILLET.
has yielded a crop of turnips or
potatoes, when
the ground is This grass is found princi-
not strong enough for wheat. pally in the South of Europe
Generally, however, it is cut in Italy, France, Spain, &c.
down when it is green, and is The flour from millet may be
thus used as fodder for horses. made into a bread, which is
nice when warm, but when cold,
49. BUCKWHEAT. is
dry and husky it is used ;

principally by the peasantry of

BUCKWHEAT is another plant the different southern countries.
which is used in England I have heard that when planted
as fodder for horses. Indeed in the tropics it grows to a great
it seems more fitted for the height, even twenty feet.
lower animals than for man. I do not remember any other
Pigs will fatten upon buck- plant which may be counted up
wheat, and horses will take it with the corn-plants. Before
if it be mixed with oats. The we proceed any further, will
birds, too, are very fond of its you tell me which are the most
seed, and when the crop of important of these plants?
buckwheat is being reaped, they W. There are four of impor-
will take a large share if they tance : Wheat is of the greatest
be not scared away. It is said importance ; Barley is next ;

that no grain is so eagerly eaten Oats next; and Rye next.

by the poultry, or makes them P. True; and we must not
lay eggs so abundantly also forget that
;
the other corn-
that it increases the milk of plants, Maize and Rice, are also
cows greatly. grown in temperate climates,
The people of some of the although you heard of them as
countries on the Continent mix tropical productions. Maize is
it with wheat to make bread,
largely used in the western
but such bread is not good hemisphere, in North America.
107
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. MACCAUoM.

You may also remember that When the dough for the :

those corn-plants not only van- roni has been kneaded to its
in their names and qualities, proper degrees of toughness, it
but in their size. In wheat, for is drawn out into long cords,

instance, much
some species are which I dare say you have
larger than others. The wheat seen.
of Syria is said by Pliny to be Ion. I have, papa, and have
of the third rank. Yet it is tasted them too. But how is it
much larger than English wheat. that all the long cords are of
This you will see by the com- the same size and thickness?
parison of an ear of Syrian P. The tough dough is drawn
wheat with an ear of wheat through holes of the si/.e re-
from England : quired. The
hole running

Syrian
through the centre of the cord
English
Wli-t. Wlirmt. is formed by a copper wire.
Weipht ISOsr. 43 gr. \Vhen the macearoni is made
Length of tr:iw . 5 It. 1 in. 4 it. 2 in. smaller than the usual size, about
Number of {.'ruins
in ear 84 41
the thickness of the body of a
worm, it is called Vermicelli.
Sometimes in making vermicelli
Let us next proceed with the a little beer, or yolk of cgi: and
ARTICLES OF FOOD wllich OTC sugar, is mixed with the dough.
made from these corn-plants. The great interest which the
Ion. The flour is sometimes Neapolitans take in their macca-
made into bread, sometimes into roni is rather am using. If a poor
biscuits, sometimes into i-tiki:* man
can only procure enough
and puddiitys, ami sometimes for his daily food, he
<>f this
into grutl, and that sort of willingly goes without meat;
thing. but all are not rich enough to
P. And the flour of wheat is afford it every day. The mac-
sometimes made up into another, earotii-hoiler stands at the cor-
a very different form, which is ner of the street, wherever lie
called M'l'-'-iii-iiiti. In Naples, as can find room, and as somi as
well as other parts of Italy, this he has taken his place to sell
is a favourite food, both with the i-, he is .surrounded
by
poor and the rich. There are numbers who are anxious to
"
specimens amongst the articles buy. He h:us hot niaeearuiii''
of food in the Kxhihition. to sell, in all qualities and in all
/,. What LJ macearoni made shapes. "Here is macearoni in
of, papa ': thin cord- inaccaroni.long. nar-
!

I'. I. !s made from a wheat row, and tlat like ribbons! mac-
which contains M> iniieli gluten earoni ln-oad and thin lik
that it is very hard indeed it is ;
of paper! maccanmi round like
called ///"//" /"/'., a hard grain. hallsorin the shape of hean>and
Some inaTuroiii is made frum S.i tlio>e who are fortu-
th.- ilmir and water alone; in nate enough to have any money
other kinds the Hour has the in their pockets, bring it out
white of eggs mixed with it. to buy. With live ///"/ (about
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE COBN-PLANTS.

twopence) the poor Neapolitan WHEAT is known by its close

can buy enough fora meal. lie ear, and by its strength and
is not particular about knives thickness as a plant. There are
and forks, or other instruments two kinds of whent; the Sjirinq-
;

he sits himself down in the cor- wheat, which is bearded, and the
ner of some building, where he Winter-tuheat. Some wheat is
throws back his head, and opens of a red colour, and others white ;
his mouth he then takes about the plant varies according to the
;

a yard of the maccaroni cords soil in which it groivs. Wheat

in his hand, and slides them is the most nutritious of the corn-
into his open mouth, and down plants, and most suitable for
his throat, without breaking making bread, Sfc.
them. If the poor lazzarone BARLEY is a more hardy grain
can afford ten grani, then he has than wheat. It is easily culti-
a sumptuous feast, including vated, and it groivs quickly, there-
scraped cheese With three fore it is earlier than the other
!

more grani he can buy a bottle corn-plants, as we find in the

of common wine; for in that account of the PLAGUE OF
sunny grape-growing country HAIL 27i Egypt. It contains
wine is very cheap.* much sugar, and is therefore
W. Yes, five grani are used for making malt for the
equal to 2d., so that thirteen brewer.
grani are not 6d. That is OATS are still more hardy than
very cheap for a dinner and a barley. They are cultivated in
bottle of wine !
Scot/and, Ireland, and Lanca-
P. True; and the motto over shire. The ear of this plant is
the maccaroni stall is, "Here loose and hanging, like that of
you may eat well and at small mam/ oilier grasses. Oats are
expense." Let us now make an important food in Scotland,
the lesson on the corn-plants where they are made into por-
of the temperate countries. ridge and oatmeal cake. In
England we use ground oats (or
Lesson 11. ARTICLES OF groats) for making gruel. Oats
FOOD. are also used in England as food
for horses and poultry.
(Temperate Climates.') RYE contains more gluten than
FOOD SUPPLIED BY barleif or oats. It forms food
for the people of Northern Eu-
THE CORN-PLANTS. rope. The Swedes make it into
1. The cakes, which they are said to bake
grasses which supply
arain for the food of man are only twice a-year. The Lap-
landers
highly useful in the temperate as buy it in exchange for
ivell as the tropical climates. their dried fish. In England, it

There are several different

is soivrt
after a crop of potatoes,
species. and is cut doiun when green, as

fodder for horses.

*
Knight's Pictorial Gallery of Arts, BUCKWHEAT (which is not
p. 19. truly a corn-pi;, at} yields a kind
109
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE CORX-PLANTS.

of grain. Poultry are very fond IT. Ah, I had forgotten that!
of it ; so also are cattle. So we get all our sugar from
MILLET flourishes better in a the stalk of "a grass," just as
warm than a cold climate; so the cattle do.
we Jind tfiat it is eaten in the P. But I was going to show
South of Europe, as well as the you how much we depend on
tropics. The bread from Mi/iet the small grass of the field, as
is very nice when hot and new, well as the lar^i- grasses the
but it afterwards becomes dry and corn-plants and the sugar-cane.
What would you do without
From the flour of these plants Milk? You have heard of the
we make not only BREAD, but v-ugar of milk." which gives to
BISCUITS, CAKES, PUDDINGS, itso nice a flavour. Tin- siiL'ar
MACCARONI, tfC. the cow procures from the sugar
in the grass stalk.
P. Before we say good-bye Again : in one of Dr. Car-
to these corn-plants, I think we penter's books it is said, that
must stop for a moment to no- '
without computing pork,
tice the order to which they bacon, or poultry (much of
belong. The order Gmmintp, which is fed on grass, or corn),
or grass tribe, is, of all others, upwards of 150,000,000 Ibs. of
the most useful to man. In the meat are consumed in London
wheat, barley, oats, rye, and every year." It is supposed that
millet, we have five plants from the consumption of the whole
the seed of which we get food country is ten times as much.
in a direct manner. But. from or 1,500 mi/lions of pounds.
"
the smaller grasses, such :is tin- Again, it has been calculated
grass of the Held, which does that the butter and cheese made.
not afford seed large enough in Britain every year is worth
for our nourishment we get not less than 5.000,000."
food indirectly. Now, remove from the earth,
L. Yes; we live on the ani- for one year, the small grasses
mals which they support. You of the grass tribe, and we
said that they liked to eat the at once lose nearly all this
Mid hay. because the food! Here, then, is an exer-
stalks contained sugar. cise in arithmetic for you. Take
/'. True; and that reminds 1.50<U>0(i.Oii> It.s.. at 6d.
say
me that we om-M-lves cat the pi-r Hi. for the meat, and add
s:;ilk of one of the grass tribe. that to the 5jOpO,000 for but-
1/er.uiM' of the sugar ill it. It ter and cheese, then you only
is a much larger plant than the get an idea of the animal value
.dked grass of the field. to man of that portion of the
U'. I do not know what grass _-r:i-> trilie used for its herbage
it can be!
/'. is called the Siiynr-raiif.
1 1 /.. And then, papa, you have
I think 1 told
you before, that not taken into account the
the sugar-cane is one of the !:<T!. :i-e which the horses eat.
_'!'. I
----- . /'. Tims you may learn how
110
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE PEA.

much we, mankind, who esteem its seed is enclosed, is a pod, or

ourselves important, depend on legume, as it is called. You call
the little grasses which we it a shell.

esteem insignificant. W. Yes, I should never have

Or, better, you may learn called a pea-shell the fruit of
that nothing which God has the pea. I should call the peas
made is insignificant. Learn the fruit.
to think thus "If the little P. No, the pea is the seed
grasses are important, how the pod is the fruit, or, as it is
" le-
much more important must we more properly called, the
be, for whom these grasses were gume"
made!" Let us try to Ion. So that we may make
feel our
importance by thinking of the four names for a pea-shell, shell
much more important objects or pod or fruit or legume.
for which we were sent. P. The pea is an ancient
Shall I go a step further, and article of food. This plant, and
finish the lesson? the bean, and kidney bean,
L. Yes, papa, please. are said to be the legumes cul-
P. Then, not only think of tivated by the Romans. It is
your important duties, but act. likely that they grew in the
Whenever, in future, you look first instance in Egypt or
upon the grass, look up to the Syria. It is supposed that they
Maker of all; think for a mo- were anciently called Pisoa,
ment how the grass fulfils its from the town of Pisa, where
purpose Then, in gratitude,
!
peas grew very plentifully.
pray to HIM, that by the help The
plant was used in most
of His Holy Spirit you may be parts of Europe long before it
allowed to fulfil some high pur- was known in England. It has
pose to the advancement of His been said by a poet that peas
" were hawked about London in
kingdom, which hath no end."
the reign of Henry VI., but we
(LEGUMINOUS PLANTS.) read again that a century after-
51. THE
PEA. wards, in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, they were not at all
When we were speaking of common; they were spoken of
the lentil in our history of tropi- as " dainties for ladies." Cer-
cal foods, I told you that it tainly the
gardeners did not
contained a nutritious substance know how to procure early
called legumen. green peas, and they used to
Ion. And you said, papa, that send over to Flanders to pur-
there was azote in legumen, chase them. Now, every gar-
just as there is in gluten. dener strives to raise early
P. The pea is the most im- peas; and those which are first
portant of the leguminous brought to market, are sold for
plants, and will first engage a very great price.
our attention. You may know It is hardly necessary to de-
a leguminous plant by this dis- scribe the plant to you now. I
tinction, that the fruit, in which suppose that you know it better
111
 ARTICLES OP FOOD.
than many people did during
the reign of Elizabeth. The
pea is a climbing plant, and tlic
leaves are divided into six leaf-
lets. For the assistance of its
weak .tem it is provided with
beautiful tendrils, which twist
around the plant which the pea
is clinging to. The blossoms
of the pea have a shape some-
thing like thnt of a butterfly
so, from the Latin word papilio.
& butterfly, they are called
"
papt&MaeMNft, or butterfly-
shaped."
W. Yes; now I think abont
it, the shape of the flower is
something like a butterfly.
P. You know very well how,
when these flowers or blossoms
are dead, they are succeeded
by the pod and yon know how,
when the pod is ripe, it con-
tains a row of round green
peas. What taste have they?
L. They have a rather sweet
taste when they are green; I
suppose that they contain sugar.
P. Yes; just as the stalk of a
corn-plant contains sugar, which,
as I told you, is destined to
become part of the ripe grain.
What change did I say the
sugar underwent in thus forming
grain ? sweet.
/ . You S;M<! that it
i-h of tin-grain.
/'. And it is just so with the
As the plant ripens, the
green pea becomes yellow and
hard; it then has not a sweet
but a mfiil;i taste. This is be-
cause the sugar of the unripe
green pea has changed into
Ktari-k in the ripe yellow pi-a.
W. Then I suppose that peas
are very nutritious.
I\ Vi-s, although not quite so
112
THE PEA.
nutritions as wheat. makeWe
the ripe peas into pea*-pudding
and pea-soup. It is said that
when boiled with animal fat or
bones, they are excellent food
for hard-working men.
The Scotch, it seems, culti-
vated peas before the English,
for in the wars of Edward I. with
the Scots, one of his r.rmies was
besieging a castle, and his sol-
diers were saved from famine
by the beans and peas in the
surrounding fields.
Inn. That shows that they
were nutritions.
P. In some countries hard
cakes are made from peas-
meal, like the oatmeal cakes of
Scotland, or the rye c.
Sweden but these peas-meal
cakes are said to be rather indi-
gestible. It is said, however.
that peas are cultivated jm'tiri-
pnllif for the purpose of fattening
hogs; the stalks and leaves
(or straw) of the peas are
also given to hogs, and are
saved up for cattle in the winter.
The sheep are very fond of the
dry pods.
W. And I have seen the pigs
cat pea-shells; I supp<e that
they like them because they are
formed P. Yes. There are several
kinds of peas. There i< one cal-
led the se/r-peo, a native of Eng-
land; it is said that "its root
strikes deeply in the ground
amongst the stones and sands
of the sea-shore. This pea is
|
verv indigestible and hard, but
it was the nenuofwritfginanj
I'cr-ons in the famine of the
year l.Vi.'>."
There is another kind, railed
the c/iii-lc-ftcfi, which t he 1 el.rews
1
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE KKAX.

I
used to eat with lentils, when P. But perhaps a little bean-
:

they went out to the battle- meal improves it just as a

field. We
have in our garden little chicory is said to improve
1

the sweet pea and the everlasting the coffee. At all events, the
pea, millers say that the soft wheat
(page 102) will not grind well
(LEGCMIXOUS PLAXTS.) without beans. In some parts
52. THE BEAN. of the country a coarse kind of
bread is eaten, which is nearly
W. I reniemher, papa, when half bean-meal.
we took a walk through uncle The meal of beans is certainly
John's bean-fields, what a the heaviest made from the
pretty sight the black-and-white leguminous plants. It was eaten
flowers were. by the Romans as a sort of gruel,
L. And if yon recollect. Wil- or pottage. The Roman ladies
lie,the beans had a delicious thought it useful to render the
smell it was very sweet. skin smooth, and to take away
P. The flower of the bean wrinkles. In this country ladies
contains a great deal of honey. use bean-Jloicer water for wash-
This also has the shape of a ing the face when it has been
" tanned "
butterfly. by the sun.
W. Yes I was just going to
;
The cultivation of beans re-
say so. quires great care and skill. The
P. And what do you call it plant is subject to the disease of
because of its shape? mildew, and it is frequently at-
IT. A papilionaceous flower. tacked by the aphis. The seed
P. The horse is perhaps the is generally sown in February
animal who has the greatest or March, and the harvest is
interest in the beans. The beans in the autumn. It is either
are one of his most important sown by the drilling-machine,
articles of food. When the far- or dibbled in with the hand;
mer prepares beans for him,
his it is sown in rows like the
they are generally crushed or peas.
split, then they are mixed with The bean is a much more
cut hay, or chaff. ancient plant in England than
The hog also is fed on beans, the pea. It is supposed that it
as well as peas, they are used was introduced by the Romans.
more particularly when the hog The plant was used in sacred
is to be fattened for
bacon, for feasts by the Romans and bv
the beans give firmness to the the Greeks. It was also held
flesh. Mankind eat them at sacred by the Egyptians. In
the dinner-table, but they also the very early times it was so
eat beans as bread. The miller venerated that it was forbidden
grinds them with new wheat to to be eaten.
make bread-flour. The large broad kind, called
Ion. He
has no business to the Windsor beans, were intro-
do so that is as bad as putting duced into England by some
chicory with the coffee. Dutch gardeners, who came
113
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE KIDNEY-BEAN.

over and settled near Windsor Ion. No, we eat the pod
the
at the time of the Revolution. I should say.
Icf/innc,
IT. And we eat the legumes
(LEGUMINOUS PLANTS.) seeds and all before they
are ripe.
53. THE KIDNEY-BEAN. P. True. But sometimes we
This another plant with a
is allow the beans to ripen, espe-
papilionaceous flower, but it is cially the French beans. We
very different from the common call them Haricot beans.
bean. There are two kinds
the white French Sean, and the W. I think, papa, that I re-
Scarlet Runner. member seeing some haricot
The FRENCH BEAN seems to beans in the shop-window- of
be a native of every quarter of our corn-chandler. ]t was
the globe except Europe. It has about two years ago.
hern introduced into the differ- P. That was soon after the
ent countries of Europe at differ- potato famine in Ireland. When
ent times. It was brought to Eng- the potato crops failed, and
land from Flanders in the year scarcely a potato was to lie had,
1509. The people of Flanders it was thought that the Iri-li
called it Turk's fiectn, l>ut we and English people, would cat
took the n;nne wliicli tin- I-'reiich haricot heans in.stead. MI that
h:id given it. Ft iippeurs that large quantities were grown to
they procured it from Italy, and be eaten as a substitute for
called it the /&<///</ bcnn. We potatoes. Many people tried
find, therefore, that in England, them, but they were not liked,
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and few would eat haric.it heans
it was still called the Roman while they could procure the
bean. potatoes themselves.
The SCARLET RUNNER was Ion. And we used to have
introduced into England from rice to eat, instead of potatoes;
America in 1633. At first the but /didn't like eating rice.
bright red flowers were the P. No, neither the rice nor
favourite parts, which were sold the haricot beans were K)
for nosegays, and it appears able for us as the potato. You
that it was not used as food till see that people are very slow
nearly 100 years afterwards. in making changes in their food.
You know that the scarlet I told you that when the scarlet

runner clinilis up trees, or wire, runners were brought to Eng-

or >trings. The plant has this land, it was about 100 years
peculiarity the tendrils, when before they were used as food.
holding to the support, twine Ion. Is it because people are
round it from right to left, while obstinate?
the tendrils of other plants turn /'.
No; by no means. Tt is

from left to right. In using quite right to he careful in

the kidney -bean and scarlet making such changes. We
runner as food, we do not use generally find that the food
the seed, as with the pea. which grows best in the people's
114
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE LUPIN, THE TAMARIND.

own climate, and which they seeds are beaten out with rods,
have always been accustomed the ancient instruments used
to, is the most suitable. If the for thrashing in those countries
Indians and the English were where the flail is not known.
to change their corn-plants for In some countries, lupins were
j
i a few years, both people would once used as a green manure,
I
suffer we should be very glad that is to say, they were allowed
to have our wheat back again, to grow to a good size, and then
and they would be glad of their were dug into the ground to
rice. rot and form new mould.
W. That is like our gardener
(LEGUMINOUS PLANTS.) when he dug up that weedy
54. THE LUPIN. piece of ground in the corner
of the garden, he dug the weeds
If an Englishman were in. He told me that when they
asked to show you a Lupin, rotted, they would be obliged
where would he take you to? to give back to the earth all the
L. He would take me to the goodness they had taken out
flower-garden, and say it was a of it.
very pretty jloicer. You could P. And that reminds me that
soon see that it is papilionaceous. lupins are famous for exhaust-
W. And we can easily tell ing the "goqdness" of the
that it is leguminous, because ground. They are said to be
the seeds of some lupins grow called lupins, from lupus, a wolf,
inside a very large legume; it because they devour the sub-
is almost as
large as a bean- stance of the land on which
pod. they are grown.
P. The lupin is much more
plentiful in thewarmer tempe- (LEGUMINOUS PLANTS.)
rate countries. It is found 55. THE TAMARIND.
growing wild in North and
iSouth America. In the South This tree is better known
of Europe, the
Neapolitans, to us as producing an article
who eat so much maccaroni, of medicine, than as an article of
also eat lupins. They first soak food; indeed, it belongs rather
them in water to take away to the tropical than to the tem-
their bitter taste, as the ancient perate productions. In the East
Romans used to do. It is also Indies, the tamarind tree may
found in Africa and Asia. If be seen to perfection. There it
you were to travel to Palestine, grows to be large and handsome,
and Egypt, and other Eastern with broad spreading branches ;

countries, you would see large these branches have light green
fields of lupins, which are leaves, and flowers of a light
sometimes eaten raw, and some- yellow colour streaked with red ;

times boiled, as we boil beans in the legumes, which succeed the

England. They are sown in No- flowers, and contain the seeds,
vember, and are ready for har- are very long. On opening one
.vest in about five mouths. The of these legumes, however, you
115
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE LK<;rMIXOi:S PLANTS.

would find it filled with a the root is made into small

pulp, which has runningfibres cakes.
through it this is the part which
: Before leaving the legumi-
renders the tamarind tree valu- nous plants, I may add, th.it
able; it is truly cooling and the legume and pod, when eaten
refreshing, and is eaten not as food, is called " pulse." Pulse
only in India, hut in Africa, is the general name for legumi-
where the tired travellers carry nous food.
it with them across the desert You may now make the les-
to quench their thirst. The son on leguminous plants.
tamarinds which are brought
to England are preserved in Lesson 12. ARTICLES OF FOOD.
sugar. We
sometimes form a
cooling drink by pouring boil- (Temperate Climates.)
ing water over them, and they
are frequently used thus in FOOD SUPPLIED BY
India, forming a kind of sher- THE LEGUMINOUS
bet. PLANTS.
L. Are not the seeds ever
used as food? THE LKct'MiNors Pi \vi<
P. They are not very suit- are easily dutmmasktd liy fair-
able, but I have read that in ing seeds enclosed in a pud, which
times of scarcity they are soak- is cnllid ii
" ." fft/iinn T/iry *'//>
ed until their dark skin comes /ill/ atatuedfood; then7.>
off, and then they arc boiled contained in a mttritii"
like beans. Tamarinds are stance called "le.gumrn." which
brought from the West Indies, is similar to the
"gluten" of
as well as from the East Indies. irlniit.
I think we have exhausted TIIK PEA is perhaps the most
the principal leguminous plants. important leijuiniimns jtlunt in t/ic
There are, no doubt, other plan ts tt'in/ii
rnti 1

citiliitrii'.i ; ir/n n i/n i

n,
of this order, which proiluee it ts used us a Vegetable fur the.

food, for it is a most extensive (liniii /

table, and whin I/I-//OH; it

order, containing species which is used for soup, peas-pudding,

are widely different. The only $r. ; its straw is used for fat t< //-
other leguminous plant which ing hogs, rows, inul simp, lit the
is likely to be known to tin of the
you, is ii-iiitir; jlnin-ra pen
the LII..I oi:l( l. I'I.AS l. are called "papilionaceous,
Inn. I
suppose that that is the Latin papilio, a luttirjli/.
grown in Spain, for we .ot'teu :n'i,
n/!i/, were unhnnirn
hear of Sfiiiiiiah liquorice. in Kii<ilnl. and ri-n in tli< n iiin
i

P. Yes; it grows in Spain. (if l-'.li;<il>i'th it was tin' custom In

and the other warm countries st-ndfuri/n n / us In KLAMII i;s.
around the Mediterranean, but There are tli(/'<n'i//
l.-lml* </
it will also grow in Kngland. peas stlrh fifi the cnlllllinii
jiiii.
Near the town of I'oiitet'raet.
the, sweet
pea, and the everlasting
in York-hire, there are large, pea.
fields of liquorice. The juice of Tin: BEAN differs from //-
116
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE CRUCIFORM PI/ANTS.

pea in size and general appear- plete the list of the leguminous
ance. The legume is larger, as plants.
we also the seeds, which are flat-
tened, instead of being round; the
flowers have a black-and-white
colour, with a sweet smell. The 56. THE CKUCIFORM
plant does not climb, like the pea, PLANTS.
but is shorter. Beans are used
principally for horses, and also for P. Did you ever see any
"fattening bacon-hogs, as they ren- Cabbages in flower?
der the flesh firm. Tftey are. also Ion. Why, I never knew any-
used to grind up with new wheat thing about the flowers of the
for bread-flour. cabbage I always thought that
;

THE KIDNEY BEAN -

differs a cabbage is a bundle of leaves.
again from the common bean. W. So it is and a good cab-
;

The seeds are not used so much bage has a good heart. But now
as the unripe legume, which forms I remember something! On
a pleasant dinner - vegetable. ourway to school we pass every
Tliere are two kinds the Scar- morning a little field where cab-
letRunner, which is a climbing bages are growing, and there
jilant withred flowers, and the are a number of cabbages which
French Bean, a dwarf plant with have " run to seed." They only
u-hiie flowers. The ripe seed of appear to have "run to flower"
the French bean is used as food at present, for they are covered
in France, and it was lately tried with bright yellow flowers; they
in England as a substitute for are small flowers, like little stars.

potatoes, but was not approved of. P. If you look again, you
THE LUPIN is only known in will see that they are not star-
England because of its pretty shaped. I have brought you a
flower, but in Eastern countries piece of cabbage which has
" run to seed."
it is cultivated and eaten like the Here are both
bean. the flower and the seed upon it.
THE TAMARIND is used in Now, examine for yourselves.
this country as a sweet preserve, Ion. I notice, papa, that there
and a medicine, but in the tropics are six stamens inside the flower.
it is eaten in its natural state. Are there six in any of the
The part which is most prized is others? Look, Lucy!
the highly refreshing pulp found L. Yes there are six in mine.
;

inside the legume, in lohicli, the W. And mine has six sta-
seeds are imbedded. mens.
THE LENTIL was mentioned P. And mine, also, has six
in the lessons on tropical foods. stamens. But
I want
THE LIQUORICE plant is use- you to notice their ar-
Q
ful, because of its sweet root, rangcment.
which is a remedy in cases of cold, W. What is the name
c. of this thick sort of stamen in
TARES, CLOVER, LUCERNE, the middle?
TREFOIL, and many others, com- P. That is the pistil of the
117
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE CRUCIFORM PLANTS.

flower. Now, when you look leguminous plants. Why are

at the six stamens and the pis- they not called leguminous?
til, what shape do they remind P. Without pointing out any
you of? other difference, I may tell you
L. They are something like that none of these seeds would
the Maltese cross which you serve as articles of food like the
see over the porch of our seeds of the pea and bean.
church. They have not within them
P. True; that is the form the substance called legumen,
which all people say they re- which, you remember, contains
semble. the .azote that nourishes us.
Ion. And
the four The seeds of the cabb:i
leaves of the flower all the cruciform plants, have a

(or petals, as we call hot or biting taste.

them) form a cross. Perhaps it would be as well
See! to add, that although we name
P. And because the cabbage, them according to the shape of
and other plants, have flowers their flower, they have /
which bear the form of a cross, called after their pods. They
we call them " Crud-form were called " siliquose plants,"
Plants." This name is derived from siliqua, the Latin word for
from the Latin words cruets, of pod.
a cross, and forma, shape. There is one more dis-
W. So that cruciform means tinction: these plants m
shape of a cross, or cross- ly all anniHils that is, they
shaped. come to perfection and die in
L. I think that cruciform is a the space of a year; each plant
very good name for such plants, supplying seed for the in-\t
because their four petals are year, except those which are
" "
like a common cross, and the double plants.
six stamens arc like a " Maltese" V.-.
JT. Ii _-oing to ask.
..
-

cross. And what colmir have I thought that the I >i,nble stocks
the flowers, papa? Are they did not supply seed!
all of a yellow colour, like these Ion. And I know a cruci-
cabbage-flowers? form plant which is not an
P. Most of them are either annual the /iri-iiijitim stock is
yellow or white, but some have not. It only flowers every two
Illicit crimson and purple years, so it is called a Ji.
colours, such at the Stocks \s liich which means a two-year plant.
grow in our garden. The Wall-flower, too, is not an
II. I
rememluT, now, that annual.
lo stocks are cruciform. I\ True; but w->7 plants <>!'
/'. .V.'ain. -OUR- of the cruci- this order are. Now, in tin-
form plant* have a l>n> n colour, Order of Leguminous plants,
such as the wall-flower. we timl many that become tall
Ion. Now, let us examine the trees, such us the Tninni-iinl ami
u-cd. Look! ttif M-i-'ls are in lie '1
Corn-plant.-.
a jwd, like the seeds of the again, arc annuals
118
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. Tilt CABBAGE.

W. Before we make the les- names. Now, you may easily

son on the Cruciform plants, I find out the others, by looking
think I can see another of their for plants with distinctions like
distinctions. those of the cabbage, and we
P. What is it? shall discover them as we pro-
W. That we do not procure ceed with our lessons.
food from their seed, as we do You may now mark the dis-
from the corn-plants and the tinctions of the Cruciform
leguminous plants ; we onlj plants and we will then begin
;

eat their leaves, the course with the plant in

P. That is not a correct dis- hand the Cabbage.
tinction. You have made
the mistake because we are THE CRUCIFOKJI PLANTS
learning the distinctions of a
tribe of plants from one indivi- Are a large and useful tribe of
dual. Do you know what I annuals. They are so called
mean by generalizing? because they are distinguished
W. Yes. You mean speak- by having
ing of things in general. I was
A blossom with four petals,

generalizing when I was which have the shape of a

speak-
ing about Cruciform plants in
general.
P. True and you only had
;
knowledge of one of the tribe.
The truth is, that they are not
all like the cabbage; for some
supply food from their root, we
eat the fluwer-stalk of others.
Shall I tell you what you may
learn from your mistake?
W.
Yes, papa, please.
P. You may leam that you
cannot generalize (or speak
generally) concerning a tribe
from a knowledge of one speci-
men. Y"ou must either have
seen most of the tribe yourself,
or you must generalize under
the guidance of some one else
who has done so.
Ion. Then please to show us
some more specimens, or tell us
some more names, that we may
see if we know them.
P. No. I have helped
to point out the chief distinc-
tions, by observing the cabbage;
so I shall not tell you any more
cross, while the six stamens
and pistil are arranged
somewhat in the form of
a Maltese cross.
Seed, which is found in a pod,
and which nearly always
has a hot biting taste. The
seeds are small, and, as they
do not contain any legumen
or azote, they are not nutri-
tious. On account of their
pods, these plants were
once called Siliquose plants,
from the Latin sihqua, a
pod.
(CRUCIFORM PLANTS.)
57. THE CABBAGE.
It hardly fair to call a
is
cabbage an annual, for there are
some cabbages which, it is said,
will produce leaves for several
years that is, if they are cut
you off regularly. You must take
care, however, to cut off the
seed-stem as soon as it appears,
or else the plant will run to
119
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE CABBAGE.

seed. There are so many dif- :?rdly. the slugs are great ene-
ferent sorts of cabbages, suited mies of the cabbage.
for winter and summer, that Ion. And, 4thly, some blight,
they may be produced all the perhaps.
year round. P. Yes, indeed. The cab-
The cabbage is bage is sometimes covered with
a very fruit-
ful vegetable it is said that no a very minute fly these flies
; ;

vegetable can produce so much are so very small, that they

food from the same space of look like a grey powder on the
ground, if it be a good stiff soil, leaf.
such as the cabbage likes. There is another <

I dare say that you have seen caused by an insect. r>thly.

cabbages growing. They are The cabbage sometimes has a
cultivated in this way The singular appearance; the stalk
youngplants are first raised from increases in size near the root ;
seed, and are then planted in it has a "breaking-out," as it

the fields in long rows. These were. This breaking-out forms

rows are kept straight by the a thick whitish-green crust,
help of a line, and the holes are something like the swellings
made with a dillcr. As the you sometimes see on the
young plants grow, the rows trunks and brandies of trees.
arc thinned; nearly every other The disease is caused by an
cabbage is cut out, so that those insect which lays i:-

standing may havespace to in the part where tli

grow to a good those cut joins the root. "When this hap-
size ;

down are not wasted they pens in afield of cabbages, they

generally form food for the never come to perfection, and
it is best to cut down all the
The cabbage crop does not |.l.int>. mix quicklime with the
always succeed. If the weather earth, and not again plant it
be too hot, many of the young with cabbages for three or four
plants do not take root but years. The slugs and cater-
;

even when they grow larger, very pillars are difficult to clear
bad accidents often happen to away; the greatest helps are
them. Thus 1st, the outside fowls and ducks, which will
leaves often turn yellow. eat them in great quantities.
M'. And. 2ndly, the <-,it< ,- II'. What are the rises of
jnllni-x! Ah! J remember the cal'tiML'e. papa?
caterpillars! Oh, what a -i^ht P. Most of its uses yon are
those four cabbages were in the acquainted with 1st, it is use-
corner field at uncle John's ! ful at the dinner-table: 2ndly,
All their leaves were drilled it i- cows, bul-
n-ef'ul for fuc<ling

through and through and the ! 1'icks-. When used

and sheep.
nasty whiti>h green caterpillars for feeding co\\s, they are eiit li]i

crawled in and cut, even int.. in slices but care

; must be taken
the \i;ry heart of the cabbage. not to give them the stale, out-
/'.True. Then we may say, side leaves, fur they give a bad
2ndlv, the caterpillars, and, taste to the butter and milk.
'120
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE CABBAGE.

W. Ihave heard, papa, of or cabbage-trees, as they are

sour-krout, which is made from sometimes called. In Germany,
cabbage. there grows the large Strasburg
P. Yes the " saur-kraut," as cabbage; it produces an enor-
;

it is called
by the Germans, is mous weight of food, sometimes
a very favourite dish in Ger- 70 or 80 Ibs. In France, there
many. It consists of cabbage is a /tall cabbage, called the
cut into very thin slices, and chou cavalier, which grows to
preserved with salt. Alternate the height of six feet.
layers of cabbage and W. Then it is taller than
salt, with
pepper and juniper berries, are you, papa.
placed in a tub, and pressed P. Yes. And in addition to
down by a weight, until the its six feet of stalk, it has what
cabbage has fermented, and is I have not that is, a spreading
thoroughly pickled. head, made of large broad
The different sorts of
cabbage leaves. And then, I have
are worth Of the heard of another cabbage, called
noticing.
garden cabbages there are two the thousand-headed cabbage.
divisions the close-hearted, There is another in France,
and the spreading. The most called the Tree-kale, which is
common close-hearted cabbages sometimes 16 feet high; and
are the York and the Savoys; another called the Palm-kale.
the principal spreading cabbages There is a palm cabbage in the
are the Cole-wort and the Scotch- tropics which grows even to
kale. The Scotch-kale are the the height of 200 feet, but this
green, curly-leaved cabbages ; we cannot properly class with
they are so hardy that they the cruciform plants. Several
will live through veiy severe years ago, this palm-kale was
frost, in a long winter. introduced to England from
L. I have often seen those France; it has since been grown
winter cabbages, and have in Jersey, and it is called the
tasted them. We have not Cow-cabbage.
mentioned the Red cabbage; Now, count up your cabbages.
that is useful, papa, for pickles. W. Yes. There are plenty
W. Cabbage-s/jroMte also are of them. Close-hearted cab-
another kind of vegetable. I bages such as the York cab-
can tell you how the cook gets bages, and the Savoys; spread-
plenty of sprouts! Whenever ing cabbages such as the
she cuts a cabbage out of the Cole-wort, and the Sea-kale.
front garden, and leaves the And besides these Bed cab-
old stump standing, she takes bage, Cabbage - sprouts, the
her knife and makes a cross on Strasburg cabbage, the tall
"
the top of it. That," she told French cabbages, such as the
" is to make him
me, sprout ;" Tree-kale, the Palm-kale, Cow-
and so he does! cabbage, &c.
P. I will just add another P. Before we finish, I may
cabbage or two to our list. mention that sea-kale has al-
There are several tree-cabbages, ways been well known in Eng-
121
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE CAULIFLOWER, TURNIP, ETC.

land, and the Saxons called W. Yes, it is cruciform!

the month of February "Sprout- /'. What is its name; 1

kale," because in that month M'. We cannot that; we

tell
the cabbages began to sprout. can only tell, at present, that it
is a cruciform plant. You must
(CRUCIFORM PLANTS.) describe it more particularly, if
58. THE CAULIFLOWER you wish us to know it.
P. Well, then, just as the
AND BROCOLI.
fleshy tissues of the brocoli en-
These are only varieties of large at the flower-stalk, so the
the cabbage. The thick white fleshy tissue of this plant en-
part which we like to eat, is larges in the root. Give the
merely the flower-stalk, which plant plenty of nourishment,
has enlarged, and become suc- and you will find that the part
culent. The brocoli is not a of the root nearest to the sur-
distinct plant from the cauli- face of the ground becomes
flower, but is what we call a gradually larger, until its fleshy
sub- variety of that plant. There tissue forms a round white ball.
are two or three kinds the Ion. Which we call "Turnip,"
lied and the Purple brocoli, and I suppose.
tlu- White. P. Yes; that is the plant.
These plants have not long The Turnip belongs to the
been in use in England not Cabbage tribe, and, like the
more than 200 or 300 years for ; cabbage, its Latin name is
we read that "in 1619 two /Irtirixica. The root which is
cauliflowers cost three shil- thus enlarged, we call a bulbous
lings." We
suppose, therefore, root.
that they must have been very W. I should not think, papa,
scarce at that time. The same that the turnip is very nutri-
Dutch gardeners who came over tious; it seems to be nearly all
from Flanders at the time of water.
the Revolution, and first culti- P. That is the case; nearly
vated the Windsor-bean at ninety parts out of 100 are
Windsor, were useful in bring- water; only one out of the
ing these plants to perfection; 100 contains albumen. The
and ,-ince then, they have been composition of a turnip lias hei-n
very plentiful.
shown to us by the celd-ratcd
Dr. Lyon 1'layfair. I will read
(CRUCIFORM PLANTS.) it to you.

59. THE TURNIP. .... 89 parts.

Let me see if you can trll matter . 9 .,

me whether the next plant (gtarch, sugar, ffc.)

be a cruciform plant or not.
Albumen .... 1 ,,

Mineral substance . 1
Li-ten to its description. It
has 1. right cross-shaped flowers, 100 parts.
and -mall round seeds, in a
long pod. The greatest difficulty in the
US
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE TURNIP.

cultivation of the turnip arises pierce the leaves with nume-

from the turnip-fly. You may rous holes. The beetles them-
imagine what injury a small selves come as early as the
insect may do, when I tell you month of February, but in
that about sixty or seventy March and April are the times
years ago they destroyed, in when the caterpillars flourish
Devonshire alone, turnips which most. They like a fine April
were valued at 100,000. day, with warm sunshine and
L. Will you tell us some- showers of rain. On such a
thing about this insect, papa? day, I have heard the farmers
P. Its history does not be- say "Ah! this is a bad day
long to that of the turnip, but for the turnips !" I was stop-
I may mention one or two ping at a farm, and the poor
particulars. You have no doubt farmer had to plough up several
noticed that when most seeds of turnips which had
acres
begin to grow, they come up been destroyed by these insects.
with two smooth leaves, dif- L. And did he sow all the
ferent from those which follow. ground over again?
You will see this particularly in P. Yes. All his first labour
the lupin. was in vain. Ah! it is a very
L. I have noticed it, papa. anxious time to the farmers
The gardener told me that they when the turnips are just be-
were the halves of the seed ginning to grow ! They try all
itself, and were used up as kinds of remedies ; weak brine,
nourishment for the young lime and soot, decoction of
leaves which follow. wormwood are all applied, but
P. These two " leaves" we with little success. It was not
call cotyledons, and you can until they remembered that
easily understand that if they one animal often serves as food
be destroyed, the young leaves to another, that they began to
which follow cannot succeed get rid of the evil.
well. As soon as the coty- W. What did they do, papa?
ledons of the turnip are above P. They turned large num-
the ground, the turnip-fly comes bers of ditcte into the field;
to the attack. Although we and, as the turnip-fly is the
callit a is strictly a very natural food of the duck, they
fly, it
small beetle. They are differ- destroyed them much more
ently coloured, some a brightly rapidly than man could have
shining green,- others yellow, done. Thus, while the farmers
and others brown. They come were getting rid of their loss,
in great numbers, for they can they were also making a profit.
smell the turnips at a great L. Yes I suppose that the
;

distance. On reaching the field, ducks became fat and plump.

they not only feed on the coty-
ledon, but they deposit their
eggs in the very young leaves;
from these eggs come forth
minute caterpillars, which soon
Ion. And the turnips also?
P. Let us finish this long
tale of the turnip, and its
enemies and friends, by a word
or two on its Itistory.
123
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. Till: i:VI'l>II.

The
turnip was well known has some radishes down stairs;
to theROMANS. The price of I will get them.
some turnips in Rome was a Now then: 1st, There are
sestertius (twopence) each. In two sorts of radish, the long
ENGLAND, it seems to have been radish, which is of a red colour,
grown in the early times, and and the turnip-radish, some of
to have been lost sight of which are red and some white.
during the times of war and 2ndly, The radish, like the
trouble. We hear of it, how- turnip, contains much water.
ever, in Henry VIII.'s time Sralj, The radish is a cool-
:

then they were baked, or roasted ing vegetable, yet it has a hot
iu (i.-<fies. luting ta-te.
W. I have been wondering, 4tlily I think I can tin. I a
papa, what vegetables the old fourthly !

Saxons really had to eat. They W. I will tell you 4th ly,
never heard of the potato Radishes are sold in bunches
they had no turnips and you four bunches a-penny; cither
told us, in the history of peas at the market, at the green-
and beans, that those vegetables grocer's, or by boys and twirls
were not known in the early in the street.
times! P. do not think I have
I
L. And they had neither tea much information to add. ex-
nor coffee !
cept that they may be sown
P. In the northern part of early in the year from the end
Europe, the turnip has long of January till May. In the
been known. Even in the weather the radish-
cold, frosty
most northern and cold parts beds should be protected by
of Swui)K!f, it is cultivated; straw.
and the Swedish turnips are You have omitted one use of
very famous in England. The the radish; the seed-pods are
LAI-LANDEKS are so fond of sometimes picked when they
turnips, that they will part with an- young, and are pickled.
a whole cheese in exchange /..
Perhaps you can tell us
for one. In Russia the turnip something of the history of the
is eaten as a
fruit ; it is cut radish, papa.
in slices and eaten \\itli brandy. /'. Yes. The Greeks liked
Inn. And in Kn^'land. papa, radishes. They c.-teelned them
the turnips arc u-ed tor feeding so much that
theyuedtoprweat
cuttle they eat the sin-i-t turnips
; golden radi>lie- at the .-hrine. of
in the winter time so do the Apollo. The LMv.it naturalist,
horses, and the sheep. Pliny speaks of the radi
Etjyjtt as being MTV sweet, and
also speaks of (JiriiKiii radishes
(CRDCIFOBM PLANTS.)
.sometimes weighing the enor-
60. THE RADIMI. mous weight of forty pounds.
In France and Swit/crland, the
Ton. I think I can bruin the pea-ants roast their radishes
on the Kadi-li. T: under the ashes, and they are
124
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE HORSE-RADISH, ETC.

thus useful to give flavour to in digestion. A

table-spoonful
soups. In Portugal they are of mustard in a glass of water
boiled, and they were thus is useful as an emetic that is
cooked formerly in England, to say, for causing sickness.
being considered good for a It is also useful in case of cold,
cold, but they have an insipid for if it be mixed with the warm
taste when prepared in this water in a foot-bath, or be made
way. into a poultice, it draws the
The radish has been used in blood to the part where it is
England about 300 years. It is applied.
supposed that it was first brought The mustard-plant reaches a
from China. great size in Eastern countries;
and was chosen by our Saviour
(CRUCIFORM PLANTS.) as the subject of a parable

61. THE HORSE-KAmSH. (Matt. xiii. 31).

This plant does not belong
to the same family as the ra-
dish. Its leaves are different ;
its root also spreads more under-
ground. It was not used at
the dinner-table in England
until about the year 1600.
Before then it was used as a
medicine. Horse-radish is also
used for clearing the skin, being
scraped and soaked in cold
milk.
(CRUCIFORM PLANTS.)
The CRESS which we eat
with the mustard as a salad, is
a hardy little annual, and is a
native of Persia. It differs
from the mustard in the form
of its leaves and seed: it has
also a slightly different flavour.
(CRUCIFORM PLANTS.)
63. WATER-CRESS.
This plant grows in running
streams, and is much cultivated
in the neighbourhood of London.
It is positively necessary that

62. MUSTARD AND CRESS. the water be constantly in mo-

tion, or the plant will not
There are two sorts of MUS- grow. When, therefore, the
TARD the white mustard, which
:
market-gardeners cannot find a
we grow with the cress for a suitable stream, they cut out a
salad; and the black mustard. number of beds in sloping
The latter is ground up to form grounds, and procure a supply
the mustard we use at the din- of water, which they keep mov-
ner-table. It is grown in great ing by artificial means. The
quantities in the fields of Dur- cruciform flowers are small and
ham and Yorkshire. In prepar- white; and the pods are about
ing this flour of mustard it is an inch long. I suppose you
necessary to get rid of the black know which part of the plant
husk; this is done by delicate is useful as food?

sifting. W. Neither the flowers nor

Mustard is not only useful the pod, papa, but the leaves ;
to eat with meat, because of its they are useful because they
flavour, but because it assists have a warm pleasant flavour.
125
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE CRUCIFORM PLANTS.

Ion. But there another tropics, or in the frigid coun-

is

plant so much like the water-

tries. Altogether there are about
iiat I couldn't tell the two thousand species. Shall 1
difference. I once picked some mention one or two more ?
of it, and the water-cress man U". Do, please, papa! then
j

told me to throw it away be- we shall have a pood list.

cause it is poisonous.
P. The plant which you
speak so much like the
of, is
water-cress that it is called the
FooTs Water-cress. It is not,
however, poisonous ; neither is
it a cruciform plant, but it be-
" umbelliferous"
longs to the
tribe, which we shall speak of
next. I will point out one
difference by which you may
easily know one plant from
the other, without seeing them
in flower. If you examine the
Fool's water-cress, you will see
P. There is the RIIJH; which
is cultivated tor its seed, from
which a nice oil is ex;
I should have told you that
most of the seeds contain n lit-
tle oil. We can procure oil from
the mustard-seed; rape oil is,
however, better known.
Scurvy grass, as it is called,
is i\ 'inni near the sea-side, and
is said to be a
remedy for the
scurvy.
Many of this tribe are weeds.
One, called the Shepherd'
is well known it grows near the
;

that the leaf -stalk does not
branch offat once from the stem,
but it grows for some distance
around it, forming a sheath.
You see the same thing
in the
corn-plants the long leaves
;
grow round the thin weak straw
for some distance, and form
a sheath, before they branch
out from it; but if you examine
the water-cress, you will see
that this is not the case with it.
i So, by remembering this dif- poisonous you may safely make ;
hedges, and produces a trianyru-
lar, or heart-shaped pod, which
is also something like a ]>ur-.-.
Amongst those which are mere-
ly weeds or flowers, we hav.j
the Lady-smock, Wild Rockets,
Jack by the Hedge, Candv-tuft,
&c., &c.
Let us conclude by saying
one very good thing about the-o
plants it has often been said
before "None of them are

ference you may easily avoid a salad of the young leaves,

being deceived by the Fool's \\herever you tind them. The
water-cress. worst they can do to you is to
biteyour tongue."
64. VARIOUS CRUCIFORM Jon. Now for our lesson on
the cruciform plants.
P. There are yet many of
these plants unnoticed. Some Lesson 13. ARTICLES or FOOD.
are cultivated for their seeds,
(Temperate Climates.}
some for their leaves, and
others for their pav flowers; THE FOOD SUPri.II'.h
they are found in all parts of
BY THE CRUCll-'liM
the temperate climates, but PLANTS.
they will not grow either in the 1. This extensive tribe ofplants
126
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THK CRUCIFORM PLANTS.

supply many important articles a powder, and is used to flavour

offood. All the plants are dis- meat. It is grown in Durham
tiiKjuished by having a flower and Yorkshire.
with four petals which form a 8. The WATER-CRESS is a
cross; and six stamens, which plant growing in running streams,
with the pistil resemble a" Maltese and is eaten for the sake of its
cross." young leaves : it bears a small
They have small round seeds in white flower.
pods, and from this circumstance 9. Besides these, there are many
"
they were once called Siliquose other species, altogether about two
plants." The seeds are generally thousand in number. Amongst
hot, and contain a bitter oil ; for- those cultivated for their flowers
tunately none of the plants are are the STOCK, WALL-FLOWER, j

poisonous. In the tribe are in- and CANDY-TUFT, the SHEP-

cluded HERD'S PURSE, LADY-SMOCK,
2. The CABBAGE, of which WILD-ROCKET, and SCURVY-
"
there are two kinds, the GRASS. The RAPE plant is cul-
close-
hearted," and the tivated principally for the oil
spreading.
There are several varieties of which may be extracted from tiie
cabbage, some of them of mon- seed.
strous size.
3. The CAULIFLOWER and P. We will now turn our at-
BROCOLI are mere varieties of tention to another tribe of plants.
the cabbage with the flower-stalk Here is one with a long orange-
increased to a great size. coloured, fleshy root, and a
4. The TURNIP also belongs sweetish taste. It is called
to the Cabbagefamily. It affords
food by the greatenlargement of (UMBELLIFEROUS PLANTS.)
the fleshy fibreof the root, which 65. THE CARROT.
forms a large round bulb. The
cultivation of this plant is often Ion. I should have supposed
much hindered by the turnip- that the Carrot belongs to the
fly. same tribe as the turnip.
5. The RADISH is a small and P. You may soon tell the
useful vegetable; there are two difference by looking at the
kinds, the long radish, and the green top of this carrot. Is it
round turnip-radish. like a turnip-top?
6. The HORSE-RADISH is cul- L. No, the leaf is more like
tivated for which, when
its root, a parsley-leaf. How wrinkled
scraped into thin shavings and it is
! and then each leaf is di-
mixed with vinegar, is pleasant vided into many parts.
to eat iuith roast beef. P. See, too, how it grows
7. MUSTARD and CRESS are from the stalk of the plant !
grown principally as salad. There Ion. Yes. I remember what
are two kinds of mustard, you said of the umbelliferous
the white, and the black, which plants, and now I can see it.
has a reddish colour and a sharp Look, Lucy, how each leaf-stalk
pungent taste ; this is ground to grows a little way round the
127
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE PAKSSIP, rKLF.UY.

large stalk, and forms a sheath P. Yes. The anciei

to it. I the seed " as a medicine ap..
P. But the most noticeable the bite of serpents." It may
part is the blossom, or flower. be used to poison cricket- :

This flower is so peculiar that these insects are so fond of car-

it cannot
easily be mistaken; it
is, therefore, the grand distinc-
tion of the order to which the
carrot belongs.
II". I notice that there are
several branches bearing flow-
i T-. and that all these branches
by some of the persecuted
i
nit, that if it be scraped and
made into a paste with arsenic,
thev eat it readily.
P. The history of the carrot is
like the history of the preceding
It was introduced
vegetables.

spring from one stalk; then, Flemings who settled in K< M

j

from each of these stalks springs in the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

a bunch of little stalks, each -
id that in the reign of
bearing a flower; they all spring James I. ! the ladies used to
from one place just like the ornament their bonnets witii
spokes of a wheel, or the rays the leaves of the wild carrot.
in a circle. which are very beautiful in the
Ion. And they are something autumn time.
like the ribs branching out from
the stick of the umbrella, for (UMBELLIFEROrS PLANTS.)
the flowers at the end of the 66. PARSNIP. THE
stalks form a round head.
Did yon ever ta-tf Parsnip?
P. These peculiar bunches
of flowers are called uml>ek, and
11'. I have.
pnpa. I am very
fond of them for they are even
all the plants with such flowers
;

than carrots, and they

are called UMBELLIFEROUS sweeter
have a white colour.
1'i VNT8.
P. From this sweetness one of
I have not much to tell yon
its uses is derived the (juantity ;

of the cultivation of the carrot,

of Migar in the parsnip
except that it is very easily cul- that a wine and a
spirit may be
tivated; it will grow in almost
procured from it. In Ireland it is
any soil, and in very cold wea- brewed with
ther. If care be not taken, the hops, and form* a
drink which i< not unlike beer.
carrots will fork that is, they
In this country it is used par-
will divide into two or three
in Lent time to tat
roots instead of one. They are ticularly
with MUt-ffob. The parsnip is
packed in straw, and stored up even a more
for the winter as food for cattle. hardy plant than
the carrot, for it will live out of
Yon know that i

en in the most frosty

root is the pan ucd for food;
weather.
it is nutritious because of the

contains.
;:
(UuBi:i.i.in:i:t S PLANTS.)
/.. And
>ugar also. Carrots
are very sv
67. CKLKKV.
/.. Is the carrot useful for Inn. I lia\ (
clery-
anything besides food? beds. When people cultivate
128
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. CELERY.

celery they make trenches in I can give you. Celery con-

the ground, in which they place tains two principal "qualities"
the young plants. As fast as the narcotic quality, which is
the young plants grow they are poisonous and the aronuitir,
;

covered up with earth, until which is pleasant. A damp

at last, a bank is formed, in soil causes the narcotic quality
which the long stalks of the to increase, but if the plant be
plant are nearly buried. When placed in a dry soil, it loses its
the stalks are taken out they narcotic quality, and becomes
are quite white, because they aromatic.
have been kept from the light W. And very nice to eat
by the earth. with cheese I did not know
!

W. And / remember seeing before that it was an aromatic

a gardener cover up the young
shoots of celery; he said he was
"
earthing-up" the plants, and
afterwards they were " strawed
flavour that I liked so much.
P. The earthing-up of the cel-
ery is another cause why the poi-
j
sonous quality is lost but how it
;

over," for he covered the beds causes this I cannot tell you.
with straw to protect them from Perhaps one of the agricultural
the frost. chemists can. I have heard
P. The celery is covered up that the seed, also, of celery is
with earth, that it may be white sometimes used in soup. There
and juicy; were exposed is a kind of celery with a root
if it
to the air, it would be too green like a turnip, which is eaten in
and hard, and would have too Germany, where it grows to a
strong a flavour. Some gar- great size. It is seldom culti-
deners earth-up their plants vated in England, but is some-
until the stalks are two feet times imported it is called the ;

long. I may tell you, 2ndly, turnip-rooted celery, or Celeriac.

that the goodness of celery
much depends upon its growing 68. VAEIOUS UMBELLI-
rapidly. FEROUS PLANTS.
W. Now, please tell us a
third fact. There are yet several small
P. Srdly, Keep your celery umbelliferous plants used for
dry by draining off the moisture food. The tunsJp and parsnip
from the bank. And, 4thly, I supply food from their root;
will tell you why. If
you go the celery from its stalk. There
to some of the marshes in the are two of which we use the
Isle of Thanet, near the sea, leaves, while of others the seeds
you will find it
growing wild; are useful.
but this wild celery is poisonous, I will describe one to yon.
because of the dampness of the It grows in the kitchen-garden,
soil. and its leaf has a pleasant aro-
L. And ichy is it not poison- matic flavour; therefore, the
ous in a dry soil, I should like cook uses it in making
to know ? broth, &c. It has, also, a very
P. This is all the explanation pretty appearance, for itsbright
129
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. PARSLEY, ETC.

green leaf is very curly; so, snip), we eat the stalk of the
the cook trims it nicely, and celery, the leaf of the parsley
when she brings up a fowl, or and fennel, and what umbelli-
a ham, or fish, or a cold joint, j
ferous plants give us seed to
which is to be served in artist- eat?
like style, then P. I suppose you have heard
M'. I know she arranges it of caraway seed ?
all around the dish and on the '.
Oh", yes! and I hare
meat. We
call it PARSLEY. tasted them.
P. Yes; she "garnishes with P. Very well, then ;
see how
parsley," as the cookery book you like its history.
directs. There are two kinds of The CARAWAY-SKID is the

parsley, the plain-leaved and produce of an umbelliferous

the curled-leaved. The curled- plant. It is not strictly a seed;
leaved is better, not only because it is the
pulp of the ripe fruit.
it is prettier than the other, but The plant grows wild in many
because it can be easily known parts. In Suffolk and K^.'x it
from the weed called the Foot's is cultivated upon "old grass
parsley. land, broken up for the pur-
Ion. I know what fool's par- pose." It generally a biennial.
is

sleyis. I once picked some, Do vou know what that means?

and the gardener showed me L. Yes ;
a firo-year plant,
that the leaf plainer than the
is like the Brompton Stork.
parsley leaf: he said, too, that You know the principal use
it is poisonous. of the caraway-seed. Cori-
ander-seed belongs to t)
P. There is another umbel- family of plant; so also do. the
liferous which often
plant, Dill plant, the seeds of which
grows wild; the leaf is long, are used to make "Dill-water;"
featltery, and very beautiful. this you know is often given to
The smell, however, is unplea- babes.
sant; it is too narcotic. You U'. When they have the
may easily procure some at the stomach-ache. Nurse told me
fishmonger's; if you buy mac- so.
kcrcl. or some salmon, he will P. Nearly all these seeds are
give you some of this plant to ntfiliriniil. The doctors u>e the
ii-e in making sauce. seeds of caraway, coriander,
/.. I have seen the plant, dill, cummin, and atii.se. I
papa; it is railed FI.VNKI.. ilare you ha\ c heard of ani-
s;i\-

P. True. The fennel grows seed, for that is asmuch u-c.l

plentifully near the sea, on to comfort the bubo as the

chalky dirt's. It i> found in dill-water.
Sussex, between Worthing and We
will notice one more
Brighton. umbelliferous plant. I told
U'. Some of the umbellifer- you of the "narcotic" ijuulity
ous plants we have heard of in the celery. I .-aid that
L'ive a* toi ill from their roots >'Hiie of these plants which
(such as the carrot and pur- grow wild have the narcotic
no
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. UMBELLIFEROUS PLANTS.

quality so strong that they are by the ladies as ornaments in

highly poisonous. The most ttieir bonnets.

poisonous the HEMLOCK,

is 2. The PARSNIP is much like

which is described as a "rapid the carrot, but it has a white

root. It is, however, sweeter ;
and deadly poison to all ani-
and although the carrot is very
mals." The hemlock, never-
tlte parsnip is more so, for
hardi/.
theless, is a
noble-looking it will live through the hardest
plant, and the root may winter. Parsnips are used dur-
"be eaten if boiled ; for heat "
ing Lent," being eaten with
will drive away the poison salt-flsh.
(volatilize it),just as it volati- 3. CELERY is known from the
lizes the poison of arrow-root. aromatic flavour of its stalk.
The Athenians used to poison TJiisflavour is preserved by keep-
their criminals with the juice ing the stalks white ; and the
whiteness is preserved by cover-
of the hemlock. I dare say
ing them over with earth, to keep
you have read in the history of them from the light.
Greece how the famous philo- 4 Some of these plants are
sopher Socrates was put to useful, because of their seeds,
I death by drinking hemlock. which are cither used by the con-
Therefore, in winding up the fectioner for their nice flavour,
! account of these plants, what or as medicine ; such as the Cara-
may we say of them ? way, Dill, Coriander, Cummin,
Ion. Wewill say that they and Aniseed. Others arc highly
are not so safe as the cruciform poisonous, such as the different
|
kinds of hemlock ; but they also
plants, that they are a danger- are useful as medicine.
ous tribe to meddle with, unless
you understand them.
P. Now, let me call your
Lesson 14. ARTICLES OP FOOD. attention to one more order of
plants which supply us with
(Temperate Climates.) food. Look at this Dandelion !

THE FOOD SUPPLIED You are in the habit of speak-

BY THE UMBELLIFER- ing of it as one flower, but it

is really a number of flowers
OUS PLANTS. clustered together. Each little
The umbelliferous plants are part which you would perhaps
a useful tribe, supplying us with call a yellow petal, is a distinct
one or two pleasant vegetables. flower, or floret (as we say, which
The chief distinction of tie tribe means little flower). The daisy
ix seen in the flowers, which have is formed in the same
way it ;
stalitts arranged in peculiar is not a single flower, but it
bunches called " umbels." consists of between two and
1. The CAIIROT is a useful vege-
three hundred florets. The flat
table, well knownfront its orange-
white leaflets in the border of
coloured, sweet-tasting root. It
if as introduced into
the daisy are all distinct florets,
England by
the Flemings, and at first its and the golden eye is made up
beautiful bright green leaves mere of vast numbers of such florets
no admired that they mere warn which are not fully developed ;

131
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. COMPOSITE PLANTS.

indeed, they are so small that serve the round-shaped and

they can only he discovered by a
microscope. When the daisy is
" "
cultivated, this golden eye
becomes smaller, just because
flattened surface filled with
minute holes. From each of
these, one of the small flowers
(or florets) grew.
,

these florets prow to their full The order of Composite Plants

size. You may see this in tin- is a very extensive one, for it

large white daisy which grows contains many thousand species.

in vour garden, Willie.
\V. Yes, it is quite round ; it
does not seem to have any eye
at all.
P. You may see the same
thing in the Dahlia, which is a
very large daisy. Many become
single, as we say when they
have
These plants abound in tin;
temperate countries, and al-
though they are smaller than
those growing in the tropics,
they are much more numerous.
For instance, in England they
form one-tenth of all the native
flowering-plants being about
;

a yellow eye, because the florets 140 species. In some other

in the centre are not developed. temperate countries they are
W. And is each petal in the even more abundant.
dahlia, a distinct flower, papa ? L. Then, I suppose that we
P. Yes. Whatnamewouldyou shall find a great
"
mam
ar-

give to a flower, which is made tirles of food" ill this order?

up of several smaller ones? P. No you will not find

;

L. I should say it was com- many. One large division of

pound. the order are known for their
P. True; and because it is
milky juice, which has a Litter
compound, or composed of and an astringent ta<te. The
smaller flowers, we call it a juice is also narcotic, for it will

riiiii/Hisite plant. The composite cause sleep ; and if taken

nature of the plant m.iy be in it is poisonous.
quantities
well seen in the Dandelion. You may have observed this
When all the flowers have juice, if you have ever picked
died, each leaves in its place a a dandelion.
small seed with the <lu-,i,/ Inn. Yes; I remember pick-
llower-ciip still adhering to the ing some dandelions to make
end. M> that the seeds form a chains with. The stalks were
round feathery ball. Von have. hollow, and the white milky
I dare say. seen what purpose i- juice which came out of them
answered l>\ leaving this downy made my lingers very sticky.
tlower-cnp attached to the seed. /'. You may observe some of
Ion. Yes: I have blown them this juice in the first plant
all off from thistles and dande- which we shall notice.
lions, and the feathery part i>

ra-ily wafted through the air.

Thus the seeds arc seatten-d (COMPOSITE PLANTS.)
abroad. and new plautsspriii'_' up. 69. THE LETTUCE.
/'. And. after youhaveblow n
away these seeds, you mav ob- H'. I think, papa, that the
132
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. LETTUCE, ENDIVE.

Lettuce must contain a milky climate is too cold ;

the Greek
juice like that of the Dandelion; lettuce was even larger.
at all events the juice is nar- The use of the lettuce I need
cotic, for I remember your say- hardly mention. You know
ing that if much lettuce be that we use it as a salad. In
eaten, without vinegar, it causes the time of Queen Elizabeth, it
sleep. was used before meals, before
P. True. I told you that " to
supper stir up the ap-
all in one division of the com petite, and supper" to
after
posite plants have such a juice, keep away drunkenness.
and the lettuce belongs to this
division. The narcotic quality,
(COMPOSITE PLANTS.)
however, is not strong or poi-
sonous. This is owing prin- 70. THE ENDIVE.
cipally to the cultivation of the
lettuce. If it be left to run to I do not suppose that you
seed, or the plants be crowded know this plant so well as the

together, or kept too long with- lettuce, but it is much used in

out water, then the narcotic salads it
may be known by
quality becomes too strong, like its broad, ragged, and curled
that of the wild lettuces. leaves.
The very name lettuce may This plant is treated in the

remind us of its qualities. The same way as the lettuce, and

Romans called it lac, which the celery is whitened
it
(or
means milk; the French, who blanched, as we
say) by tying the
have so many Roman words in leaves together.
their language, called it laitue, W. Why is it done, papa?
as the French word for milk is P. For the same purpose
luit ; and the name Laitue has that it is done to the celery
been changed by the English and the lettuce, to weaken the
into Lettuce. narcotic quality. In its natural
The lettuce is cultivated much or wild state, the narcotic
in the same way as the cabbage. quality gives it such a bitter
In order that the plant may taste that it is unfit for use.
have a fine white heart, its This plant is well known on
leaves are generally tied round the Continent, for in some kinds
with a strip of matting. the roots become large and
There are two principal kinds fleshy like that of the parsnip ;
in this country, the cabbaye- they have a strong bitter flavour
lettuce, and the cos-lettuce, so like the leaves, but in this
called from the island in which instance the flavour renders
it was found. The varieties of them valuable. The roots are
the plant are very numerous, cut in slices, dried, or roasted;
for in the neighbourhood of and are then ground with coffee
London there are thirty sorts. to improve the flavour. The
The Romans used to eat a large substance thus formed, is much
purple lettuce, which is not used in England, and is called
found in our country, as the chicory.
133
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. ARTICHOKE.

The common Artichoke, belonging

chicory plant also grows
wild England, in chalky to a different family. It also
in
soils. Besides the chicory, differs in its appearance, for it
there is another wild endive, is a kind of Min-flower. The
which we have latelj- been part eaten is the root, which
talking about it is called the
;
looks sometimes like a potato,
dandelion. and has a sweet taste, like a
Jon. Yes, we all know that parsnip.
endive ! L. Does it grow in Jerusalem,
P. The root of the dandelion, papa?
then, is sometimes used for P. The word Jerusalem has
making chicory, and when the no reference to the holy city ;

other endives are scarce, its it is derived from the Italian

" blanched"
leaves are for word Girasoli, which means
" to turn toward
salads. the sun."
There are many other com-
(COMPOSITE PLANTS.) posite plants supplying food,
as we might expect of so
71. THE ARTICHOKE. large an order. Besides the
artichoke there is another plant
The Artichoke is a handsome with a root resembling a par-
vegetable it is very much like snip, which is much used on
a fine thistle. The heads t
the Continent. has the awk- It
the plants are gathered just ward name Scorzonera, bc'-iniM-
before the flowers burst, and its properties are an antidote
the part used is the receptacle to the poison of a snake called
of the flower-bud ; it consists the Scurzo.
of fleshy kind of leaves or scales. Ion. It is like the root of the
Sometimes they are eaten raw, Arrow-root plant, which is an
and sometimes boiled. The antidote to the poison of the
root and stalk of the plant are Indians' arrows.
bitter, and are therefore not fit P. Most of the fleshy roots of
for food but here we have
; these plants are medicinal.
another instance of blanching; The dandelion root which forms
in Germany and France the
chicory-, is also used as a medi-
stalks are blanched like celery, cine. There is one, something
and then are boiled and >. -i- like a white daisy, which is
soned with butter and vinegar; used as a medicine it is railed ;
-.>nii-tiincs
they are preserved the < 'hauiornile.
in honey. II". 1 once had some chamo-
mile-tea it was
very bitter.
;

P. Besides the flow er of the

(COMPOSITE PLANTS.)
chamomile, we sometimes use
72. THK JKUrS.VLEM the seeds of the Sun-flower,
A Kri< IIUKK. another composite plant. You
know many other composite
Although this plant has a flowers. 1 will mention some.
similar name, it from the
differs The Marigold, Daisy, China-
134
 ARTICLES OP FOOD. THE POTATO.

aster, Dahlia, the common mended its use for making

weed, Groundsel. sweetmeats, and says that they
L. Ah those are very fami-
! should be eaten sopped in wine,
liar friends! or boiled in prunes.
W. And now if we add the Ion. How differently they are
names which we know already cooked now!
we shall have a good list of P. Sir Walter Raleigh first
Composite plants. I will count planted them in Ireland, but his
them. TheChamomile, Scorzon- first effort was a failure. You
era, Artichoke, Jerusalem Ar- know that the plant yields a
tichoke, Sun-flower, the En- very pretty purple and yellow
dives (which include the En- flower, and that it is succeeded
dive, the Chicory, and the Dan- by green berries. The gardener,
delion), Lettuce. And you may when these were ripe, despised
discover many others, if you will the " apples," as he called them,
look for them in the garden or and laughed at them as speci-
fields. mens of the fine fruit which his
There are many more vege- master had broughtfrom abroad.
tables used as food in the tem- When they were brought to Sir
perate climates. We
will no- Walter, he also despised them,
tice two or three belonging to and ordered them to be thrown
various orders. out of his garden as useless
weeds. In digging them up,
73. THE POTATO. the gardener discovered the
tubers themselves, which he
This one of the most use-
is thought might be worth keep-
ful vegetables in the world. In ing, and saved them.
Ireland it forms a principal arti- The plant did not grow into
I cle of food; it was first culti- favour rapidly. Like the scarlet-
|
vated there in the reign of King runner, it is an instance how
James I. slowly people adopt any new
Its history begins with the food. The Puritans declared
reign of Queen Elizabeth. In that it was not lawful to eat
the year 1584 (about 100 years them because they are not men-
after Columbus discovered Ame- tioned in the Bible.
rica), theQueen sent out a fleet About the year 1700, when
" to discover and plant new the first gardeners' calendar
countries." This fleet was fitted was published, it was still neg-
up principally by Sir Walter lected, for the plant was noticed
" Plant
Raleigh, who commanded, and in this way :
your
in the course of his excursions potato in your worst ground."
one of his men, named Thomas It was also said to be of less
Heriot, discovered the plant. note than the horse-radish, so
In the account which he sent that it was still despised in Eng-
home, he stated that the natives land but by this time it had be-
;

called it operands, and that the come popular in Ireland, for we

round roots hung together as if read that there "potatoes were
fixed on ropes. He recom- used as much as bread."
135
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. POTATO, ONION.

About thirty years afterwards formed into grains, is exactly

(in the year 1728) its cultiva- like tapioca ; it is sold as ta-
tion in Scotland began. A pioca in some grocers' shops.
Scotch labourer, named Pren- Most cooks can prepare it in
tice, cropped his little garden tliis
way at home; and it does
with potatoes, and the value of not then cost more than one-
his crops soon became known sixth the price of the tapioca.
to his neighbours, who followed
his example. Mr. Prentice 74. ONION. THE
soon made his fortune and
retired from business, having P. Here, Ion, is an Onion.
the pleasure of knowing that, Ion. How large it is! It is
\>v introducing the plant, he one of the Spanish onions that
had been of great service to his you buy at the grocer's shops;
country. I wonder how it is that they
I need not speak of the culti- are so large !

vation of the potato. In seed- P. The Spanish onion is

time the old potatoes are cut larger than the English, partly
into pieces, which are dropped because it grows in a warmer
into holes made by the dibber, climate. I believe that it is
and each piece containing an the warmth, also, which causes
eye will produce a new plant. the sweetness, for the larger
A few years ago the potato was they grow the sweeter they be-
attacked by a most destructive come.
called the rot ; it eau.-e<l L. I have tasted a Spanish
terrible distress and famine in onion, papa, and it was much
Ireland, and in England the sweeter than any other.
loss to the fanners was enor- P. And if the Spanish onion
mous; it has lately broken out be sown, and cultivated in our
and at the present mo-
afresh, colder country, it soon becomes
ment some of the linot crops .-mall like our own: at the
in Yorkshire are ruined by it. same time it loses its sweetness,
The potato does not flourish and has the strong, pungent,
well in tropical oomitrie-. tor narcotic flavour of the Kngli.-h
it does not like the hot climate; onion.
it thrives best in a damp soil. Jon. Now, papa, it -reins
W. I think that Mr. Young clear to me that the warm cli-
told us the reason of that in mate takes away the strong
one of his letters; he sai<l that flavour from the onion. Here
the potato contains very much are two reasons. 1st, becau.-e
\\.tter. the onions of England have a
/ '. 1 'otMto also contains much stronger flavour than those of
starch. The atnrrh of potato a warm climate; and Judly, be-
is MTV serviceable, and is used cause I have seen a ripe Kim - r

lish onion placed in a warm

by laundresses; there are many
specimens of potato-starch in climate, and in the course of a
illation. l'otato--t:irrh. few hours it became quite
when it is dried properly and sweet.
136
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE ONION.

W. In the course of a few Strasburg Onion, the Silver-skin-

hours, Ion? Why, in what ned Onion, the Leek, the Garlic,
country was that ? the Shallot, and the large Span-
Ion. It was in the country ish Onion which we have been
"
called saucepan," which is talking about.
situated in the tropical part One word more about this
of the world called " Kitchen." onion. What part of the plant
The cook did it all, and when is it?
the onion was boiled, as she said, W. I have heard what it is
and was taken out of the hot called, papa, but I forget. It is
water, it tasted nice and sweet. not a root, I know, for you see
So, I say that the heat took the fibrous root underneath it.

away the onion's pungency. P. No, it is really a bud, and

P. Very likely. Egypt is a is called a
" bulb
;" it differs
warm country, though not so from the more fleshy potato,
warm as the saucepan, and the which is called a tuber.
Egyptian onion is said to have There is another plant be-
an exquisite flavour the Isra- longing to the same tribe as the
elites remembered the onions, onion, which yields us food. It
leeks, and garlic, they used to is more expensive in the culti-
enjoy when in Egypt, and we vation than the onion, as only
read in the Scriptures how they a small part of the plant, the
murmured for them. In some young shoots, are used. The
warm countries the onion is shoots are kept white like
almost the only vegetable, ex- the stalks of the celery by
cept the bean and in England,
; "earthing up;" and like the
at the beginning of the last celery, again, they thus lose
century, it was much more used their pungent flavour, and have
than the potato. a sweet taste.
L. I should think that the L. I wonder what vegetable
onions in India are very nice. it is!
P. I dare say they are, but, P. Hear the way in which it
unfortunately for the natives, iscooked, and you will know.
they have taken it into their The young white shoots are
heads that it is a "sacred" plant ;
boiled and eaten with melted
therefore it is not allowed to be butter; they are sold at the
eaten. It was formerly wor- greengrocer's in bunches, and
shipped on the banks of the are called
Nile also. W. ASPARAGUS, I am sure.
L. I have seen an onion And now I remember something
which is dark red, and some- curious. I remember seeing
times purple outside. mamma eat some once. She
jP. Such onions have a did not touch the green part at
stronger flavour than the white the end of each stalk, but she
kinds there are indeed several told me that it had a pungent
kind of onions; such as the taste; it was rather bitter
young Spring Onions, used in also.
salads, the Welsh Onion, the Ion. Of course ! it had not
137
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. SPINACH, RHUBARB, ETC.

been blanched. In what order of ROOT, papa. Why have you

plants isthe onion, papa? placed beside the spinach?
it
P. It belongs to a large P. Because it also belongs
order, which we may call lily- to the Goose-foot tribe. It is
like plants. They are known called Beet, because the shape
principally by their bulbs. The of its fruit (or seed-vi -

Lily, the Tulip, the Hyacinth, like that of Beta, the second
the" Aloe, the Crocus belong to letter in the Greek alphabet.
this order. The common Hushes. The beet is cultivated for its
too, are found in the some order tleshy root, which is of a bright
as the onion. red colour. What else can you
say of it?
75. SPINACH AND BEET- L. It is soft and watery.
ROOT. Ion. It has a sweet taste.
II It is used in making
'.
up
The Spinach is another use- salads.
ful vegetable; it belongs, how- P. True; there are two kinds
ever, to a division of plants very the red and the white beet.
different from the preceding one. You know which we make use
L. I have seen it growing, of. There is one kind used as
papa ; food for cattle, which is both
the leaves are a very
different shape from the onion-
red and white it is called the
leaf.
Mangel WurzeL Cows are very
P. Yes; if you will look at fond of it.
the leaves of some kinds of Not many years ago, in the
spinach, you will find that they time of Napoleon Bonaparte,
are broad, and something like the French people were the
the foot of a goose in their enemies of the English, and
shape; the tribe is, therefore, Bonaparte said that the people
called the Goose-foot tril>e. were not to buy goods produced
The goose-foot tribe grows in in the English colonies then
the northern parta of Europe, the French would not buy the
and in nearly all the waste sugar which we had grown for
places of the world they are them, and were obliged to make
considered as " rank weeds ;" their sugar from the beet-root.
and the spinach is an example Beet-root sugar is very good,
of the reformation to be made but it is more expensive than
in a plant by cultivation. that from the cane. The French
Inn. I have seen the spinach, cultivated the beet-root very
papa, when it has run to seed. largely, and opened extensive
The e^/-'v.. /. or fruit, as you manufactories for HKKT-KOOT
would call it, is rather prickly. SUGAR. But they have since
P. Yes; and this is why it found it is better to have our
called spinach, from the Latin
is sugar from the West indies.
a thorn. The next plant
$l>inn,
we shall speak of has a Greek 76. RHUBAKH.
name.
Jon. This is a piece of BEET- This is the last vegetable we
138
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. COMPOSITE PLANTS.

will mention it is not eaten lettuce and -is also used, as a

with meat like the others, but salad. The chicory, and the dan-
its leaf-stalk is delion plants are endives, and
large fleshy
the roots of both yield a substance
used as with sugar, to make
called chicory, which is ground
tarts. &c. Rhubarb is a plant
of the dock kind. up with coffee to improve its fla-
vour.
The root of some species is 3. The roots of some composite
used as a medicine some of the plants are fii's'hy ; in cooking
;

root is brought from Turkey, them, fhe poison is driven off' by

but much more from other heat, and they taste something
places. In Turkey the men like the parsnip and carrot. One.
are very fond of it, they will called the SCOKZONKRA, is used on
the Continent. The root of fhe
carry it about with them, and JERUSALEM
will nibble a little bit every
ARTICHOKE is eaten
in another plant, call-
now and then. You have, I ed England;
the AIITICHOKB, which is very
dare say, seen and tasted such
different, supplies food from the
rhubarb. The seeds of the
Jlon-er-buds.
Ion. I have ; it has a rich .^UN-FLOWER
may be used as food
brown colour, and a very bitter for poultry.
taste. I call it nasty. 5. The order of Composite
You may now make a plants issaid tobe the largest order
P.
lesson on the plants we have known it contains several wett-
been talking about. knonrnjlowers. such ax the DAISY,
lately the DAHLIA, the CHINA A~TER.
the THISTLB, the MARIGOLD, and
Lesson 15. ARTICLES OF FOOD. othei-s.

( Temperate Cou n tries. ) 6. There are many other u-se-

THE FOOD SUPPLIED ful vegetables belonging to vari-

BY THE COMPOSITE
AXD OTHER PLANTS.
These plant ninay be easily dis-
tinguished, as the flower consists
of a number of very minute
fion-ers (or Jlorets) growing on
one head ; most of' them contain
a white milky juice, which is bitter
and narcotic. TJtey J'orm, per- general article offood.
I
ous orders, such as the Potato, the
Onion, Spinach, Beet, and Rhu-
barb.
The POTATO is cultivated for
the sake of its fleshy "tuber;"
it was brought into England
from America in the time of Sir
Walter Raleigh. It nas a long
time before the plant became a

haps, the largest order of plants The OXION is cultivated for its
existing. fleshy "bulb." It has a strong
17te LETTUCE is well known, the pungent taste, but when boiled,
leaves being used as a salad. Like this pungency is driven an-ay by
the celery stalks, they are ren- the heat, and the onion becomes
dered crisp and pleasant by being sweet.
blanched they are tied round, so SPINACH and BEET belong to
that the leaves may J'orm a white a division of plants called the
"hsart." There are two kinds, Goose-foot tribe, because some
the Cabbage and the Cos-lettuce. have broad leaves shaped like the
2. The ENDIVE has an appear- foot of a goose. The leaves of
ance something like that of the spinach are generally boiled like
139
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. FHflTS.

tlie cabbage, rchile beet -root is cut of the coffee-berries is also

in slices, and eaten with salads, wa>bed from the seeds.
oil'
Sf-e.
P. Again, if you allow one
lihuliarb it a plant of the dvck
of your sweet-williams to run
html ;
it* thick If of-stalks contain
sugar, and from t/irir ///<r //</</ to seed, you will see that the
seeds are kept in pods, which
flavour are usej'ul in making
are open at the top, and that
tarts, fie.
they fall out if the j>o,l< he
turned upside down. These
P. We
have now talked of seed-cases are the fruit of the
the Corn-plants, and the grain sweet-william, but you do not
they yield for food. Se- eat them.
condly, we talked of all these ir. No; they are only dry

kitchen-garden vegetables and husky skins.

their uses. What other articles P. It is when the seed-case
of food are found in the vegeta- enlarges, and becomes soft and
ble kingdom? pulpy, that it makes pleasant

Ion. We
have not yet heard fruit. The seed of the apple
of the Fruits, papa. There are we call the />/', and there is a
apples, pears, cherries, goose- mass of fresh green pulp be-
berries, plums, and so on. tween the pips and the Mnooth
P. Then we will have a few rind of the apple: this \\e call
short lessons on the fruits next. the fruit. What do you say of
What is "a fruit?" such fruit as that?
Ion. I suppose it is the part Ion. That we do eat it.
of the plant which comes after P. True; and, although all
the flower the part which is seed-cases are fruits, in general
good to eat. c.>n\crsation we only call those
P. That is fruit which we are able to
pretty correct,
Ion, although there are many eat.
fruits not fit to eat. The fruit W. Now I can say what a
a " an
isthe seed-case of a plant; and fruit is fruit is eatable
when botanists speak of fruit, secd-<

they mean all seeil-e.iM--. I-Vr /'. Let us try to arrange our
instance. t!ie/>orfof a legumi- fruits in their proper places.
nous plant is its fruit such a- Have you ever Been a wild
tiic pea-ihe.ll; but we do not eat rose ?

such fniit. Ion. I gathered a great many

No; we give the pea- last year, papa. We called
IV.
shells to the pigs, and we eat them dog roses.
the teeds. P. Ami next time you gather
P. Yes. The red berry of one, will you count the /.. Af/.v
the pepper vine, which we talked of the flower you will see that
:. is its
fruit, but we do not eat it has five spreading petaN.
such fruit. Without stopping to de-<nl.e
L. No the berries arc vsaxhnl
;
this llower exactly. I may as
lit]' from the seeds when white well tell you that the hlo*-oms
pepper is prepared. The pulp of many large trees and
140
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. FRUITS: THE ROSE TRIBE.

are rose-shaped flowers. Do "-

BEARING PLANTS.)
("FRUIT
you remember any?
Ion. Yes. The blossom of
the strawberry is very much
77. THE ROSE TRIBE.
like a wild rose, only it is
Apple, Pear, Quince, Medlar,
smaller.
Peach, Apricot, Nectarine,
IT. So the blossom of a
is
Plums, Cherry, Raspberry,
cherry tree. Oh the beautiful
!
Strawberry, $c.
white blossoms that were on our
cherry-tree last year! The APPLES are found in nearly all
plum-trees, too, and the apricot, temperate countries. I should
indeed all the wall-fruit trees think that all the people of
had such blossoms. temperate countries, who helped
L. And mamma's ahnond- to make the goods for the Ex-
tree that, too, has beautiful hibition, have tasted the apple.
blossoms like light pink roses. It is supposed that it was
Ion. So have the apple and brought to this country by the
the pear trees. Romans.
P. I will count up the plants Did yon ever taste a wild
for you: the strawberry, the crab-apple ?
raspberry, the cherry, plum, L. I have not.
apricot, peach, and nectarine, P. If I were to give you one
the medlar, quince, pear, and to taste, you would then see
apple all these have blossoms another instance of the im-
like the wild rose, therefore provement of plants by culti-

they are all arranged in one vation. The wild crab-apple

order which we may call rose-
like plants (or the Rose tribe).
Ion. Well! I should never
have thought that the straw-
berry, and the peach, and the
apple belonged to the same
order. Why, the peach has a
" stone-fruit."
stone init; it is a
Then, the apple has a core and
pip inside, and the strawberry
I don't know where the
strawberry seeds are! There
is plenty of juice inside.
P. But you see, Willie, that
the plants were not arranged
according to their insides, but
according to their blossoms,
just as the cruciform, the
belliferous, and the composite
plants are. We will begin, then,
with the fruits of the
like plants, or Rose tribe.
of the hedge is dry. sour, and
bitter, and not to be compared
with the sweet and juicy apple
of the orchard ; yet such would
all apples become, probably, if
they were not carefully culti-
vated.
There are very many different
sorts of apples, for every seed
sown will produce a new variety.
Six seeds, although they be
taken out of a single apple,
will produce six different sorts
of apple-trees. Without going
through the hundreds of va-
rieties, I may tell you that there
are three divisions of apples.
um- Sweet Apjjles, for the parlour,
such as the Ripston pippin,
golden pippin, &c.
Rose- JBoiliny Apples, for the kitchen,
such as the codlin, &c. ; and
141
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE APPLE, PEAR.

Cider Apples, such as the fruit. In what does it differ

different crab-apples, red-streak from the apple?
apples, &c. Herefordshire and W. I think I can find two or
Devonshire are the principal three differences 1st, its shape
cider counties. one end is gene-
is different, for
Ion. I think I know the rally thicker than the other;
names of a great many apples, 2mlly, its pulp is different, for
papa. There are the Russets, it is generally softer, and more

the Orange Pippin, the Lemon juicy, and sweeter sometimes.

Pippin, the Hawthorndens, the P. The different sorts of pear
great Beefing, and I think are almost as numerous as the
these are all I know. apples. They arc also arranged
P. Apple-trees may be train- in three divisions. We have
ed in several ways either as dessert pears such as the
espaliers, as dwarfs, or as stand- Windsor, the Williams, the
ards. It is said that the dwarf Jargonelle; then there are pears
apple-trees are the best 1st, for baking and stewing and ;

because they occupy little space; 3rdly, the pears used in making
lindly, they do not overshadow perry, a drink something like
so much soil as the taller trees; cider.
3rdly, the fruit is more easily They are cultivated much in
gathered; 4thly, they are not the same way as the apples.
influenced so much by the high Both the apple and the pear
winds; and, 5thly, the fruit is require a soil which is not too
liner. damp; tliesc.il should be rather
One peculiarity in these fruit- slinllnii\ and well drained. It

trees that tin- is said that the monks of former

is, young
trees must be grafted before days knew this, for in the I'niit-
they will bear. The opera- gardens of the old ruined mo-
tions of grafting, budding, and miseries stones and slates have
priming, are such as belong to been found below the fruit-
the gardener. trees. Asoil of about t\\o and
The uses of the apple you a-half feet
deep is considered
well know. They are of great the most suitable.
service for pies and puddings W. But I should think, papa,
in the winter time. There are that if you placed rubbish and
several ways of preserving hem i stones under the soil, the roots
for the winter. One of the best could find their way down be-
is to let the fruit lie, after it li;is tween the stones.
ithercd, until it has lost P. Yes; therefore the harder
its superfluous moisture this ;
and firmer the foundation, the
is called sweating the apples. better. Do you not remember
They should then be wrapped what the gardener said of tin-
in tissue paper, ami put awa\ large pear trees and applc-
-

in silver sand; but the sand tivrs inour old garden ?

niu-t iir-i be dried in an oven. Ion. I do, papa. He said
that they would not bear be-
The PKAU is another nice cause the roots had found their
142
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE QUINCE, PLUM.

way into the layer of gravel vegetable is something like the

which was underneath the ve- bone of an animal.
getable soil. Don't you re- P. The plum will grow in
member what a large gravel-pit almost any of the temperate
we had in the corner of the climates, from Norway, which
orchard? is at the North of Europe, to

Barbary, at the North of Africa.

The QUINCE is another fruit In France and Germany very
something like the apple and large plums are grown, which
pear. It has a peculiarly acid are dried and preserved with
taste, which some people are sugar. If you want to see them,
fond of. you must go to the grocer's
L, Do you like it, papa? shop and ask him for some
P. Yes, very much : the taste prunes.
is peculiar! but
so I should you will look in your map
If
think that the fruit very in-
is for Damascus, you will see a
digestable. I would not like to place which was once very
eat a whole quince at once. celebrated for plums. Many
The principal use of the different kinds were imported
quince is as a stock for pear- from there into England, and
trees ; that is to say, the young were called Damascenes. This
quince is planted, and when the word was very easily shortened
stem has reached a certain into Damsons, a name with
height, the young branches of which, I dare say, you are ac-
the pear-tree are grafted on it, quainted. Now, the greater
and these bring forth pears. part of our foreign damsons
W. What a shame! and so come from FRANCE.
the poor quince-tree is obliged Do you know any other
to produce pears all its life! kinds of plum besides the
That is as bad as making an prunes and damsons?
old hen bring up ducks. L. I know of several. The
Orleans plum, the Mussel plum,
P. The PLUM is another nice the Egg plum, the Greengage,
frnit ;
but here we find a great and the Bullaces.
difference from the apple and Thecultivation of the plum
pear. isvery easy, for the tree is even
Ion. Yes, it has a stone more hardy than the cherry-
inside. tree ; it will live through the
P. True and in the stone
;
most severe frosts. The trees
fruits you only find one seed, extend their roots under ground
while in the core of the apple horizontally instead of descend-
you find several. The cells for ing to a great depth ; thus they
the seed (or the core, as I called are apt to throw up young
it) are made of a horny kind "suckers," but these must be
of substance, something like destroyed directly they appear,
cartilage, or like your finger else they weaken the tree.
nail. W. Yes. I suppose that the
L. While the stone of the roots take a fancy to support
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. CHERRY, APRICOT, ETC.

the young suckers instead of The APRICOT, PEACH, and

the parent. They don't know NECTARINE, are three favourite
that the suckers cannot bear trees in the rose-like plants.
fruit. In this country it is nece-sarv
P. I cannot account for their to train them against a garden
partiality, I am sure. But if wall, so that they are called
you have a plum-tree, and want ?//-fruit.
to have fruit, you must destroy They are difficult fruits to
the suckers; then, if the tree be cultivate, as they arc apt to
l.los-oin too early, and the frost
properly taken care of, it will
grow luxuriously, and it will nips the young fruit before it
not only bring forth fruit, but is properly set.

gum, which will ooze out through The peach is so called be-
the bark. cause came from Persia. The
it

Romans, who were the rirst to

The CnERRY-tree belongs to enjoy this fruit, called it /
the same tribe as the plums. by the French it was called
The boys and girls of Eng- pecker, and by us peach. It
land began to taste cherries was once called " The Persian
in the reign of Henry VIII., apple," but it does not belong
when they were first cultivated to Persia only it has been
in the county of Kent. found growing wild in Turkey
The Kentish cherries arc still and other parts. In India, also.
famous. Have you ever seen not only peaches, but pome-
any ? granates, apricots, and walnuts
W. I have, they are of
papa ; grow wild.
a bright red colour, and they The Ai.MosD-tree grows in
have a rather sour taste they temperate countries, hut the
are used for puddings. almonds do not come to perfec-
P. And they have another tion so easily as in the South of
peculiarity the stalk of tin- F.m-npe.
Kentish cherry is joined so What sort of a taste lias the
firmly to the stone that you almond ?

may pull out the stone and the L. It is

very nice, but I should
stalk together, witlimit break- hardly know what to call such
ing the skin, except in the a flavour the skin of some
part through which the stone almonds is rather bitter.
is drawn. Von may then dry H And I once tasted some
.

the cherries in the sun. or in hitter almonds;" the almond

an oven, then they keep will was nil hitter.
for a year, and will have the P. All the trees we have just
appearance of dried raisins. hern talking about have this
The cherries used tor desert Mtter taste in the .-kin of the
are the large white cherry railed kernel.
the BiV/'" ''"", and the Mack M. Y'-s. the apple-;///) has a
cherries those used in the hitter skin, papa and so have
kitchen are the Kentish and the kernels of the plum and
the MortUo. the cherry why is th.u?
144
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE STRAWBERRY, ETC.

P. I can only say that it is are called carpels, a name which

so. These trees not only have you cannot at present under-
this bitter taste in the kernels, stand. What do you think of
hut in their leaves. They also the flavour of this fruit?
have in their kernels and leaves Ion. I think that it is cooling,
a certain quantity of Prussic sweet, and delicious; the pulp
Acid, which is a most violent is white (sometimes red) and
poison, but the quantity is so juicy. These are four good
small that it is not dangerous. qualities !

Ion. I should think that the P. You may add a sixth good
bitter almond contains the most quality it is very harmless, it

prussic acid. may be eaten in large quantities

P. That is the case, and the without injury frequently
;

almond-tree gives the name to cream and sugar, or wine, is

the tribe. The Almond, Plum, added.
Apricot, Peach, Nectarine, and There are several kinds.
Cherry-trees, form what is There are the Wood Straw-
called the Almond tribe, in the berries, which grow wild; the
order of rose-like plants. Hautboy Strawberries, which
W. You have not yet men- are nearly white ; and the
tioned the Raspberry and Straw- Scarlet Strawberries. One scar-
" Keen's
berry, papa; they have a rose- let strawberry, called
like blossom. seedling," is found to be finer
P, These plants are so much than any of the other sorts, so
known, that it will be almost that it is now cultivated very
enough to mention them. The largely.
RASPBERRY grows upon a cane,
and requires a rich soil, well 78. THE NETTLE TRIBE.
manured. The seeds are the
most remarkable part of the W. Does not the mulberry
plant. They are noted for their belong to the same class as the
long life for it is said that raspberry ?
some raspberry seeds were found P. No. The MULBERRY tree
in the body of a man who was has a fruit much like the rasp-
buried in the reign of the Ro- berry, but the blossom is not a
man Emperor Hadrian, about rose-like flower ; the leaves are
1,700 years ago; and that when also different, while, instead of
they were sown in the ground being a slender cane, the mul-
they formed new berry-tree is more like an oak.
grew, and
plants. L. Do not mulberry trees
The STRAWBERRY in its form grow to a very great age, papa?
is much like the Raspberry. What a very old tree that is in
W. Will you tell me which grandmamma's garden!
are the seeds of the strawberry ? P. Yes. They are like the
P. The seeds are contained in oak in that respect also. There
the little bodies, like pips, which are trees in this country three
are scattered over the surface or four hundred years old. The
of the fruit. These little bodies mulberry likes a warmer climate
145
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE FIG.

than England. In the south of P. The second crop w<.

France they abound, but they appearance, but does not /-i/ien
flourish best in Persia, where in our country the winters
there are large groves of mul- are too cold while the tijr- ;

berry-trees. They are culti- tree in the warmest temperate

vated principally for their climes sometimes has three
leaves, on which millions of crops of fruit they are called
silk-worms feed. the easier fig, the summer fig,
L. I have often heard of and the /;//</ tiu'.
Persian silk. In the north of Africa, in
P. The mulberry is a deli- BARBARY, and in PERSIA, such
cious fruit; it should only be fig-trees are found. Can you
picked when it is quite ripe, describe the fruit?
and drops off the tree. The Jon. Yes; I have often tasted
juice forms a beautiful syrup; a ripe fig the inside is filled
mulberry vinegar is very useful with seeds, and a rich sweet
in cases of fever, for gargling pulp.
the throat. 1'. I think I once told you that
this fruit, like one or two others,
L. Is not the Fig one of the contains sufficient sugar to pre-
fruits of the temperate cli- serve itself. The figs become
mates ? so ripe as to fall ofi' easily and :

P. Yes; and we will talk we read in the book of the pro-

next of THE FIG.
The condition of a fig-tree
depends very much upon the
climate in which it is grown.
phet NAIH M (iii. 12), that they
"fall into the mouth of the -ater
upon being shaken."
II The fig is very dinerent
".

In England the fruit will ripen. from the strawberry the seeds
In Scotland, which is a colder are all inside instead of outside.
country than England, it has What tribe of plants does it

to be cultivated under a glass. belong to?

In the south of Europe not only I'. You will be surprised to
will the fruit ripen, but the tree hear that it
belongs to the
will yield tico crops per year. NETTLE TRIIIE. The /"<'/, and
These crops are called the the Mulberry tree, which we
summer, and the winter figs. have been talking about, the
In the autumn, just as the sum- Breadfruit tree, the ///< plant.
mer begin to ripen, the
figs and the Nettle, all form one
winter rigs appear. Soon after tribe.
Cliri-tiiuis, <>r by the ciul "I II'. How can such ditVcrcnt-
January, these figs are ripe, looking plants form one tribe,
ami it is said that they arc
tin 'ii picked as "delicious P. It is because they all pos-
morsels." sess certain important features
have seen a fig-tree,
I which cannot lie found in other
papa; and have seen the .-.cci>n<l plants. P.nt these I cannot
crop begin to grow, \\henthc explain now.
1it>t-crop fig.> were verv large. L. Does not the Gooseberry
146
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. GOOSEBERRY, CRANBERRY, ETC.

belong to this tribe, papa? Its

:

taste very different.

is In
seeds are inside like those of i
Russia grows wild the j uice
it ;

the fig. is made into wine the leaves,

;
'

P. No. Let us talk of that too, are used as tea. They are
fruit next. also found in the colder parts
of the mountains at the north
79. THE GOOSEBERRY of India, and in North America,
TRIBE. a very different part of the
world.
The GOOSEBERRY belongs to L. Do CRAXBERRIKS belong
the Gooseberry tribe, and in the to the gooseberry tribe, papa?
same tribe are the Red, White, They are very much like cur-
and Black Currant. These rants.
plants truly belong to the tem- P. No. They are very dif-
perate climes. They cannot ferent plants. They grow in
endure the heat of the tropics ; the fens and bogs of Norfolk,
they are, I believe, natives of Lincolnshire, Westmoreland,
Britain, where they flourish &c. The plants require plenty
better than in any other country. of water, and are always found
Some gooseberries grown in by the side of little rills they ;

this country have been known will not grow in stagnant water.
to weigh from an ounce to an Cranberries are brought by
ounce and a half. In Lanca- the hogshead from America.
shire gooseberry-show meetings The Russian cranberries are
are often held, and prizes are also famous. There the plants
given for the largest specimens are so hardy that the berries
of fruit. There are red and are not gathered until after
white gooseberries, as well as the winter, and they are so
red and white currants pro- plentiful that the snow is often
perly, there are four divisions, stained crimson by the berries
the red, yellow, green, and which are crushed when the
white. sledges pass over them.
W. I can tell you a peculiarity The cranberry is useful for
of the gooseberry, papa; it is tarts, puddings, and a kind of
one of the earliest fruits; it marmalade.
comes in after the rhubarb.
P. That is because we use 80. OLIVE TRIBE. THE
it in an unripe state for the
;

gooseberry plant bears so The OLIVE is another fruit

abundantly that, like the fig, we of the temperate countries.
may get two crops from it the Like the gooseberry, it gives
ripe and the unripe crop. name to a tribe of plants. They
Currants are not eaten until are a larger set of plants than
they are ripe, but they come the gooseberry tribe, such as
into use next to the goose- the Ash, and 'the Lilac. The
berries. The black currant is Privet, which is used to form
a species quite distinct from hedges to gentlemen's gardens,
i

the white or red; and the is another of the order. j

A
147
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. TUB OLIVE TRINE.

curious proof of the relationship Kedron, on the supposed place

of the olive and the ash is, that of Gethsemane, which, it is
they will graft well together. believed, were growing in our
Warm dry countries are the Saviour's days.
most suitable for the olive, such W. Did
the Jews use olive
as the South of France, Spain, oil for food,as we do?
Italy, Palestine, and the North P. Yes, for the same pur-
of Africa ; the beautiful plain poses as we use butter, lard, or
of Athens is almost covered gravy. They preferred it to
with olive-trees. animal food, and indeed in the
The most important produce present day you may see many
of the tree is the oil, which is a Jew eating fish which has
eaten with salad in England, been preserved in olive oil.
and as food in other countries. The wood of the olive is very
As it was first imported to useful for ornamental pur-
England from Florence, it is poses.
here called Florence oil; some-
times Flask oil, from its being MANXA is an article of food
generally kept in flasks. which we may mention here,
Perhaps there is no plant so for it is produced from the
much mentioned in Scripture Afanna Ash, one of the olive
as the olive. The olive branch tribe. It is procured by
was brought to Noah by the making a cut in the bark
dove, when sent out of the ark about three
;
inches long, when
thus it was the emblem of peace it exudes like the gum from the
to man and it was afterwards cherry-tree.
;
When dry it is
adopted as the emblem of peace white and sugary, and is
by the ancient Greeks. They used as an "opening medicine."
had a fable that it was given The leaves of the common ash
to the world by Minerva, the have properties very much like
goddess of wisdom. that of manna.
In the history of the Israelites
we learn how the tree flour- You have not mentioned
L.
ished in Palestine. Moses di- the Vine yet, papa; that will
rected the attention of the grow well in temperate coun-
Israelites to it, for he knew tries.
that its cultivation would yield P. Yes; but, like the olive,
a great profit. Both olives and it
]
(refers the warmer countries
figs are often mentioned toge-
it the. South of Europe. In
ther; and "olive-yards" appear Spain very luxuriant, and
it is
to have been as abundant as rom the vines which grow
vineyards. It was from the iround the city of Malaga, we
Mount of Olives that our lave a good supplv of ruim'iis.
Saviour ascended ; and in the In Greece and the Ionian
isles,
<ianliTi of Gethscmane, on that there are vines producing a
inoiint, He prayed and wept. small species of grape; the.se
There are now some ancient are dried, and when sold by
olive-trees, near the brook he grocers are called currants.
148
 ll!l!l III! IIMIIIMI Mill

ARTICLES OP FOOD. THE ORANGE TRIBE.

We will talk more of the vine and they are then packed in
when we speak of the article boxes.
WINE. W. How is it that it keeps
so long, papa, even after it is
81. THE CHANGE TRIBE. brought to England?
P. Because of certain impor-
ORANGES and LEMONS must tant qualities it contains. The
not be left out of our of thick rind resists the changes of
list
fruits. Although they strictly heat and cold. This rind is a
belong to the tropics, they will very interesting subject; it con-
grow in the warmer temperate tains an acrid taste, which is a
climes. No fruit is imported to defence from the attacks of
our country in such quantities insects ; it also contains much
;

it is supposed that 172,000,000 oil, so that the juice inside can-

or more are consumed in Eng- not easily evaporate through it ;
land every year; this number this oil also prevents the air
allows a dozen oranges per from penetrating and decom-
annum to each individual. posing the fruit.
In ST. MICHAEL'S L. I can see now why the
L. Where is St. Michael's, oranges are so carefully wrapped
papa? up in leaves if the rind should
;

P. If you get your map of the be injured the orange would be

Western Hemisphere and look spoilt.
for the Azores, or Western P. That is partly the reason.
Islands, you will find them a The smell of the orange is very
long way off from the tropics, nice it is truly aromatic ; the
;

near the 40th degree north. St. taste is sweet, acid, and also
Michael's is one of the largest slightly aromatic. The trees
of the Azores. One of the are beautiful objects; the bright
orange trees there has been green leaves are smooth and
known to produce 20,000 shining, and the flowers are
oranges fit for use, besides about white and fragrant. As the
five or six thousand damaged plant blossoms all the summer,
or waste. On account of the there may be seen the leaves,
extraordinary fruitfulness of the flowers, the buds, and the
these trees, they are sold in fruit, all growing at the same
England almost as cheaply as time. In fact, the fruit in every
the apples which grow in "the stage may be seen at once, on
country itself. one tree.
The fruit is gathered when Oranges were introduced to
it
is green for if it were allowed the South of Europe from China
to ripen, it would spoil before and India.
it reached England, and the Ion, I have heard of China
tree would only bear a crop oranges before.
every other year. The gather- P. The Spaniards introduced
ing season begins in October, them to the New World so
and ends in December. Each that now they grow in the
orange is wrapped up in a leaf, West Indies, America, the
149
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE LEMON, WALNUT.

Azores, and Spain and Portu- Before leaving the subject of

gal; they also flourish in the fruits, we must just allude to
island of Malta. the NUT.
The tree was introduced into
Spain by the Moors. Near 82. THE WALNUT.
Cordova there are trees 6^0 or
700 years old, and in some The walnut
is the favourite

parts the extensive orchards nut-bearing tree with me!

have formed the principal reve- What a line hearty fellow a
nue of the monks for ages. walnut-tree is! He grows to a
There are several kinds of good height with large spread-
orange. The Seville orange (or ing branches; the trunk is thick
Seville Biyarade) has a hitter and massive, and is covered
taste ; the skin is used to make with a deeply furrowed bark.
marmalade, and candied orange The broad leaves are light and
peel. graceful, and of a brignt yel-
lowish green colour and the
The LEMON is another fruit fruit, I dare say you can say a
of the orange tribe. I need good word for that!
not describe it to you. Tell Indeed, all parts of the tree
me how it differs from the are useful. Of the timber from
orange? the trunk- we shall speak another
W. First, in shape it is day; the sap of the trunk con-
almost oval instead of spherical. tains a large quantity of sugar,
Secondly, in colour it is a and in some countries the trunk
lighter yellow than that of the is often tapped, and the sap is
orange. made into a wine or spirit. The
Thirdly, in taste it is more /((//is have a peculiar aromatic.
acid than the orange. odour when bruised, and a
L. And, fourthly, in its uses rather hitter quality, which is
you have not studied cook- useful in medicine; when dead,
cry. Willie. It is used to eat they are collected and burned
with pancakes; to flavour applc- for the i>otash contained in their
tarts and jellies; to make ashes.
punch and lemonade; and it is The same bitter quality
used also to form a cooling drink is found in the. green husk of
tor invalids. the fruit, and in the skin of the
P. And you may add, it N kernel. There must be some-
sometimes taken with mil. the thing nice in this quality, for
juice being squeezed into the anglers boil the leaves and
meat. It is al-o used with Im-ks in water, and pour the
turtle, the bitter in the rind and juice on the earth, in order to
the acid of the pulp being use- procure worms, which quickly
ful for digestion. rise to the surface for it. The
There are other fruits in the fruit however, the be.t part.
is,

orange tribe, such as the CITRON, It i> useful in

every stage of its
t'ieI, IMF. the SHADDOCK, and jTouth. When young and
the Kui;i!ii.i.i.N FKUIT. green it is used as a pickle, and
150
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE WALNUT, CHESTNUT.

was at one time boiled in sugar fruit is beaten off the tree with
as a sweetmeat. a long pole for it is said that
;

W. That is like the GREEN the beating is good for the

GINGER. tree's health. Lately, however,
P. True but we generally
;
eat certain unbelieving people have
the fruit when it is ripe. When ventured to say that the beating
the skin of the kernel can be injures the tree, and that it is
easily removed, the fruit is better to let the fruit drop off,
wholesome and nutritious, but or pick it.
when the kernels are old and
dry, so that the skins stick to 83. THE CHESTNUT, &c.
them, they are indigestible.
You would not suppose that The CHESTNUT is another
they would become an article good fruit. In the Physical Geo-
of daily food graphy lessons of PLEASANT
Ion. I should have thought PAGES, you had an account
that they are not wholesome of the splendid chestnut-trees
enough for that. on Mount Etna.
P. But, I have read in the L. Yes, I remember the
" CHESTNUT-TREE OF A HUNDRED
Penny Cyclopedia," where I
found these particulars about HORSES. You said that a string,
the walnut-tree, that in many to surround it, must be as long
parts of France, Spain, Italy, as a street containing ten mid-
and Germany, the people live dle-sized houses I forget the
entirely on walnuts during the number of feet in length.
picking season. P. I said that the tree is 163
In those countries walnut- feet in circumference. The
trees are far more important chestnut-trees even live to a
than in England; there is a greater age than the walnut-
certain district on the Rhine trees those on Mount Etna
which is almost entirely planted are said to have lived several
with them; and it is said that thousand years. The " tree of
" no
to this day young farmer a hundred horses" is said to
living there, can marry a wife be the oldest tree in the world
until he proves that he is father age has been calculated
its
to a certain number of walnut- at about 5,200 years.
trees." The chestnut does not belong
L. Have you told us all the to the same order as the wal-
uses of the walnut, papa? nut. The order (Corylacce) in-
P. In another place I shall cludes the Chestnut, Hazel-nut,
have to speak of the walnut Filbert, the Horse Chestnut, the
oil. The seeds are nutritious Oak, the Beech, and others.
because they contain so much You may know them, 1st, be-
albumen, which I told you is cause they all yield valuable
the substance that forms the timber; 2nd, by the peculiar
fibrin of the blood. The mode kind of flowers called catkins,
of gathering walnuts in this which hang from the male
country is rather peculiar. The plants ; and from the fruit
151
 AKTICLES OF FOOD. FRUIT-BEARING PLANTS.

being called either nut, mast, In the Nettle tribe are found
or acorn the MULBERRY and the FIG.
L. I have heard of beech- In the Gooseberry tribe ve
mew*, but I never knew before, have Gooseberry, and the
the
that it was the fruit of the Black, White, and Rtd CUR-
beech. I have read that pigs RANTS. The CRANBERRY resem-
eat it, as they eat the acorn of blts die currant, but belongs to a
the oak. different tribe.
The Olive tribe contains the
P. The other nuts grown and OLIVE-TKEE, which is of very
eaten in temperate countries, great importance in Palestine and
are the FILBERT, the HAZEL, the South of Europe it also con-
and the BARCELONA scrs. Most tains the MANNA ASH, fn-m
of these yon are acquainted with, which mnnita is procured, the
so that we will not go into their LILAC, PINES, $r.
history now. The Brazil and The Orange tribe supplies us
Cocoa nut, is brought from the with .
tiie ORANGE, LEMON,
tropics ; all these nuts contain CITRON, LIMB, and other beau-
oil. tiful fruits.
/.. Now,
papa, shall we make There are also different kinds
a lesson on the different /rui'tof of Nuts, such as the WALNUT,
P. Perhaps it would be as CHESTNUT. HAZEL, FII.HERT,
well to make a list of their BARCELONA, and BRAZIL nuts.
names, that you may commit
them to memory. W. Now, shall we learn of
the animal food from the tem-
Lesson 16. ARTICLES OF FOOD. perate countries?
/'. We
have not quite finish-
(Temperate Countries.) ed the account of the vegetable
foods. I have on my li-t two
THE FOOD SUPPLIED or three liquids whirh are used
BY THE FRUIT-DEAR- to an enormous extent. They
ING PLANTS. are used too much to please me.
L. Please let us hear their
The principal fruit-bearing names.
plants are those belonging to the J'. I JEER, WINE, and SPIRITS;
ROSE TRIBE, such as tiie APPLE, and we have a better liquid,
PEAR, QUINCE, and MEDLAR, which will lead us to the ani-
vrith seeds container/ in a horny mal kingdom, MILK.
case called a "core;" and the W. Then please tell ns some-
PKACH, APRICOT, NECTARINE, thing about these liquids, espe-
1'i.i M. CHERRY, and ALMOND;
cially their qualities.
the seeds of which are found in a
harder case called a "stone." 84. BEEK.
This division of the Rose-like
plants is called the Almond tribe. P. "Thank ye for a drop of
The other rose-like plants are beer, sir?" Do you know who
the Raspberry and Strawberry. says that?
152
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. BEER.

W. Yes, the coalmen say so, is made some

;
of these vats will
when they bring the coals. hold three or four thousand bar-
Ion. And so does a porter rels each. Lastly, when you
when he has been cam-ing a have counted up all the other
box. vessels of vast size, the mash-
W. And the dustman. tuns, coppers, and boilers, go
L. And the chimney sweep. look at the thousands and tens
Ion. And the gardener the of thousands of small, middle-
man who mows the grass plot sized, and huge barrels, butts,
in front of the house asked me puncheons, &c., and if you take
for some the other day ; but I time enough to see them, you
had'nt any money. will come away filled with as-
P. And there are many more tonishment at the scale on
who like beer, but that does not which matters are conducted.
prove that it is good for them;You might wonder how even
the general rule is, that the London, with all her inhabi-
foods we like best are the tants, could consume such quan-
most injurious. tities; but your wonder would
But one more word to show be increased on hearing that
how much beer people drink. this is only one of aboiit a
There is a certain beer- dozen giant establishments in
making establishment in Lon- London, besides hundreds of
don a " Brewery," I should smaller breweries. Then you
call it. It belongs to Messrs. might he tempted to ask, How
BARCLAY, PERKINS, and Co. is it that people can drink so
This establishment occupies much beer?
a space of no less than eight W. Well, how is it? I don't
or nine acres of ground. Just drink any.
think of your uncle's field, P. We shall see soon but ;

which measures five acres, and
you can easily imagine how
large a space this brewery
covers !
But the size of the establish-
hear how the people of BAVARIA
drink beer.
Where is Bavaria, papa?
Ion.
P. Bavaria is one of the
kingdoms of Germany you may ;

ment would not give you a pro-
per idea of the quantity of beer
made there. You must go and
look at the great malt bins.
There are twenty or thirty of
them, and each bin is about as
high as a house. Then you may
go to the cisterns where the water
is kept for boiling the malt some
:
of these gigantic cisterns supply
a hundred thousand gallons per
day without becoming empty.
After that go to the vats, in
which the beer is kept when it
find it on your map of Europe.
Like the English, "the devo-
tion of the people to beer is
such, that they resort to the
cellarsand large beer-shops in
crowds, to drink. The conver-
sation of the citizens constantly
runs upon the quantity and
quality of the annual brewing.
At the beginning of the beer
season there is everywhere seen
the most surprising anxiety to
discover where the best beer is
to be had, and the favourite
153
ARTICLES OF FOOD. BEER.
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. BEER.

But the brewer had his
opinion, so he proceeded with his
work. He drained the wort from
the hops and poured it into
several tubs, and proceeded^)
cool it as quickly as possible.
When the wort was properly
cooled it was strained again
own L.And is this the way beer
is always made, papa?
P. I can't say. I know that
this is the way my aunt's brewer
made it. I have never seen it
made at Barclay and Perkins',
but I have heard that in no
two counties of England is ex- \

into a large vat, and then came
another fermenting. A
little
yeast was put into the vat, and
that set the whole of the wort
actly the same plan followed.
Besides, there are several kinds
of beer. The light malt is used
tomake ale, and the dark brown |

in motion. All the particles malt is used to make porter. <

began to change; the sugar After the malt has been boiled,
was changed into a spirit called and the wort has been poured
alcohol, and the nutritious part away, it is usual to add fresh
of the barley juice, that which water and boil it up again this ;

contained the gluten, was decoction is of course weaker,

changed into yeast. How I and forms what is called small
stood by the side of the vat and beer, or table-beer.
watched it! The particles of Ion. There are several pro-
gluten which were thus being cesses for making beer; I have
changed, rose to the surface in been counting them 1st, the
a white froth, and soon the malting of the barley; 2nd,
froth rose so quickly that it the grinding; 3rd, the mashing;
formed a thick substance like 4th, the boiling 5th, the boil- ;

pudding; this was called yeast. ing with hops; 6th, the cool-
As fast as the yeast thickened ing; 7th, the fermenting; and
on the top, the brewer skimmed 8th, the clearing and fining.
it off, and took care of it. Now, papa, you have not told
W. What for? us why beer is not a good drink?
L, I can tell you that, Willie. P. Because it is unwhole-
Yeast is used by the baker in some. I told you in our lesson
making bread. What kind of on the corn plants,* that the
a fermentation do you call that, gluten of the barley is the part
papa? You say it changed the which contains albumen, and j

sugar into alcohol, and the forms the flesh, or fibre of the j

gluten into yeast. barley. Now, by the fermen-

P. That is called the Vinous tation, this gluten was nearly
fermentation, from the Latin all destroyed.
word vinum, wine. It changed W. Yes; you said it was
the beer into wine, for beer may changed into yeast.
be called a " malt-wine." P. And
in our lesson on
The lastprocess was the sugar, I said that it supplies
fining or clearing ; isinglass carbon, which forms heat within
was used for the purpose, and the bodv.
something else, but I forget
'
what. Page 105.
155
 ARTICLES OP FOOD. nEKR.

Ion. /remember that! these " grains" are used to feed

P. But by this fermentation, the great dray-horses of the
the sugar is changed into alco- brewers.
hol, a spirit which supplies heat L. Are you quite sure, papa,
far more quickly than sugar. So that there is so little nourish-
that if your blood circulates ment in beer ? The doctor
slowly, and yon feel cold, if you ordered mamma to take it. He
drink a glass of beer, its alcohol said she was to drink it, because
will soon make you warm and she was nursing baby.
lively. P. I cannot speak from my
Ion. Then alcohol is a good own observation, because I am
thing? not a chemist. But I have
P. Only on very rare occa- spoken to you before of a jrrcat
sions, for alcohol is too heating, German chemist, named LUHj
and injures the nerves, just as vou shall hear what he says.
tea does. If you take very You heard of the fine Bava-
much, it will cause your blood rian bter, and I said that nearly
to circulate very quickly, your all the nutritious quality of the

body will become very warm, malt is destroyed in making it.

and your nerves and brain Now, hear how very nearly it is
will become so excited, that destroyed. M. Liebig says :

you will think strange thoughts,

and say strange words, and do "We can prove, with mathe-
matical certainty, that as much
strange things, and people will
flour as can lie on the point of a
say to you table-knife is more nutritions than
W. They'll say, "You are
five measures (eipht or teu quarts ?)
drunk!" of the beet Bavarian beer !"
L. Or intoxicated, Willie;
" drunk" a rude word.
is What do you think of that?
W. Is it? And then he makes the follow-
P. Another bad part of the
ing calculation:
beer's history is the shameful
waste it causes. About ten "And we can prove that a per-
years ago, between forty and
son who consumes daily that
bushels of barley
million amount of beer, obtains from it in
fifty
a whole year, in the most favour-
were annually used for malting.
able case, exactly the amount of
Think, now, of the ten thou- nonrixhmetit in a five-pound loaf
sands of starving men in this
country 1
They cry for nourish-
ment for their bony frames, Now, cipht quarts per day,
yet the nutritious gluten, which for 365 days, are 2,920 quarts.
God has placed in this barley, Therefore, '2,920 quarts "best
is nearly all destroyed and
turned into yeast. The most nu- *
Familiar Letters on Chemistry.
tritious substance in a brewery London :
By Justus von Liebig.
is the grain of the malt after it Taylor & Walton a book to be
has been boiled the gluten studied by every head of a family.
cannot be quite boiled out, and Price 6s.
156
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. WINE.

Bavarian beer" are only equal any one is warmed, his blood
to five pounds of bread. circulates more quickly, and we
Do you think now that beer is " a little more
say that he has
" nutritious? " In another life in him ;" the more quickly
part
of his book M. Liebig shows our blood circulates the more
When " life" we are said to
why it is not. speaking have.
of the gluten in the barley, he L. You told us, papa, that
" when the circulation of the blood
says, that separated as
yeast during the fermentation, produces warmth, because it
it is lost for the purpose of nu- causes the carbon in the body
trition." I think I mentioned to burn.
that to you in my account of Ion. And the blood is the
the brewing process. In ano- life, because it contains the
" that which supports our
ther part he says, every nourishment
year, in the breweries of Wir- body.
"temburg (the capital of Bavaria), P. Let us see what this has
the gluten which rises when to do with wine. The warmth
making the sweet-wort weighs of the body depends on the
30,000 cwt., and would make circulation of the blood; and
17,000 cwt. of bread." All the circulation of the blood
this might relieve the hunger depends upon the food.
of the poor. How painful, then, L. Yes and you said that
;

is the thought of the more than the most heating food is the
forty million bushels of barley food which supplies our blood
wasted annually in England! with carbon, to be burned with
W. I think we had better the oxygen we breathe.
leave the subject of beer, papa. P. True. Nearly all foods
Will you see if you can make supply this carbon, but there is
anything better of wine? none that acts upon the blood
P. Let us try. so quickly as a spirit called
alcohol, which is found in wine.

85. WINE. The action of this spirit on the

blood can be felt almost imme-
I have a friend who drinks diately after it is taken.
wine. One evening I saw him And now, hear about my
do it. But before we say a friend who drinks wine. One
word about that, let me tell you he had some work
evening
something. do which required hard
to
It is written in the Scriptures,
bodily labour. He worked
" the blood is the life"
(Deut. away very briskly, for he was
xii. 23), and we often show that full of life, and the blood cir-

by our own expressions. When culated so quickly that the

any one's blood circulates carbon consumed not only
slowly, his body becomes rather came out of his mouth, in
cold, and we say that he is not breath, but came through his
lively and when it entirely skin in perspiration; then he
;

ceases to circulate, his body is was very warm and was full of
quite cold and dead. When life. But his blood could not
157
 AKTICLES OF FOOD. WINK.

be always consuming carbon in try another glass but he did

;

this way in the course of an

;
not now go on with his work so
hour it circulated slowly again, well he stopped to make
:

and he looked tired. So he merry, and to take another and

took a glass of wine, to " put then another glass it did him
a little life into him." so much good, he said.
L. Did it do so? W. And how did his blood
P. Yes; the alcohol in that circulate by this time ?
wine seemed to stir up his blood P. Very rapidly indeed ;
it
once more, and make it circu- now circulated so quickly that
late briskly it stimulated him, it seemed to set his brain in a

as we say (from the Latin whirl; he could not sec dearly

stimiilare, to stir up). what he was doing; he did not
W. So even know his head from his
that a glass of wine
is"stimulating." heels; and when he got up to
P. Soon after he took ano- take another glass, "just to
ther glass; and that made his dear his sight," he could not
blood circulate so quickly thatwalk properly, but fell down.
it warmed, and refreshed him. Poor man, he had taken far too
r
ll Ho that two glasses of much of that wine! he was
.

wine are stimulatingand " re- intoxicated.

freshing." Ion. Ah, that was foolish!
P. The two glasses only but suppose that he had taken
made him feel warm, but he some more, what would have
took a third glass; this was not been its "effects?"
refreshing, for it heatedhis body. P. It would have brought
W. So that three glasses are him into a state of stupidity
stimulating, refreshing, and it would have stupijied him, as
" *
we
heating." say.
P. As he proceeded with his IK. That makes two more

work, he thought he required qualities. Wine is intoxicating

a fourth glass, and took it. and "
stupifying." Suppose
This caused his blood to circu- when he had made himself
late faster than ever; his brain stupid, he had taken some more,
and nerves were excited his \\liat would it have done?
;

eyes sparkled, he began to talk P. It would have made him

and get merry, and he felt go to sleep. So that you may
in what he called "very good say again, wine is "slci-pityinj:."

s|>irlts." We say that lie was <S. But, papa, if some one had
1

now exhilarated (from the Latin shaken him to awake him, and
word ////are, to make merry). had given him a great deal
Jon. Then the fourth glass more, what then?
was "exhilarating." The \\m\- P. Then it would have had
<

ities of wine are very much like such an effect on his brain, that
those we learned in our lesson it would have rendered the poor
on C.H 1:1:. i man mud.
/'. lie soon became so exhi- And if, when in a mad state,
laraie.l that he thought he would he still madly drank alcohol,
158
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. WINE.

there would surely come upon ment; thus he is more likely

him the last effect it would be to take too much.
fatal. W. We did not put down all
Now us count up the
let the good qualities wine, of
qualities of the wine, or rather, papa; it has a sharp, pleasant
its effects ;
and see whether you taste, then it is brig/it, clear,
like it better than beer. WINE sparkling, and of a rosy and
is stimulating, refreshing, heat- beautiful colour.
ing, exhilarating, intoxicating, P Those are good qualities,
stupifying, sleepifying, madden- but do not be tempted by them.
ing, and fatal. The scriptures say
Ion. I think that WINE may " Look not
be either a good thing or a bad upon the wine when
If you take a little, it
it isred, when it giveth his colour
thing. in the cup .... At the last it
may refresh you, and if you biteth like a serpent, and stingeth
take too much, it will kill you. like an adder."
P. I may as well tell you,
that the wine was not neces- We have spent so much time
sary to stimulate the man. If over the qualities of wine that
he felt cold and tired, he should there is not much time for its
have taken nutritious food, that history.
would have set his blood in Wine, generally speaking, is
circulation, and have warmed the juice of the grape. In the
him. One reason why men southern countries of Europe,
take beer and wine is, because, the south of France, Spain,
as I told you, their alcohol acts Portugal, Italy, Greece; in
upon the blood almost directly; Switzerland, Germany, and on
while solid food, and other li- the banks of the Rhine, vines
quids, require some time before grow luxuriantly. They grow
they can become a part of the on terraces on the mountain-
"
blood. side, or in vineyards."
W. Then, only a little
if There a very great differ-
is
alcohol be taken, I suppose it ence grapes and wines
in
is more useful than solid food, according to the soil and
because it acts sooner? climate. The grapes of the
P. It need only be taken in north of Europe, where the
rare cases, where the stomach climate is cold, are deficient
is weak and cannot easily in sugar, while the grapes
digest the food. of the warm south have so
L. Or when any one is ex- much sugar that it actually
hausted ?
1

crystallizes. The degree of

P. True, but if
strong and well, he often finds
this difference between alcohol
and solid food; the more alco-
hol he has the more he requires
the appetite returns sooner than
if he had taken real nourish-
a man be richness and sweetness does
not depend wholly upon heat.
In England grapes do not ripen
well from the humidity (damp-
; ness) of the climate. As the
autumn advances, the damp
vapours which rise from the sea
159
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. WINK.

intercept the sun's rays, and i other palms. We have n wine

has been found that for ripen- from the apple, called cider, and
ing fruit the light is as neces another from the pear, called
sary as the heat of the sun. A perry. NORMANDY is an extra-
quiescent state of the air also as- ordinary place for apples: 1
sists very much, and in
Eng- have read that, in one part, for
land this is acquired liv sur- more than sixty miles, the
rounding each bunch with a country is one continued avenue
muslin bag. A high wall serve of apple and pear trees. These
the same purpose; it protects home-made wines arc called
from the wind and stills the air. "sweets" by the Excise, and
The vines around Worms, in they are not so injurious as
Germany, are very superior, those made from the grape.
from the height of the city wall. They contain more nourish-
The season for glutting ment, and less alcohol.
"
grapes is called the vintage."
The grapes when gathered are W. I have heard, papa, that
taken to a wine-press, where many Germans and French
the juice is squeezed into large drink wine every day at their
wooden troughs. The sugar oi meals, just as we drink water
the juice undergoes the rin and beer.
fermentation, like the sugar ol P. That is true and we must
;

sweet wort, and thus becomes not leave our subject without
WINE. doing justice to the famous
There are many different UIII.MMI WINES. They contain
kinds of wine. From S[>;iiii we far less alcohol than those we
have Sherry and Mountain /' drink, while their sugar
; is
from Portugal, Port wine; from almost as nutritions as the
France, Burgundy, Chsini/Mii/m; sugar-cane itself.* M. Lichig
and Claret ; from Germany, says of these wines, that " they
the wines from the banks of the are distinguished by
producing
Rhine, called Wtenish wines. the least injurious ctVeet. The
True wine is the juice of the quantity consumed by persons
grape; but fermented wines are of all ages without injury to
also made from other fruits. their health, is
hardly credible.
We have the British or home- Gout, and similar diseases, are
made wines from the gooseberry, nowhere more rare than in the
currant, cowslip, orange, raisin, wine-drinking district. In no
and from ginger. Wine may be part of Germany are the
made from any part of a plant apothecaries' shops so profit-
containing sugar from beet- less as in the rich cities on the

roof, from tap. Khine; for there wine is the

L. You told us that wine is
made from the sap of the wal-
nut-tree, papa.
P. True; it may also he
made from the item of the birch ;
universal medicine. it is con-
sidered as ' milk' for th>
The people of this district are
so merry, that they arc called

from the cocoa-nut, and many Page 66.

160
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. BRANDY, ETC.

'the jovial Rhinelanders'; and drops form a tablespoonful of

'

it issaid that a 'valiant Bren- fluid, what would you call it?
,
ner' drinks every day his seven L. I should call it the Alcohol
bottles of wine, and with it of wine.
grows as old as Methuselah; lie Jon. Or the Spirit of wine;
. is seldom drunk, and the
only that name would do as well.
mark by which he is known is P. Right; because it /* the
his red nose." alcohol of wine, and this alco-
hol or spirit of wine we call
86. BRANDY, &c. Brandy.
W. But why not call it "Spi-
The word Alcohol \s supposed rit of Wine"? That would be
to be an Arabic word, and the best name for it.
means ardent spirit. It consists P. Because there are spirits
of three gases oxygen, hydro- made from other substances.
gen, and carbon. The word BRANDY is derived
Jon. Those are the gases from the German, branuiwcin,
which sugar is composed of. which means burnt-wine. GIN
P. True. I was going on to is the spirit of Juniper-berries.

say that alcohol is obtained from RUM is a spirit made from mo-
sugar by the vinous fermenta- lasses, the part of the sugar-cane
tion. Indeed, you heard in the juice which will not crystallize.
previous lessons that the sugar WHISKY is distilled from bar-
of malt and of the grape is ley. Alcohol may also be ob-
changed into alcohol. These tained from anything which has
gases, therefore, are found in sugar or starch. The French
the alcohol, but not in the same procure it from carrots, pears,
proportions. &c., and call such spirits Eau
the alcohol in the wine
It is de vie. But
the true brandy
which renders it intoxicating; (which can be procured only
and brandy differs from wine in from wine) is called Wine Eau
being the alcohol itself, sepa- de vie.
rated from the sugar, water, or Eau de vie means " water of
other matters in the wine. life." The Irish call alcohol
TV. How is it separated, papa ? Usque-Laugh, which means the
P. It is separated by a pro- same thing.
cess called distillation. To dis- The English first called it
tila fluid it must be heated, Aqua vita-, which is the Latin
and the most volatile parts then for "water of life."

fly off in vapour. The intoxi- The Indians called it by the

cating alcohol is the most vola- expressive name Fire icat.tr;
tile part of wine, so that when for being the pure intoxicating
the wine is heated this alcohol principle, it burns and injures
flies off invapour. The vapour the stomach almost as much as
is collected in a vessel, and. iire would.
as it cools, it forms drops, just Ion. generally call suchWe
as the steam does on the lid of things SIMRITS, papa; do we
a saucepan so when these not?
;

161
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. STRONG

P. Yes; brandy, gin. ruin. Therefore, in order to make

whi>ky. and other kinds of men i/nitf surf that thev art-
Kan de vie," are all called speaking the truth. T\vn nior-
Spirits. the most intoxicating SANI> of the best medical men
and injurious of all drinks. in this country have given this

opinion of such food:

Before we leave the subject " Total
abstinence from alco-
of spirits, we will once more holic liquors and intoxicating
j

think over their effect*. What beverages of all sort-, would

were the last effects I mentioned greatly contribute to the health,
!

when we spoke of the glass of the prosperity, the morality,

j

wine? and the happiness of the human

L. Yon said that it was race." ;

poisonous and fat/if. Now, do you know what yon

J '. And bringing ruin and the ought to d'o when yon hear
most horrible misery to thou- this? Would you not like to
\

sands and tens of thousands. contribute to the happiness of

1

It is said that "drunkenness the human race ?

destroys more than the sword." L. Yes. I should.

This is true of one of our articles P. Then you should abstain
of food, therefore we must not from such drinks. I have
let it pass unnoticed. heard you complain that you
I would not try to describe to cannot be of use; that yon
you the horrors of the gin cannot serve Clod by buying
palace; you would be too much Bibles for the henthen that ;

shocked. You shall only hear you cannot preach to the hea-
the words of the judyts of tlii> then; that you cannot teach
country, who have to deal with ignorant people.
the wickedness which strong L. Yes; I often say that.
drink causes: P. Now let me show you that
JUDOB COLBRIDOE: "There i* you can. There is only one
to teach that is by
scarcely a crime comes before me good way
tliut i* not.
directly or indirectly, i.rniii^lf.
Poor people believe
caused l.y utrontj tlrhik." insuch teaching: they say that
JCDOB UOKUBT: " Every criino is real, therefore they learn
ling its ori'.'in, more or lets, in from it.
irmnkt*
JuixtB I'ATTBSOK: "If it were
Dip you know what is meant
by a million
not for tli it ilrinkinij. you nho pou:nl>;'
IT. Ye it mean- a
: thousand
jury mid J should Lave nothing to
Jo."
hundred taken ten times. Ten
times a hundred time- a thou-
L. But, papa, suppose that sand times! So many pounds
all people were to abstain from would be a great deal of
spirits, a- well as beer, would
money.
not they be ill? /'. True. Yet all that money
/'. The
best persons to
N<>. is
paid every year to print
ask are the doctors it is their books, and support living
business to study such mutters. teachers to teach God's word
IM
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE SPIRIT OF STRONG DRINK.

to the heathen. There are will have me first! Will you

eleven large societies iu Eng- teach them to leave me ? You
land, such as the cannot !
Tltey will not hear you,
Bible Society, for you KEEP ME YOURSELVES !

Church Missionary Society, "Do ye serve Jesus? You

]\'e$leyan Missionary Society^ serve me more I Upon ye I de-
London Missionary Society, pend for they learn of you, and
;

and others. The subscribers they bring me seventy millions

to these eleven societies give per year to make them deaf. I
away every year nearly ten am ALCOHOL, I am an EVIL
hundred thousands (or one mil- SPIRIT the maddening,' 'fatal'
'

lion') pounds to spread the know- spirit of WINE, and BEER, and
ledge of God. STRONG DRINK!"
Jon. But what has that to If the evil spirit could speak,
do with the strong drinks? such, I should think, would be
P. A great deal. Or rather the words it would say. This
the strong drinks have a great destroying demon is found not
deal to do with that they make only in Britain, but all over the
;

the million pounds look very earth; as I have said, it u de-

foolish ; and they render the stroyeth more than the sword;"
people deaf, so that no one will it is the form in which the evil
hear the truth. one " goeth about like a roar-
Hear what the Spirit of Strong ing lion, seeking whom he may
Drink says! It speaks to all devour."
who love Jesus Christ and His You may see by this that
Truth. It says, there are two ways to " contri-
" I am the SPIRIT OF STRONG bute to the
happiness of the
DRINK, known by my effects, human race."
'maddening,' 'poisonous,' and L. Yes ; if I cannot give
fatal.' Ye servants of Jesus pay money, I can teach, by my own
'

one. million pounds every year to example, that others may avoid
spread the spirit of your Master; the enemy of Jesus.
but seventy million pound* are P. That you may do It is !

given every year by you and the time for you to think of such
"
people you teach that you may things and to ask, Cannot I
;

have me! If you will have me, I fight against the enemy of the
will make your million of pounds truth?"
of little avail; 1 will not spread While on the subject of fluids
for you the spirit of Jesus, but we might talk of the effervescing
I will spread hatred and vice. drinks, Ginger-beer, Lemonade,
I will spread madness and Soda-water, &c.; but I think
death; I will make the people we will be content with one
deaf, so that they cannot hear other fluid, which is sometimes
your truth. I will hinder every used with our food.
year many more than you can
help!
" Will
87. VINEGAR.
you teach them to have
Jesus ? I will hinder you, for they Y"ou have heard of the sac-
163
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. VINEGAR.
" ami
chorine fermentation and the ore artificial." a
vinous fermentation. If wine be different in their effects from
|

exposed, it de- composes once I u-nt, r.

more, and ferments. In this fer- Beer is a fluid prepared from

mentation an acid called acetic MALT and HOPS. J7te, tnnlt is

arid is formed, and is called bar/?!/, which mtcrgoet the aar-

This fermentation r/inrini' fi'mtentution. 77ie juice
is called the acetous fi-i nii'ntn tim,. of the barley is then mired irith
and the last which we shall kept, "in/ fenncnti'd iii/nin
is the. ;

notice. The acetic acid is really vinous fermentation producing

sour wine, and thus railed vine- beer. Thin drink w tint nutritions,
"
gar for the word vinegar" is \for tin nutritions i/nnliti/ of ///<
1

only a corruption of two French <//n// /t i.< turned into >

words, tun, wine, ami aiyre, sour. ifi-ast. ir/ii/f, tin' sin/fir is c/,'i/, i/nl
The uses of vinegar you \\ell info afro/io/. 7'/i is idrohol i/nicki us
know, it is seen so often in the tin- i-in-idation of tin /Join/, or
cruet-stand. Vin-egar has one stimulate*, OK ire fay ; and if taken|

ipialiiy, which is also found in too furt/ed/, it wt only stimulates

salt and in spirits. lint in/orii-ates.

Ion. Yes; it is conservative, CIDI-.I: mid l'i:ii;v nre two

so it is useful for pickling. ink* resemblintj /n; r. and
P. There is one more fluid I
made, from tlijni<-< of t/ic
.\/i/>/t;
worth mentioning. It does not / in' I I/it I 'tr.
belong to the vegetable king- \Vl\i-: i'.v made from f/
jnirr
dom, but. it is ninth more valu- af l/i,'
(rni/H. irlurli i/rini-.i in thi'

able than any that have yet trarm sontlrn rnnnfriiso/' /,'//-

been mentioned. It is a natural rope. SPAIN, I'"';n .. \i .

ITALY,
fluid, and is called V. (fKUMAXV. Illlll ]' \-.\--
We had several lessons on this no/,// t',,r tin ir trims. /irin- 'I'll,

subject, and you inny find them I'OKT, Slli-:i;l:v 'n VM- . (

in the lir-t volume of I'I.KASANT I-M.M .1 'l. VIM.I. <n'i!\\\ in.rMM .

I'.U.KS. I n l-'.n<f!"nd n-inis m ,

ma,
You may now mnko the lesson other fruits, such as tin-(MHI->
on the vegetable Hiinb used in ,"'i:i. CIUKANT, ORANGE,
temperate climates. I; \l~is. mid ( ilNC.KR.
II / . ma i/
In' niiidi' f'rinn l!i.i.r-
Itocvr. and uidud from mn/ iiart
Lesson 17. AKTICM or Foor>.
of <i /ifmil i-ontainiiiif sni/'ir.
HKAMIV and otln r s/n'rifs are.
(Temperate Countries.)
strotiijt r di inks tlimi ,nin tin i/

FLUIDS are ahnost ftnre.

'
afro/io/." Tin
alrnlutl is m-pnrtited Iron, tin- other
Therr are. mi-,,,i/ i 1.1 MI> nseil jimts of tin- irini- In/ a .

trith tlifir
fo<xl by the people of ,-n//'d distil/ntion."

tmijn rnli nation.-:. The. moat '/'//(

j
n/iirit \\\
M is distill, d r'roni

useful is WATKB. bemuse it\Molaste, ( Jix in distil/i-d from

it. la/.-* n in itsnatural xtntf tin- ; .Inniin-i -brrrieit, and \\n\^i\i /'.-

otlitr thrills are feruuutod liquers, distilled from

164
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. MILK, EGGS, ETC.

VINEGAR is produced by the and a nutritious sub-

ter, sugar,
third fermentation, called the casein, which is
stance called
acetous fermentation. The name very much like legumen and
vineyur is derivedfrom the French gluten.
words,
" viit" and " aiyre." L. At the same lime it is

very nice,
P. And I showed yon, too,
that it very plentiful; it is
is

CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. supplied not only in the tropics,

but even in cold Lapland the
RAW MATERIALS, ANIMAL SUB- Rein-deer gives milk.
STANCES USED AS FOOD. In the Great Exhibition there
are specimens of preserved milk,
I have also seen some powdered
(Temperate Climates.)
milk. The milk was dried, and
P. As we finished our course the solid substance thus formed
i on vegetable substances with a would, if dissolved, again form
fluid, we will begin the history milk.
of the animal foods with a fluid.
89. EGGS, BUTTER, AND
88. MILK. CHEESE.
P. This the principal nu-
is EGGS are very popular arti-
tritious fluidfound in nature. cles of food. They are scarcely
You heard of its qualities a long less useful than milk.
time ago in our lessons in the As you have already had a
first volume of PLEASANT lesson on the Egg,* I will only
PAGES. add one particular as to the
You learned that it is not quantity used. The greater part
found in birds or fishes, but only are brought into this country
in those animals which suckle from France, and no less than
their young, and are called from 70 to 75 millions are an-
MAM M ALS. You may remember, nually imported into LONDON
too, that there are substances alone, besides those used in the
in food which do not form new other parts of England.
flesh,or fibre, such as all sugary BUTTER is procured from
substances, and all fatty sub- milk, by separating a certain
stances, they supply carbon to part of it. I suppose you can
keep up the heat of the body. easily tell which part.
Again, there are substances W. Yes; the fatty part, the
containing nitrogen which do cream makes butter.
form new flesh, such as gluten P. The CHEESE is also pro-
and legumen. Now, it is very cured from a part of the milk.
interesting to find that God has W. I forget which part forms
placed all these substances in a the cheese.
fluid for our use, when we are P. Yet I think I told you
unable to take anything more
solid. Milk contains oily mat- PLKASAXT PAGES, vol. i.
p. 90.
165
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. CHEESE.

that the milk may be divided skin, which contains the

gastric
into two parts, the curds and juice, salt it, and dry it.
the irhey. Cheese consists of It is the acid in this dried
these curds, pressed, dried, and gastric juice which curdles the
salted. milk. When rennet cannot be
L. You once told us, papa. had. iiinrlntic acid answers the
how the curd is separated from same purpose.
the whey; hut I have forgotten. L. I have been thinking
P. There are several ways. about that />ntn t'm-tirt fermen-
One way is to let the milk pet tation. I should like, before
sour ; the acid fermentation we hear anything more about
which thus begins separates the cheese, to stop and notice the
enrds from the whey; but the "elVects" of the four fermenta-
cheese is not so good". tions we have heard of.
W. Whynot, pnpa? 1. The, saccharine i'f'-un-ntntin
P. Because, although you changes starch into sugar.
may draw oft' the whey from J. I'ln- >-ii,'in.<
Ji'niii'itliiliint
the curd, and press the curd, if changes sugar into alcohol.
this acid fermentation has be- 3 The net-tons ftrnn-nlnltnn
gun, it is not easily stopped. produces an acid ta.-te.
We spoke of the swi-lmriM-. the 4. The putrefactive fi-rnienta-
rinnus, and the ac'nl fermenta- tion causes the substances
tion, and I will now mention to become putrid, or de-
another. Supposing that the compose.
acid fermentation is allowed to /'. These four fermentations

go on without stopping, it is have very much to do with our

followed by the f>iitrfftirtine fer- food: but let us tini-h the his-
mentation. This causes the tory of cheese. You would
substance to become putrid, or suppose, that as the curd of
rotten, as we >ay. Thus it is milk is white, the cheese would
not good to separate the curd be white. The yellow colour
and whey by letting the milk is produced by a substance
become sonr, for the acetous called Arnotto.
fermentation which thus begins There arc many kinds of
cannot easily be stopped it BhMMU The Dutch |>erhaps
changes to the putrefactive fer- make more el <e than any
mentation, and the cheese be- nation of the temperate /.one;
com'-s rotten. but their cheese is not so ._'oo.l
The proper substance t'<r the as some others. The varieties
purpo-e is the lining of the of cheese in Sirilzi't/nml are
stomach of a enlf. called rennet, very great. Tin.-'-
Thin contains the gastric juice, which are salted and dried most
which curdles the milk as rapidly keep the longot. There is a
as the calf sucks. Those \\ho soft kind, made for immediate
make cheese are very careful use. called Cream rlitrsr. This
in preparing their rennet. Di- is not salted, and will not
keep
rcctly the calf is killed they long. Stilton cheese is another
take out the stomach, wash the of the son kind, but it will
166
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. CHEESE.

keep longer than the cream L. I think it is in the curd,

cheese. The hardest and driest because the cheese is made
are the famous Parmesan arid from the curd, and is nutri-
Dutch cheeses from the Con- tious
tinent, and the Gloucester and P. That is right. The curd is
Cheshire cheeses, these keep the casein. Wo know that it will
the longest time. form flesh, because it contains
W, And I have heard that nitrogen (or azote). We have
the Gloucester cheese keeps already talked of such food ;
even longer than the Cheshire. can you tell me what substance
P. That is because it is more it forms in the stomach?

dry and rather poorer. The Ion. You said that it forms
less rich as well as soft a cheese "albumen;" and that the albu-
is,the longer it will keep. Thus men forms the " fibrin" of the
you see that the plain Dutch blood, and that the blood forms
cheeses keep much longer than " fibre" or "flesh."

any others, and are used for True and you have heard of
;

shipping, &c. ; while the rich two vegetable substances con-

Stilton decays quickly.
L. When I was stopping
uncle's, I saw him put some
wine into a Stilton cheese to
make it decay.
W. You should
on the "putrefactive fermenta-
"
tion I
P. That reminds me of some-
thing else. I read some time
ago that when a good cheese
taining nitrogen, legumen and
at ghiten. The casein of the cheese
isthe first animal substance of
the kind which we have noticed.
W. Are there any more such
say to bring substances in animal food?
P. Yes. And we may as well
I
mention them now. The white
>
of an egg consists of a substance
i
rather different from the casein
of the milk it is called albumen.
;

has been kept too long, and has Again, in the flesh of the animal
1

become too hard and dry, it you have a different substance.

should be washed several times ;
Flesh is principally fibrin,
then it should be laid in a cloth \ which, as I told you, is made
moistened with wine or vinegar. \
from the albumen.
By this means it again becomes Ion. So we have now heard
soft and mellow. It is said |
of five substances containing
that this plan of improving old 1

nitrogen :

cheeses is not generally known. IT- ,11 ! legumen,

I think that we have now Vegetable, .
gluten .
exhausted the subject of cheese. ( 3. casein,
L. I should like, papa, to ask Animal, 4. albumen,
one more question ; you said 5. fibrin.
that milk contains a nutritious P. And all of these sub-
substance called casein. Is the stances form new flesh, and
casein in the curd of the milk, sustain life; God has in His
or the whey? wisdom provided them for us
P. lu which do you think it is in different forms. The animal
found? fibrin is the most easily digested,
167
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. GELATINE.

and the legnmen and gluten of transparent sheets of ylue. Glne

the vegetable kingdom least is a coarse gelatine.
easily. That is to say, the more But I was telling you. that
the food containing nitrogen is although gelatine contains ni-
like the flesh which it is in- trogen, it will Tiot form new
tended to repair, the more fibrin, or flesh. In Paris, a
easily the stomach digests it. little while ago, some
experi-
Li. That is curious, papa, for ments were made to see if it
when any one is ill, he does would sustain life. It was found
not like to eat the fibrin of that when made into jellv. soup,
meat hut he will be tempted
;
or broth, gelatine was very bene-
with the albumen of egg some- ficial, but yet it was not <ufli-
times an egg is too -strong for cient (even when nitich bread
him. and he will only eat the was mixed with the sou))) to
casein in a bit of dry cheese restore the patient. Gelatine
or, at last, he will come down to is useful
principally to form new
the y Iii ten of wheat ligaments, tendons, and other
l\ True; or he will take a parts which contain Bristle. In-
little weak GELATINE. deed, the substance which we
Ion. What is gelatine, papa? call gristle., or cartilage, is almost
Does contain nitrogen?
it the same as gelatine. Thus,
P. Yes. when we speak of the fish with
Ion Oh, I am so sorry you skeletons made of cartilage
did not mention it before. I (page 94) we often call them
would have added it up with "
gelatinous fi>h."
the others. You may now make a list,
P. But I did not wish yon not only of the sub>tanccs with
to do so, and therefore did not nitrogen, but of those with-
mention it. (leJntiue. cannot out nitrogen. Take those of
be nscd to form albumen and the animal and vegetable king-
fiirin in the blood. Gelatine dom also.
is found the tendons, muscles.
in W. I will write the list

ligaments, and bones of animals FOODS POOM

it is also found in hoofs and
rniitaininir oxy- containing oxy-
horns. The swimming bladder h\
gen, liyilroL'fn. gen.
of the stuvu'' on is formed en- carbon, mid ///- iirul carbon, *nr!i
tirely of gelatine. buy it We troy en such as as in
in the form of little threads, Oil n.! l-'nt,

which we mil Liinr/luss. Utarol,

And there is jmtf.nt geln-
L. fiiiiiiu;

tiii'-.
papa. Manimu bought a I utrill,
I ill ni, i(rc.,

ii iv useful in sup-
packet at the chemists the other Alinitiirn,
ply carbon, to be
day. Some had the same form
Filn-iii,
(iflntiiic. iVc..
coimnined by the
as isinglass, and in another I lie oxygon ii

packet it was made in thin arouxofid to form

brcntlic, cniiini.'
transparent sheets. new fibre, or cur- In-lit, to
supply
/'. 'run-: I have seen it. Ami tilage, n tu I tU wiitor n\\i\J'ut of
xuatuin
thick, brown, -cmi-
life.
I have neon the body.
168
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. T1IK GOOSE.

Now, I will keep animal, eating grain also, but

this table
to look at; so, when I am going the Duck lives on insects and
to eat anything new, I shall see mollusks also indeed, ducks
whether it is a heating food or a eat all kinds of dirty things.
nourishing food. The Swans, again, eat the roots
P. Remember that most foods of plants growing in the water
are both. But let us go on with and under the water, which it is
our account of the animals. said they can reach with their
You will remember that in long necks. The Albatross and
our lessons on the tropical the Stormy Petrel are noted sea-
climates, we spoke much of birds belonging to the same
the mammals eaten as food. order as the goose the Pelican
Almost the same mammals sup- is another interesting bird in
ply food in the temperate coun- the order.
tries; but we may this time The goose forms a nice food ;
talk of the birds which supply the flavour of its flesh is very
us with food. rich. In the time of the
Romans, many thousands were
THE FOOD SUPPLIED BY killed for the sake of the
" it is
BIRDS. great goose livers," which,
said, have been considered a
90. THE GOOSE. dainty in all ages. In London,
the trade is very important,
Although we noticed some especially at Michaelmas.
of the poultry in our lessons on W. I just want to add a
the tropics, such as the Hen, particular geese live to a very
Duck. Turkey, &c., we did not old age. The father of one of
mention the Goose. the boys in our school has a
The goose is not to be des- venerable goose, 34 years old.
pised, for anyone who has dined P. And I have read of a
off goose, will tell you that he his
goose reaching eightieth
owes too much to that bird to year; and it is said that he
pass it over in silence. seemed strong enough to live
If a goose could understand eighty years longer, if he had
Natural History, he might ex- been allowed to; but it appears
plain that his place in the king- that he became mischievous,
dom of nature is amongst the and beat the younger geese.
class birds, and in the order I think that we need hardly
called Nutatores. talk of any other birds from
W. That is a Latin word! the temperate climates. We
P. Natatores is derived from have before talked of the Duck
the Latin nature, to swim so you : and the Hen. You have, I
may say that the goose belongs dare say, learned of some of
to the order of swimming birds, the smaller birds. You may
which include all kinds of ducks, have tasted the WOODCOCK,
the swan, the sea-gull, and the GROUSE, the SNIPE, and.
many others. others.
The goose is a grass-feeding L, I have even heard of
169
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. DAIRY PRODrCK.

Sparrows and Larks being used salted, dried, and pressed. The
for food. curd is separated from t/if whet/
Young Rooks, too, the
IT. by means of the gastric juice in
fanners eat ; they are eaten as the
" rennet" or dried stomach
nf
pigeons, and when a rook is the calf. There are many va-
young, it is supposed to be quite
as nice. KoG8 are <iko ?vry nutrition*.
P. You may now make the The substance albumm in the
lesson on the animal foods we white of the eyrj. is n/iinutt tie
have been talking about. same ax t lint from ir/rirh the fibrin
Ion. How
shall we arrange of the blood is formed,
them? The milk, butter, and are the English people,
cheese may form one lesson, tlmt nearly 75.000.00O are con-
but what shall we do with the sumed annually in I,ondn alone,
</ .- besides those used in other partt
P. The goose may easi
y fol- 1
of England.
low. These animal substances The GOOSE and other birds of
which are not strictly flesh, the poultry
-yard fire, vahume
are sometimes called " Dairy articles offood. In must tmijie-
produce." The birds from the r ate countries. DUCK,
poultry-yard are generally in- Tl HKKY, and CiriM: \-i "\\ I .

cluded under the same head. are found, and food is also pro-
Ion. Then I will write the cured from Uie /'//"-;. \\'i'd
lesson Duck (or Mallard), I \irtriilgf,
Pheasant, Woodco<-
Treason 18. ARTICLES OF FOOD.
FOOD SUPPLIED v i

(Temperate Countries.')

DAIRY PRODUCE. (THE HERRIM; TKIRE.)

There are several animal sub- 91. THK IIKIMUNG, &c.

stances which are not fifsh, but
are nevtrtheless used in immense /'. If you think. Willio. for
quantities. a minute, yon will remi'iubor
MILK is an animal fluid, that we talked alwutt certain
formed to nourish the young of tiln-.-. \\ith skeleton-; made of
at/ii r iiitiiiiitls, itnil tt/so used to <-artil:i'_'r- (or gri-tlcX whilo
nutiri*/! MUH. In milk ire fiml it other li^h have thi'ir ^kclctoiM
xiib*t,ii,re
containing nitrogen, made of bone.
rulleil cnsi-in (or curd), and sub- W. I remember! when we
stances without nitrogen, such as talked about the sharks' fins.
sugar, and fit. /'. Thus all the L'tvn't eln^
l!i IT KK I* made from the of fillies may be arranged in
cream or fatty part of milk ; tlif two divisions:
cream is changed into butter by a I i i., i DI:H. ur fxrnyjish.
process rnllnl <-/ni>iiiin/. 2. ('.\UTii..viiiNuc.H, or gristly
CHKKSE is the curd of milk, fish.
170
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE HERRING.

It is said that
" neither of us suppose that there are ten
these divisions of fish can be leagues
said to be above or below the W. That would make thirty
other; there are advantages on miles.
both sides." P. Which is a much greater
The HERRING is an osseous distance than you could walk
fish. It is one of those which across in a day. A
company
particularly belong to the peo- of herrings, thirty miles long
ple of the temperate zone. It and several miles broad, would
lives both in the temperate be an enormous number, if
and the frigid zones, in the these were only single herrings
great Northern Sea, and is found on the surface of the water.
as far up as the polar regions, But the truth is, that this mass
where immense swarms retire of living food is said to be
beneath the ice. several Itundi-ed feet in thickness.
The riches of the sea, and the Our parlours, you know, are
amount of food contained there, about twenty feet long.
are immense. It has been cal- Ion. So that one hundred
culated that, besides the lakes feet is about the length of five
and rivers, the seas cover nearly parlours. Only think that the
" seven-tenths" of the earth's mass of herrings is several hun-
surface. In some of these dred feet deep!
seas the fish are to be found P. You cannot well conceive
down to the depth of several such a quantity of fish. Such
/nimli I'd fe.fi; there are no walls a company is called a sltoal. If
or hedges in the water to stop you try and think of a shoal
their progress, as the sheep in several leagues in length and
the fields are stopped, there- breadth, several hundred feet
fore their pasture-grounds (or in thickness, you will see that,
pas tu re- H> /era, rather) are won- if thisshoal could be taken out
derful in extent. of the water, and the fish could
Now, the herring not only be pressed together, just as
belongs peculiarly to this coun- they are, they would form a
try, but shows more strikingly mass of substantial food as
than any other fish how vast large as some of the counties
are the supplies of the sea. At of England. Suppose that we
a certain season of the year, wanted to make a stuck of
they set out together from the herrings, just as you do with
North Sea. They come in the straw and hay, we should
" immense and
closely packed require a large island to place
legions," numbering ten thou- the stack upon. Perhaps you
sands of ten thousands. No will not wonder at the num-
words can give a good idea of ber, when you know at what
their numbers. Aleague is rate these animals increase.
the distance of three miles, These shoals of fish come
now, these vast companies of from the deep ocean the
to
herrings cover the ocean to the shallow water near the land, for
extent of several leagues. Let the purpose of laying their eggs.
171
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE HKRRING.

Now, moderate-
ii the roe of a How many millions of herrings
sized female herring, more than were caught, it would be im-
60,000 eggs have been found. possible to say.
Suppose that half the herrings L, At what time of the year
in that shoal deposited their do the herrings come, papa''
spawn, and that half the eggs P. They arrive at the Shet-
became young herrings! the land Isles, which are at the
increase is too wonderful to be |
extreme north of Scotland,
thought of. about the beginning of May, ur
W. wonder that at that earlier. Here the slioa,-
I
rate they do notbecome too ing that they cannot s\\im
numerous and choke up the through Scotland, divide into
sea. I suppose that is because two parts. One part take the
there are so many millions of western coast of Britain,
people in the different nations, between England and Ireland ;

and that nearly all can eat fish. the other part take the eastern
Why, if everybody were to coast, between England and the
work as hard as he could for a Continent. The arrival of the
j

twelvemonth, and eat nothing herrings begins in May. but

j

but herrings every day, not all fresh swarms follow through
the millions of people in the the months of May and June,
northern nations could eat until the beginning of July.
them up! Then the numbers become truly
P. You must remember that immense and incalculable ;

the herrings help to diminish swimming southward they lind

themselves, for young herrings themselves stopped at Yar-
have been found in tlie stomachs mouth, in Norfolk, by great
of the old ones. numbers of fishermen armed
England being surronnded with nets. Others c-capp and
by water, with abundance of are caught at Lowettoft, in
fishing-boats and ports, has of Suffolk; others are caught at
course a great interest in these /Iii.ftiiitf*. in Sussex; others
fish. So also have the Dutch, escape into the ocean at the
tin- French, the Danes and all south of England; but it is -aid
the people of the north. It is that the herring does not sail
said that Holland, with her more southward than the 45th
herring fishery alone, once degree North latitude. ( Jfcour-f.
covered all the northern seas in the seas around the Conti-
with her vessels, while in all her nent, vast numbers are caught.
fisheries about one-fifth of the YARMOUTH is the principal
whole population was employed. herring station in England-
England, however, now does tin- larger and peculiar herring*
" Yar-
the greatest trade in herrings. caught there are called
About fifteen years ago it was mouth blwiterg"
calculated that the herring and
cod fisheries gave employ- Next in importance to the
ment 8,700 persons, either
to herring is theI'm H vi;i>. This
as fishermen, curers, or coopers. fish is one of the Ilr.rrimj tribe,
172
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. PILCHARD, 'WHITE-BAIT, ETC.

and is very much like the her- dinner at Blackwall, you may.
ring, but has a more southern
it know that Parliament will soon
range, and is found principally be "prorogued."
on the southern const of Eng- The
pilchard and white-bait
land. Just as Norfolk is the may be said to end
fisheries
great herring station Cornwall first ; and the herring fishery
j

is the centre of the pilchard next. The latest are the x/>nits.
" come
fishery. Sprats are said to
Vast as the number are of in " on the Lord Mayor's day
the herrings, that of the pil- (the 9th November), and the
chards is not much smaller. I supply is continued during the
'
have heard of 1 2.000,000 of winter months.
these fish being sold for home- We
must not end our lesson
use in a single year," and it is on tins tribe without one thank-
" this number ful thought of God's bounty.
even said that
has been brought into port in a Do you not notice how plenti-
single day." fully we are supplied with fish
In the more southern parts from the Northern Sea? Even
of the temperate zone, such as the Herring tribe supplies fish
the Mediterranean, the her- nearly all the year round!
ring and pilchard are not found. W. Now please to let me
Thoy are represented by two count up all of the Herring
smaller fish of this tribe, called tribe which we have heard of,
the Anchovy and the Sardine. the Herrinq. Pi/chard, Sordine,
The former is well known in Anchovy, White-bait, and Sprat.
Kngland. and the sardines are But you have not yet mentioned
! often imported from France, the Mackerel, papa. The mack-
preserved in oil. You may HOW erel fishery is verv famous.
buy a tin box of "Sardines a P. Then we 'will talk of
I'/t'iiilc" for Is. this fish next.
L. Yes; I remember, papa,
that you did so ; and you were (TiiE MACKEREL TRIBE.)
very angry that the box was
soldered all round, and you 91. THE MACKEREL.
could not open it.
The SPRAT and WHITE-BAIT The Mackerel does not be-
are other small fish of this long to the Hen-ing tribe, but it
tribe. just comes in the part of the
The "\YhitP-bai t may be caugh t year when the Herring tribe are
in the Thames as far from the wanting. When the sprats are
sea asBlackwall and Woolwich. "out," and pilchards are not
Their season ends about the yet "in," we have the mackerel.
beginning of October. The They arrive on the coast of
sittings of the Houses of Par- Hampshire and Sussex about the
liament generally end with the beginning of March, sometimes
White-bait season. When you as early as February. The prin
hear of the Members of Par- cipal months, however, for
liament having their white-bait mackerel, are May and June ;

173
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE COD. PLAK I

fey that time their numbers are them seas. Newfound!- no I is

very large. famous for this fish it

very
The mackerel is known by also abounds near Great Bri-
the beautiful colour of its skin tain. Qjie of the most famous
:

it also decomposes very rapidly tor cod is the Dogger-

out of the water; it may be bank, in Holland. T
known, thirdly, because its flesh used to be brought from there
is
very nice, ami yet wholesome. alive, in heavy boats containing
Because of the second men- wells for them to swim in;
tioned quality, the value of the much cod is. I belie-,
mackerel depends) upon their brought in this way; the greater
being perfectly fresh. boat- A j
part used in England is salted.
load of mackerel brought to W. Dothe fishermen catch
Billingsgate early in the morn- the cod with nets as they catch
ing has been worth 200; the j
the sprats? I should think
next morning its value would they would want a very strong
be about 2Us. net.
There is another fish of the P. The cod is taken with the
Mackerel tribe, called the line and hook. I have heard
Ti NNY-. it is hinder than the of a Newfoundland man catch-
mackerel, and is found in more ing nearly 500 in eleven hours.
southern seas, such as the It is said. too. that at /
M- 'titerranean. Itank 1,600 were taken in one
day by eight men.
1 dare say you are acquainted
(THE COD TRIBE.)
with other ti>h of the Cod tribe.
92. THE COD. I willmention some the llml-
dock, H'iiitiny, Hakt, and Liny.
These great fish, and all the
tribe, may bedistinguished by
the softness of their bones, and (THE FLAT FISHES.)
the whiteness of their tl< --h. 93. THE PLAICE, &c.
They live on smaller fish, also
eating shrimps and other These fish lay at the bottom
crustaccous" animals, such as of the sea they seemed to have
;

shrimps and young crabs. been flattened for that purpose.

Thirty-five crabs, none mnnlltr U'.
Perhaps they were in-
than a half-crown, were once tended a- a ]iiii;inint t" I

taken from the stomach of a P. Perhaps! They are singu-

large cod. lar creatures they .-eein un-
The tins of this tribe are so i able to rise in the water, for
placed that they can inure .\~\\\they have no uir-MadJi-r.
i
\ ;.

ascend ami descend in tin- wa- pcrha|. their low po-iti>>n

ter than the other tribes. Thus affords them the highest en-
svc hud that they live nearer t> joyment, and they will lie on
tin- bottom of the sea. They tiieir white sides quite, motion-
multiply at a very rapid rate. lew for a considerable time.
The cod abounds in the nor- L. Like the ov.st r-.'
174
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE PLAICE, SKATE, ETC.

P. Yes; but they have more by which I mean, that they

power of motion than the a long time out of the
will live

oysters. The Plaice, if disturbed water.

by an enemy, will change from Ion. Yes ;
I have seen them
its horizontal to a vertical posi- in a
fishmonger's shop. I
tion ; thus it can cut through have seen a sole jump up off"
the water like the blade of a the slab, and give himself a
knife, and can dart along with twist!
great rapidity. But it does P. The principal flat fish are
not like travelling in this posi- the Plaice, Sole, Turbot, Floun-
tion, for, as soon as it feels der, Dab, and Brill.
itself safe, it shuffles back to The Turbotis one of the

its horizontal position, gliding richest and most valuable; it

along with an up and down is said that the Dutch draw
motion, like that of the waves. 80,000 per annum from the
Ion. Which is the back of a London market, for turbot
flat fish, papa the white side, alone.
or the brown.
P. Neither, Ion both are
; (THE EATS.)
the sides of the fish. The
colouring is an instance of a 94. THE SKATE.
law which you have before ob-
served in your Natural History I have mentioned this fish
lessons it is a protection. The next, from its resemblance to
colour is exactly like that of the flat fishes, of which we have
the bottom of the sea; so that been talking. In this fish the
the "pavement" is not noticed brown side is the back, and
by its enemies. Now. if it were the white side the belly; when
to lie with its white side upper- attacked they glide along, keep-
most ? ing their horizontal position,
W. Then its enemies would and fighting with their tail,
see it. They would tear up which is armed with sharp
the pavement, and eat it, I spines.
suppose. The skate is one of the real
P. I will now give you the cartilaginous fishes; it forms ex-
distinctions of this tribe. The cellent food. The Saw-fish, the
FLAT FISHES may be distin- Doy-fish, and the Shark, belong
guished, to the same order as the skate,
but they are a different tribe
1st, By their bony framework; they form "the Shark tribe."
2nd, By their want of air-
bladder;
their flat shape;
We have now talked of the
3rd, By principalsalt-water jish from
4th, By having one side co- which we procure food, but
loured, and the other
before we talk of the fresh-
white; water fish, I will mention one
and you may say, 5thly, that or two which are found both in
they are very tenacious of life; the rivers and in the sea.
175
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THK 8AI.MOX.

the river; in this it deposits

(THE SALMON TKIBK.) its eggs, and carefully
them up.
95. THE SALMON. After depositing its spawn.
the salmon general! v remains
The Salmon is a noble fish; in the river during the winter,
it
truly beautiful iu its ap-
is and returns to the sea in the
pearance and flavour. Just as spring. Many are caught on
the herring?, mackerel, and their way back by means of
others come from the deep nets, baskets, spearing. i\- It
p

into the shallow water to lay is not however, to kill

Inirfiil,
their eggs (or spawn), so the them on their way from the
salmon leaves the sea and sea, as they are then full of
swims up the rivers for the spawn.
same purpose. When a salmon
I have heard it said that we
is
ascending a stream it is not seldom see a full-grown salmon i

easily stopped. One afternoon, in this country, because they j

\\hcii I was in Wales, standing are so

eagerly pursued bv the
In side (lie river Wye, I saw a fishermen, that lew grow to
great salmon, which had evi- their full size. A salmon weigh-
dently come from the sea; it ing forty pounds is not un-
was going far up the river to common one specimen K ;

spawn, and had already tra- eighty-three pounds.

velled forty or fifty miles. The Salmon tride aNo in-
"Ah!" 1 thought, "how \\ill cludes the Tisorr, which a is

you get over that water-fall?" fresh-wiitcr lish, found

the in
It was not a vvrv great uatcr- rivers, clear streams, and lakes
full. but knew that the salmon
1 ni liivat Britain. It is a very
could not climb up over the much smaller tish than the sal-
stmirs. I watched, when, with mon. When a trout weighs
a sudden stroke of its tail, it twelve or fourteen pounds, it
made a leap from the bottom is said to be a present worthy
of tin- water-fall to llie top. of a place at a royal table; but
/.. I should have liked to see that it can only be caught by a
that. first-rate fisherman. An extra-
/'. Yes ;
but that waterfall ordinary trout was once caught
was not a large one. meii- I
weighing twenty-live pounds.
tioii"d the faei to a Welshman. The trout likes his ou n par-
and he showed me a watei lull ticular place iu the stream, and,
tn-i Irf fi'i't high, which he said in Devonshire, the pedants
the salmon would often leap. make the water mu<!dy, and
I have heard that nothing will catch the fish with iheir hands.
-tup this great fish. A -aluum j
They call this method '
tick-
will travel hundreds of miles. ling trout."
When the salmon lias found a The CHAR is another fish of
suitable sj>ot for ils egg-, it i- the Salmon tribe. In one of
said that it makes a furrow with Mr. Young's letters on West-
:

its none in the gravelly bed of morelaud, you may read of the
i

176
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE EEL.

char.* It is a lake fish; its the water. Take one in your

flavour is said to be even more hand and you will not be able
delicate than that of the salmon to hold it it will most surely ;

or the trout. wriggle" its slippery body out

The SMELT is also one of of your grasp.
this tribe; it is like the salmon, L. I know that fish, papa.
only it is much smaller. Again, It is the EEL.
it will live entirely in fres/t- P. That is it.

water; the salmon I believe

will not.
So much Salmon tribe
for the
(THE EEL TRIBE.)
will you count up the indi- 96. THE EEL.
viduals?
W. I will! The SALMON The
Eel, then, has the three
TRIBE contains Salmon, distinctions which I have just
the
Trout, Char, and Smelt; all of mentioned. I may as well add
which are useful as food. that, as it has smaller gill-
openings than those of other
"
Now, papa, will you tell us of fish, its breathing (or respira-
some fresh- water fish? tion") is more feeble.
P. Very well. Listen This is an instance of the
!

I know a fresh-water fish. It general rule, that the animals

has one or two distinctions which have a feeble respiration
worth noticing.
1st, Its gills are so placed,
that if it is taken out of the
water, they do not get dry as
soon as the gills of any other
fish, so that the animal can live
out of water for several days.
" tenacious of
Thus, it is more
life" than any other
the greatest cruelties
performed upon it without
ling it. sometimes cut
It is
open, sometimes skinned alive,
or even cut into pieces still
the fish lives.
2ndly, Its shape is very dif-
ferent from that of the plaice.
While the one is flat, the other
is round, and of great length.
3rdly, It has not so many fins
as other fish have;
great power of swimming, and
of motion, both in and out of
(or live slowly, as we may say)
have the greatest tenacity of
life. This is the case with the
cold-blooded reptiles, such as
the lizard and snake.
Ion. Ah! we may easily tell
that they have cold blood, by
their not breathing quickly.
fish;and They scarcely take in any oxy-
are often gen to burn with the carbon, so
kil- that their blood cannot be warm
like ours.
P. The eels take advantage
of these circumstances, for " in
warm, damp nights, they will
quit the water, and wander
over the grass in search of
frogs, and worms, and other
food."
Although I have called the
but it has eel a fresh-water fish, it regu-
larly migrates to the sea, it
is supposed, for the purpose of

*
spawning. They go in the
PLEASANT PAGES, voL i.
p. 220. autumn, and in the following
177
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE CARP.

spring you may see immense

swarms of young eels, three or (THE CARP TRIBE.)
four inches long, swimming
from the sea up the rivers. 97. THE CARP.
Mr. YAUKKLL, in his History of
Fishes, says that they parsed a We have reached a trno,
certain point, at the rate of fresh-water Have fish at la<r.
about 1,700 per minute, this you never heard of the "Golden
will give you some idea of the Carp"?

myriads which thus arrive. Jon. I never have!

Ion. While you are talking /,. Nor I!
about their papa, will
jilnrr, P. Then it does not matter
you tell us whether the eels much. They are not a par-
live in the Northern seas, like ticularly nice fish. Their fla-
the herring, or the cod? vour at the dinner-table greatly
P. No ; the eel objects to the depends upon the cook. Indeed
cold. None are found in the I am very angry with the Carp
Northern Ocean ; or in the tribe, and you shall hear why.
greatNorthern rivers of Europe, Before I was married, the
such as the Danube nn<l the porter at our office used t<> look
Wolga. In order to avoid the in every day and ask at what
cold, the eel will bury itself time I would have my chop or
about sixteen inches in the steak ; but one day he brought
mini. in two beautiful n'sh !

W. Yes; I once saw a man " Aren't

they beauties, sir?"
catch eels in the muddy bunk said the porter.
of a river. He was sjunriiKj Yes" replied; "what are
f

them. they called ?"

" BARISKI,,
P. I may tell you one more sir; I never saw
fact concerning the place of any before this morning. I've
these fish. Vast numbers are bought one for myself, sir, and
brought from Holland. You perhaps you would like the
may see the great heavy Dutch other instead of your chop?"
vessels nt Billingsgate. Kach "Yes," I replied cheerfully,
U
vessel has a large; well inside: I will; certainly M a beau-
it

and here, in the dark, the eels tiful fish," and, as I held it up,
are kept alive until they are its beautiful scales glistened
wanted. It is said that in some and glittered in the sun, like
of those vessels a cargo of from gold and silver. It seemed a
15,000 to 20,000 His. weight is great pity to boil it.

often brought. Kels., salmon, L* AIM! did you like it?

and skate are the only fish sold P. Yon sha'll hear. You
in London by weight. might have seen me taking off
There is u very large kind of the di.sh-oover at two o'clock.
eel living in the sea, called the the next minute I was spit-
There arc other fish ting the barbel out, and splut-
in this tribe, such us tin- }'.!<<- tering, and wiping my mouth,
trie Eeel, and the Sand EeL and the next iiiinute I went
m
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE BARBEL AND PIKE.

down to the porter's room,for if you were hungry you

where I saw him hard at work would discover the qualities of
at his barbel. the potato or cheese.
" how do you P. Yes. But we were talk-
Well, John,
like it?" ing of the Carp tribe. Where
" Oh. sir I think were we? Oh, an important
pretty well, ;

it will do!" distinction of the Carp tribe is,

" that most have a beautiful ap-
Oh, do you? then I will
sit here and see you eat it!" pearance, but that not all have
So John still kept his knife a beautiful flavour. This tribe
and fork in action, declaring includes the Carp, the Barbel,
that he thought it was very the " Gold and Silver Fish"
nice, next time he said it was the Tench, Bream, Roach, Bleak,
pretty fair, so I kept him at Minnow, and others.
his work! pieces at the The P. We must do little more
end of his fork, I saw, were than mention the names of the
becoming gradually" smaller ; other fish.

presently, he said, it worn't

amiis;" but, at last, he could

stand it no longer, and declared (THE PIKE TRIBE.)
the honest truth, by throwing 98. THE PIKE.
down his knife and fork, and
saying that it was amiss More, The Pike maybe remembered
!

he added " it was the filthiest by his voracity. pike will A

fish he had ever tasted in his eat almost anything not only
life." small fish, but frogs, water-rats,
W. What did you have and field-mice; it will even kill
to
eat instead? and eat young ducklings as they
P. Why, we had nothing swim on the water. There
left for dinner but a MORAL have been two or three instances
LESSON and we made the in which this fish has attacked
most of it. " The proof of the a man. In the water, the fish
'

pudding is in the eating' sir," is strong, swift, fierce, and

said John " and I'll
never active.
;

again give up my beef-steak Pikes are of different sizes.

for anything with a golden A young pike is called a Jack.
skin !" 12 or 14 Ibs. considered a
is
Jon. I think, papa, that that good weight a pike, but they
for
lesson was your dessert. You often attain to the weight of
had for dinner the NATURAL 30 Ibs. There are wonderful
HISTORY LESSON " The bar- stories about the long life of
bel is tlie filthiest fish I ever the pike it has been known to
;

tasted." So you had reach the age of 90 years. There

is an account of a pike which
Dinner Natural History,
. . .

was taken out of a lake in

Dessert Moral Lesson.
. . .

Suabia, in the year 1497 a

W. And I dare say you had brazen ring was found fastened
an OBJECT LESSON afterwards; to it, and on the ring was this
179
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.
" I am the fish
inscription :
was first put into this lake l>y
luuiilx of the Governor
of
Universe, Frederick the Second.
Oct. 5, 1230." The fish must
thus have been 267 years old.
The FLYING FISH also belongs
to the Pike tribe.
The last tribe we shall notice
(THE PERCH TRIBE.)
99. THE PERCH.
Mr. IZAAK WALTON, who
knew something about fish, has our
described the Perch.
"The perch is one of the fishes
of ]>rey, that, like the pike and
trout, carries his teeth in his mouth,
which is very large; and he dare
venture to kill and devour several
other kinds of fish. He has a
hooked or hog back, which is
armed with sharp and stiff liristW.
and all his skin ia covered over
with dry, hard scales and he hath,
;
THE PERCH.
which
every year "birds of passage,"
the they are called.
the P. By placing this instinct
within the iisli, (iod has brought
them within the reach of
man. Think of the millions of
herrings coming in a thick
.-hoal so close to our shores for
the sake of the shallow water !
if these were to remain in
the open sea, bow lew of them
would be caught! The same
instinct which guide* the mil-
lions of mackerel, herrii g
pilchards within reach of our
nets, leads the salmon to visit
rivers.
He says: This law of nature, which
compels the fish to seek the
shallow water, has been truly
described as " a wise and boun-
tiful provision of God." Thus
one tribe after another come
close to our shores at their ap-
pointc'i .id. it i< said,
"there is not a month in the
year in which we are not sup-

:i- fVu other fish have, two tins on plied with some species of lish."
his back." IT. Yet, papa, although so

many are killed e\er\ year.

The perch is nearly as beau- there are more the next year,
tiful in appearance as the carp, from the eggs which the other
but has a better flavour. In
it fish leave.
this tribe are included the Gur- P. True; you think once
may
nurtla. tlie Bullhead, and the more of
power of multi- their
SticJuebaek. ply tola you that in a inir. I
We have now finished the sm-_'|.- herring' Mxty thousand
arc-omit of the fish-food of the
eggs have been counted but :

Temperate Countries. Theiuo.-t in the cod the number i- still

intere.-ting point is the, instinct irrearer. no le>s than '.i. 1100,000
which leads the every year lish eg^'s have been tak-'ii IV.. m one
to leave the deep sea, and mi- rue. Weare told that the
prate into the shallow water to spawn of the herring sometimes
dcpo.sit their spawn. covers the surface of the sea;
L. That habit of the fish so that at a distance it appears
reminded me, of the migrations
very much as if sawdust had
of the birds, who come to this been spread over it for some
country and go back again miles.
'
180
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. FOOD SUPPLIED BY FISH.

Thus the supply of fish is not \

The principal tribes of SALT-
only regular, but it sometimes
'

AVATER fish are

exceeds our wants. Frequently 1 The HERRING TRIBE, which
.

more sprats are caught than can are perhaps the most numerous of
be eaten for food and they are
;
their size. To this tribe belong
sold as manure at 6d. per the HERRING, PILCHARD, SPRAT,
bushel. I have also read of WHITE-BAIT, SARDINE, and
herrings and mackerel being ANCHOVY.
equally abundant. I have, in 2. The MACKEREL TRIBE,
one of last year's newspapers, known by their beautifully marked
a paragraph which will show skins, and by the rapidity with
how bountifully Providence can which they decay, are larger thin
supply our wants. the herrings. This tribe includes
" DARTMOUTH. the MACKEREL, the TUNNY,
On Monday
week, Slapton Sands were crowded #c.
with spectators to witness an ex- The COD TRIBE, which in-
3.

traordinary catch of mackerel. clude

the COD, the HADDOCK,
The whole bay, extending nearly the WHITING, the HAKE, and
five miles, seemed one living mass
the LING.
of fish. One boat safely landed 4. The FLAT FISH, such as
150,000 fish, and not less than the PLAICE, SOLE, TURBOT,
500,000 mackerel were caught on
that single day, between sunrise
FLOUNDER, DAB, and BRILL.
These fish are without air-blad-
and sunset. There was some diffi-
ders, and are compelled to live at
culty in disposing of this vast
the bottom of the sea.
quantity. The price in the morn-
ing was Is. per hundred, hut this
5. The RAYS, which include
was soon reduced to 6d., and to- the SKATE, and others; the
ward evening it fell to 6d. a don- SHARK, DOG-FISH, and SAW-
key load. About 70,000 were left FISH belong to the same order as
on the sands unsold, and the next the Rays, nlthour/h they form a
day they were purchased by the different tribe. These all belong
farmers for manure, at 20s. per to the division
load. About forty-two years ago of cnrtilaginous
(or yristh/) fish while the pre-
a large catch was made on the
same sands, though not so exten- ceding tribes belong to the osseous
sive as the present one." (or bony) division.
6. The SALMON TRIBE, again,

belong to the division of osseous

Lesson 19. ARTICLES OF FOOD. fishes. They live partly in the
and partly in the sea. The
rivers \

(Temperate Countries.) SALMON, TROUT, CHAR, and j

SMELT, are the principal fish of

THE FOOD SUPPLIED
\

the tribe.
BY FISH. 7. The EEL TRIBE are very \

peculiar fish ; they are at once

Fish are more abundant in the known by their long, thin, snake-
temperate than in the tropical cli- like bodies, and their soft, slippery
mates. The northern seas in skin; the scales are so minute
particular contain immense shoals. that they are almost invisible.
181
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. FOOD SUPPLIED BY FISH.

Their gill-openings are very small, living within the Art-tie circle,
and their respiration very feeble. are there, papa?
Thus we find tfiat, being a vora- P. No ; it is too cold. So we
cious fish, they will sometimes will mention principally those
leave the water and travel through nations living in the neighbour-
the grass, in search offood. /,// hood of the Arctic circle. Look
the salmon, they are found both for them on the map! In the
in the fresh and salt water. The Eastern fftmuphere you have
CONGER and ELECTRIC EEL ICELAND, SWKHKN. NORWAY,
belona to this tribe. LAPLAND, FINLAND, the most
}Ve also obtain food from northern parts of RUSSIA, SI-
the FRESH-WATER FISH, such as BERIA, KAMTSCHATKA. (ii:i IS- i

The CARP TRIBE, inrfmlin;/ LAND. Look again in the Wes-

8.
the BARBEL, GOLD and SILVER tern Hemisphere. You may see
FISH, TENCH, BRKAM, ROACH, NOVA SCOTIA, NEW BRUNS-
BLEAK, and MINNOW. 'J'/iix
WICK, NEWFOUNDLAND, LAB-
tribe are very deceptive, for RADOR, ESQUIMAUX COUNTRY,
though their external nppefirance the COUNTRY ROUND HUDSON'S
is
very be'iutiful, tfieir flavour BAY, &c. Now, from some of
by no means corresponds. The these places goods have been
Barbel, in particular, has a very sent to the Exhibition. All are
badfifivour. more or less inhabited and the ;

9. The PIKE TRIBE are much question for us is, "How do

larger fish ; some specimens are these people live?"
almost as large as salmon. They Ion. I suppose that that de-
are distinguished by their vora- pends upon how the ugetables
city, fierceness, strength, and grow.
tenacity of life. The FLYING- W. Ami whether there are
riMi /
liniijs to this tribe. any animals livingupon them.
10. The PERCH TRIBE are /,. And the animals and
generally rather small fish, but vrgrtaliles depend upon the
are covered with brilliant ////</ soil.

beautiful scales. Most have a P. And the soil depends

xl.nr/i prickly fin on tin- IKK-!:.
greatly upon the climate. In
The ordt-i i/ir/mlis tin' I'KIU n, order to nndiT.-tand what we
/',< (ii i:s M:D, the BULL-HEAD, are about, I think we must
the STICKLEBACK, frc. go and see one of the frigid
countries. Let us g
look first at the g'-m ml ap-
pearance of the place we ;

With this lesson we will will have a look at the rivers

finish our account of the Tem- and seas : then we \sill notice
perate countries. Instead <>t the vegetables; after that we
making a list of the articles (as shall know prettv well what
we <lil of the Tropical foods), animals to .//</.
we \\ill first have some talk of \V. I am ready to go. papa!
the food in the Frigid eountrio. P. Very well hut 1 have ;

L. There are not many j,< ,,p/t Tiot imagined the country yet.
189
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. A FRIGID COUNTRY.

PART THE FIFTH.

CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. so you can manage to see pretty

well by the light of the stars.
ARTICLES OF FOOD IN THE The stars twinkle most bril-
FRIGID COUNTRIES. liantly, and even the moon
seems to sparkle. There is just
100. A FRIGID COUNTRY. enough light to show you the
place, that you may see how
W. We are not going to see silent it is. It is all still as

any particular place I merely

;
death! No man is seen no-
wish you to have some idea of thing moves! Even the stars,
a country on the shady side of which make so much twinkling
the world. without any sound, they seem
The sunny side of our garden to tell you,
" We are all very
may represent the tropics, for quiet here we are all fast
the trees bring forth fruit abun- asleep !"
dantly. So also may the shady W. But what sort of a coun-
side represent the regions near try shouldwe see, papa ?
the poles. What do you observe P. A snowy one. Snow seems
in that part of the garden ? the fashion of the place. A
L. 1st, that it is rather long way off, you see the great
darker; 2nd, that it is rather mountain Snee-hatten, or snow
colder; and 3rd, that the plants hat. There are many more
do not grow so well as on the snow hats All the mountains
!

opposite side. the dusky distant ones those

P. Just so! Now imagine, in the foreground, which startle
all of you, that you have crossed you with the strange shape of
the " Arctic Circle" (see map), their crags and cliffs all wear
and that you are standing with snow hats.
me in a frigid country. W. So that they may not
Ion. How are we to imagine catch a cold in the head, I
we are dressed? suppose. I have heard that
P. In fur in bear skin. snow is very warm.

Imagine that you have your P. That is the general opinion

new greatcoat on, and that you up there, for the trees wear
have a skin of fox or bear out- Some few have
snow-gloves.
side that that your hat is made even in the intense cold,
leaves,
of fur also. but the others, which hold up
It is a very dreary scene! their hundreds of branches, and
-
although it is the day time. thousands of twigs, pointing to
There is no sun shining, but the stars, have every twig
leaden-coloured clouds darken covered with snow, which is
the sky. The snowy face of frozen on quite hard. All the
the ground is dim, but the air snow indeed is hard; as you
is
very thiu and transparent, tread on it, it crackles indeed,
183
 AKTICLES OF FOOD. A FRIGID COl VIKV.

the only resemblance to a sound pearance of the place all

which you can hear, is caused day?
by this snow; for the air is P. Nearly ay day. The
filled with its frozen particleswhole year is divided into one
and as they float about, or are long night, and one short day.
gently moved by the wind, they eight or nine months of dreary
make a slight rustling or buz- darkness, called "winter;" and
two or three months of beautiful
DBjE.
\V. But are there no water- brightness, called "summer."
falls to make a rumbling? Ion. Then please let us have
P. No! they are all locked the Mimmer scene; I am getting
up. You had better wrap up cold.
your ears! You can only look. P. But the winter night i-
You may look at the giant long and dreary; we have no!
rivers which present a smooth gone through it yet. During
glassy surface, broad and long, some of the winter days there
for the stars to shine upon and is a faint sunlight for four or
the moon does, too! it spreads a five hours ; but that light is
broad sheet of silver light over very cold, and the days are very
" Well Five hours i< a
the whole. done, Mrs. nightly still.
Moon !" you would cry some- very little allowance of li-jht,
times, for she not only bathes but soon the sulky sun gives
the river with light, bat fills the even less; soon he only ap-
air. See how the air sparkles! pears for four hours; he gets
as she shines through the mil- gradually more irregular in
lions of minute crystals, which attendance three hours, two
I told you caused a rustling hours and then only shows
;

sound; they glisten, and the air himself one /t<ir in the day.
seems filled with diamond dust. At last, he neglects business
No! There is no sound worth altogether, and does not .-how
listening to. You had better hiniM-lf at all for six or
look look at the great range weeks! This dreary interval is
of towering mountains again the worst part of all; the peo-
look at tin- black forc.-t-. M6 ple call it ".sy,v////i//.s-," which
how dense and shady they are. means an abomination.
There are the larch, the pine, /,. And \\ hat are the people
and all kinds of fir- trees, doing all this time? Are thuj
while other tracts abound in a*lcc|>. too?
bitch. P. No, they all have business
That's all ! No I there is to attend to but many spend
not a sound to listen to; no their time near their tire of
birds sing, not even a wolf wood and oil; indeed, some
howls it is a sorrowful. dead nations up there are half awake
place, for all is still as death, and half a-leep, and seem to

except the clouds! The black live in a dream.

clouds roll heavily along, like L. Do they never see the
clouds attending a funeral. Aurora Borealis?
W. And is such the ap- /'.
Yes; the great northern
184
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.
lightmust be a great joy to
them. You have, I dare say,
heard of this Avonderful sight?
of the streamers of rosy light
which dart upwards, of the
purple and red-coloured light
it contains ? this is a glorious
sight in those dreary days.
But
let us suppose the winter
to have passed.
Suddenly the SUMMER comes
L. But where is the spring?
P. That is left out altogether,
or nearly so. The sun seems
disposed to make up for lost
time; he shines forth at once,
and wakes up nature to her
work.
Soon you hear sounds. There
is a cracking of ice, and a gen-
tle tinkling of little rills;
isa silent melting of the snow,
and as it sneaks away before
the sunbeams, it joins the rills,
swells them into streams, and
vents forth its rage in angry
rushing sounds. It may well
roar; it can't help it; it is com-
pelled to rush on quickly to
make haste from the presence
of the sun and to go it knows
not where. The sun is earnest
now, and he soon clears all
away.
Now is your time for sounds
Hark how the dismal water goes
The giant rivers have burst their
icy chains they hurry forward
;
their great masses of unmelted
ice, which join the mighty
waters of the snow; and now
the rumblings and roarings are
loud and fierce Who likes to
! P. But we have to talk of
be driven out of his place, which
he has held in peace for eight
months, and to be shaken like
this by an immoveable, imper-
A FRIGID COUNTRY.
turbable sun, who all the while
looks on and smiles?
But the sounds of grief pass
away. Now listen to the sounds
of joy, and look at the glorious
sight. Nature has started up;
she is wide awake! The birds
seem to come from all the
regions of the earth. It is said
that "they people the woods
and fields, the fens and marshes,
! and all nature is one universal
song."
And Nature is well dressed
for the occasion. Thetreeshave
thrown off their white gloves,
and are covered with leafy ver-
dure the fields have cast off
;
their night-gowns of snow, and
have put on their best grass-
green coat. The air is bright,
there clear, and elastic.
"
Oh, 'tis the touch of fairy hand,
Tuat wakes the spring of northern
land;
Itwarms not there by slow degrees,
With changeful pulse the uncertain
breeze :
But sudden, on the wondering sight,
Bursts forth the beam of living
Ugh*;
And instant verdure springs around,
And magic flowers bedeck the
ground."
All this change the sun has
wrought in about seven days;
! and he takes care to keep up the
!
gladness. Soon he shines not
only by day but all night long;
for seven weeks he never sets.
Ion. That is to make up for
his seven weeks of absence in
the winter.
the FOOD of the people living
there. Now, therefore, there
is plenty of light, let us look at
the productions of the soil.
185
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.
You will not wonder to hear,
in the first place, that vegeta-
tion proceeds at this rapid rate
all through the summer, and
that in some parts barley has
been sown and reaped in seven
days. While the sun shines,
the inhabitants are not only
making hay, but are doing ail stained with blood, from the red
kinds of work, and have been juice of the berries.
cultivating all the fruits and P. I have read, too, that
vegetables that will grow and flowers of the most vivid and
ripen there.
You must not, however, sup-
pose that in their short summer
the people can grow all that is
necessary for the rest of the
year. They must have animal
food, for something more than
vegetables is necessary in the
winter.
You must not suppose,
either, that all parts of these
frigid countries are equally
fertile. In one part you may
see nicely cultivated atable
land ; but as you go further
north it is not so. In another
part there are 20,000,000 acres
clothed with fir-trees alone, and
all through the northern 1-1 inn-
tries we find the cone-bearing
plants in too great abundance.
Min-h-trees al>o, as I told you,
are found; willows, too; poplar,
and elder-trees. The timber
of these trees is not of much
value from its distance from
the rivers and sea. The tur-
pentine, therefore, is extracted,
ami tin; trees are burnt to tin-
ground; their ashes form ma-
nure, and the soil is then used
for growing corn.
In other parts there is an
abundance of heath, t'urae, and
broom ; the broom wood and
liquorice-plants. Many species
VEOETAHLE PRODUCTIONS.
of flowers you would see
Rhododendrons, Azalias, and
China-asters. Many more berry-
bearing shrubs are found.
W. You told us of the cran-
berry, papa that it would irr<>\v
in the depth of winter, and that
the snow often seemed to be
varied colours grow. They
spring up, blossom, ripen, then
seed and die in six weeks.
These, therefore, are not of
much service for food.
When travelling very far
northward, you reach nor only
forests, but swamps and thick
morasses, which are so immense
that they seem to be boundless.
Here grow rushes, reed.-, and
long grass. So fenny and boggy
is oin-
part that
it h.>
called Fenland, or Finland.
Further it is too
northward,
cold for these plants the
dwarf willow, the reeds, and
rushes are very small indeed,
or are lost altogether. Some
of the vegetation is too weak
tt) take
dee.p root in the earth
the flowers depend as nineli
upon the air for nourishment
as on the soil, and their roots
merely creep along the sur-
face.
At length you may, by tra-
velling northward, find spots
where no vegetables seem to
grow. Hen: are only <....s,
In-lit us, xi-ii-ii-i'fil, and, at last,
mere 7 (/>, lint all these in-
lignifiCAnt things have their
uses, and, poor as they seem,
many of them are far more im-
portant than the trees. Without
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. MOSSES, LICHENS.

them, many of the animals and their roots principally for hold-
people would die. iny thereto. They depend very
Yes the world owes much
! much on the state of the air ;
to these inferior plants ; they and after damp weather they
are therefore well worthy of will surround the walls and
notice. Let us begin with the trunks of trees with verdure
MOSSES. at a very short notice. They
It is said that, in newly- also form a green coating
formed countries, they are over bogs; and as each moss
among the first vegetables that dies, and is succeeded by an-
clothe the soil, and the last that other, it forms a rich vegetable
disappear. Even on cinders mould. On account of their
they will form their green usefulness in this way, the great
crust, and struggle hard for botanist Linnosus termed them
existence. Servi, which means slaves or
In the mosses, we see the workmen.
same principle as we saw in the But those useful workmen
eel. The respiration of the have fellow -workmen, called
eel was feeble it lived slowly LICHENS. A lichen may easily
therefore it had greater be distinguished from a moss.
"
tenacity of life." Thus the Instead of having " soft green
mosses have a much more leafy expansions," they look
simple and lowly existence like dry, tough, scaly crusts,
than other proud plants, but at being generally of a greyish, or
the same time, their tenacity of light brown colour. Although
life is they will
wonderful, they are vegetables, they seem
resist cold, and ex-
extreme to have no leaves or stem, or
treme heat. Even when they anything at all like them. Like
have been dried up by the sun, the mosses, they are able to draw
they may be restored to life their nourishment from the gases
after many years. of the atmosphere. As they
With this valuable quality grow on rocks where there is not
within them, these humble a particle of soil, the upper part
mosses have most important of their dry scales has organs
work do. Beginning near
to for absorbing the gases, and the
the poles, where no other underside has little hair-like
plants could exist, they labour instruments by which it fastens
hard to form new soil for other itself to the rock or tree.

vegetables to grow in. Although I have only to speak

L. But how can they begin of them as articles of food, I
to grow without a soil to get can hardly help pointing out to
nourishment from themselves? you some of their other im-
P. The truth is, they are portant offices. They seem,
formed so as to get nearly all when fulfilling their duties, to
their nourishment from the at- be so chained to the rock, that
mosphere. When, therefore, Lhmjeus gave to them the
they form the first green coat- name of Vernaculi, or bond-
ing on a barren rock, they use slaves. Humble plants! their
187
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. LK'IIKS*.

feeble life is a life of labour to they would have to move down-

benefit others; they gain no ward to the south.
benefit themselves. The main If you lived in Iceland,
you
object of their life is to diy (heir would there see, perhaps, more
own (/raves! to make little hol- than in any other country, the
lows in the rock, in which their great importance of the lichen
remains may be received. This which we Call Iceland innxs.

plan, by which they form soil It partly supplies the want of

on the barren rock for other those corn-plants which will not
plants, is most remarkable. grow in this severe climate.
Whilst living, they contain with- About the middle of summer,
in them much oxalic acid. This you may see the Icelandic
acid corrodes the rock, and women preparing to gather
forms the hollow, or " grave," lichens. They give up their
for their particles.Often the butter and cheese making, leave
moisture is collected in these the cows and sheep in care of
little hollows. This moisture the younger branches of the
finds its way into the cre- family, and set off on an expe-
vices of the rocks, and when dition to the cold uninhabited
it is frozen it expands and parts where the lichen grows.
breaks the rocks into very They are generally accom panied
minute grains, which then be- by a few men as protectors, and
come part of the soil. It is the weeks they tlm- spend, are
said that "successive genera- looked upon as the happiest
tions of these bond-slaves con- time of the year. The men arc
tinue to perform their hard aNo useful to carry the tents,
duties, until the soil they form for they go about from place to
accumulates, and the barren place, and pitch their tents
rock becomes a fruitful field!" wherever there is an abund-
How much, once more, do ance of lichen. On heir return
I

we owe to little things! When home, the women dry the lichen
Northmen reap their corn, or in an oven, and then beat it in
when they cut down timber, or a bag into a tine powder.
when their cattle multiply, they The natives also prepare flour
may say "Thank yon" for their from the sea-reed, mid two
bread and meat to these little other plants; but I should say
lichens for without their aid that all these preparations are
the spot from which thesetbiogi poor substitutes for the Hour of
\\eiv procured, inijjht still be a wheat. Some of the Arctic
barren rock! lichens were found useful as
I have noticed the lichens of food by the adventurers in the
the northern countries, not only Arctic Expedition.
i

Many of
lieeail-e tli.-y form -oil tor tin- the sailors managed to subsist
food, hut because they supplv Oil lichen for some da\s, but
food itself. Without lichen the they complained that it was
rein-deer would die, and with- miserable fare.
'

out the rein-deer, many of the Besides the

;
mosses and
northern nations could not live; lichens, SEA-WKKJ* is another
L88
t

ARTICLES OF FOOD. SEA-WEEDS, FUNGI.

 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

and many of our fruits and tiling of the friend countries

garden vegetables are reared, which do you think an' the
according to the position and principal source of animal food
climate of the country. Dur- there? the MAMMALS, BIRDS,
ing the fine weather the people or FISH?
are generally engaged not only L. I think that the./i.A are.
in husbandry, but in preparing If you look on the map, you
for the long winter. will see that there i\ i.- \

much water within the Arctic

circle.
Lesson 20. ARTICLES or FOOD.
P. There is an abundance of
(Frigid Climates.) fish, and of certain mammals
which live in the sea. It you
THE FOOD OBTAINED ask one of the Fins, a Lap-
FROM THE VEGET- lander, a Greenlander, or an
ABLE KINGDOM. Icelander, he will tell you tliar
lite nation* around the Arctic tlu'M- mammals are Car better
ciri'h' /in- rntJnT IIJHUI _fixh and suited to his wants than the fish,
flesh than K]>(i vi'iji'table food. because of the abundance of
Many of the regions encircled by oil they contain.
the froze n x< H.I. ami ('.1'inixtil to t In- You may remember that oil
icy blasts of the nor//' iriiul. ore and all fatty substances are,
covered with snow tmo-thinlx cj'
like sugar, heating foods; be-
tin' i/i-iir. while in .tome parts
cause they supply carbon, to be
notliinij but thr rcry lament form
it SITU.
consumed in ivspiiatioii. Now,
of ri-iii-table l{fe
The most i>iterrxtintj f these ifa native of the tropics were
vegetable productions are the to see a Greenlander sit down
FCNOI (or mushrooms), the ALO.* to breakfast, he would lie ra-
for sea-weeds J. the LICHKNS, and ther surprised; he would sec the
the MOSSBB. These are useful. Greenlander take his dried fish
first, in forming nei soil for and dip in oil, eating plenty
it
other as footl
plants ; secondly,
lower animals ; and
of etery mouthful. The
oil at
for tlie
Greenlander would tell him not
thii-illij, in nourishing man him-
to be alarmed that then .is
self.
Food for men and animals, nothing nasty in such a pro-
and certain drinks, are prepared ccediiiLr, but. that it was his

from the AI.DKB, BIRCH, PINK, custom. He might add, '-Jt

anil ntlierforr.it trees. you come to live up here, my
HAHI.KY, OATB, and RTK, and friend, you will find that such
1li' htirdiest of our fruit* ami oil is You will want
necessary.
rri it tables, are cultivated in some it to supply carbon and heat
parti. foryour body and there's no-
thing will keep you so warm
101. FOOD PROCURED except oil, unless it be *j>irits."
FIJOM THK ANIMAL Thus you will find that the
KINGDOM. antelope, sheep, goat,
deer,
and oxen, on which the tm/ii'-nl
P. Yon have now heard some- nations live, are nearly all
190
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE SEAL.

muscle (or lean) and bone
they contain very little fat;
such fat would be very objec-
tionable to the animal itself,
and to those who eat him. On
the other hand, the Seal, the
Walrus, the Whale, the White
and Brown Bears, of the fn'r/id
countries, have an abundance
of fat. Unlike the muscular,
swift antelope, most of these
animals are slow and heavy in
the rocks, and here they hide
themselves while they suckle
their young. To attack them
then is a very easy matter.
Men come in the night, armed
with clubs, and carrying lighted
torches they make a great
noise, and as the frightened
seals rush toward the water,
they are easily killed.
But this is a cowardly way
it is like the method of killing

their movements, but their fat turtles. An Icelander or

is a great comfort to them, and Greenlander will meet the seal
afterwards to those who eat on the water, and give him fair
them. play. He will go in his covered
The FISH, as I said, are very boat, or kcijak, in which there
abundant. SALMON. HERRINGS, is
only sufficient room for his
COD, and others, are dried and body, and with his spear in his
put by for the winter. There hand, he will ride over the
are many birds, some of which rough waves. The seal, hiding
live upon the fish; the great behind the rocks, will often
OSPREY, or Fish Hawk, and attempt to bite a hole in the
the GOLDEN EAGLE, are often boat, or upset it.
seen. The GREAT NORTHERN When killed, it is turned to
DIVER, the AUKS, and PUF- all manner of purposes.
FINS, with flocks of Eider
Ducks, Gulls, and all kinds of Its fleshforms food;
sea-fowl ;
but not all of these Its blood forms soup;
are used for food. Its oil forms firing and
The MAMMALS are the most candles;
serviceable such as Its sinews form threads for
sewing their clothing or
102. THE SEAL. tents;
Its skin forms a covering for
This animal is reckoned their tents, boats, &c.;
amongst the carnivorous ani- Its stomach forms an oil flask ;
mals, because it feeds on small and
fish. It has an almost oval- The skin of the entrails
shaped body, which tapers forms window-curtains or
toward the tail. It is better shirts.
adapted for living in the water
than on the land. Being mam- no man can pass
It is said that
mals, the seals, of course, feed for a right Greenlander who
their young with milk, and cannot catch seals. Most of
breed them on the land. They the northern people are trained
therefore find dwelling-places to this work from their earliest
for themselves in the caves of childhood.
191
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE WALRUS, BEAR, WHALE, ETC.

103. THE WALRUS. 105. THE WJIALK.

The WALRUS is another of The whale is, perhaps, the
"
the Seal tribe. It is much " oldest inhabitant of the
larger, and is distinguished by Polar Seas. Certainly, it is
its enormous tusks. With these the largest. The habits, and
tusks it tears up long wreaths manner ofcatchin.tr the Green-
of the sea-weed, which form a land whale, are so well known
great part of its food. It is that I need not describe them
said. too. that it uses them in to you. They supply the for-
battle with its enemy, the tunate who have
fishermen,
polar bear. The animal is enterprise enough to become
hunted for the sake of its oil whalers, with abundance of oil.
and skin. Its flesh is also very
palatable. Many a feast of 106. THE POKI'OISK.
hot walrus have sailors had on
the ice, after the oil has been The POBFOISE,
too, is found
taken from it.
northern seas. On the
in the
coast of Iceland herd,- arc some-

104. THE POLAR BEAR. times seen numbering, it is sup-

posed, between two and tlirte
This animal, like the walrus, liiiniL-ril thousand! The li-her-
lives on a mixed diet. It pre- meii. in order to attack them,
fers seals and fish but when get far out at sea, and drive
;

.il, it
will eat mountain- them towards the land. Directly

berries, sea-weed, marsh-plants, one unfortunate porpoise hap-

&c. Some Polar Bears are of pens to be thrown on the beach
enormous size. The largest by the waves, all the others
known weighed l,600lbs., and rush toward the spot with such
mea-ured eight feet and a-half. violence that they arc stranded.
The I5i:i\\N and BLACK and taken in immense numbers.
HKAU, and the UKIIU CKI/./I.V
I'.i.vu, supply food. In
also 107. THE REINDEER.
KAMTSCHATKA, it is the cus-

tom to hunt tlicHrown Hear with Leaving the marine animals,

agun and dogs the hunter hides
: we come to the I;KIMH:KR, who
behind a tree which he knows i> the prince of animals amongst
that the animal will pass, and the Laplanders. Who could
fires directly he comes within say enough to a Laplander in
reach. If the tirst shot do not favour of his reindeer? As the
kill the animal, or disable him, camel is to the Arab a- the
the c<i||-ei|Ue|iees are often very h'.rse is to the Tartar--a- the
dreadful; the hunter and dogs pig is to the Irishman
an- probably torn to pieces, Cow is to the Englishman us
-
hears, like the other the dog is to the
Ks(|uiniaux
animals, ahoiind in fat; a part so is tin- reindeer to the Lap-
of it is very valuable, and is
sold as bear's grease. To tell you how the reindeer
r.r_'
 AKTICLES OF FOOD. TUB REIXDEEK.

draws the Laplander and his tame in northern coun-

sledge across the snow and ice
for hundreds of miles; and takes
him, with his load of provi-
sions and clothing, to the dif-
ferent markets and fairs, does
not belong to our subject. In
her capacity as a cow sup-
plying milk, butter, cheese,
flesh, and tallow the reindeer
is most worthy of notice. Just
as the patriarchs in the time
of Abraham counted up their
riches by the numbers of their
flocks and herds, or just as thealso may be seen the Esqui-
wandering Arabs do now, so maux Dog. But these animals
does the rich Laplander count are not articles offood.
up his flocks of reindeer. Some
husbandmen as many
possess
as two thousand.The animals
during the summer are every
morning driven up the moun-
tains to graze,and every even-
ing they are brought down to be
milked.
In the dreary winter, the
reindeer has to shift very
j
much for itself. Then the
!
the
tries; winter it lives
in the
near the houses of the inhabi-
tants. It is the largest of the
Deer tribe. Its broad antlers
are of im mense size, and its body
yields a large supply of food.
There are many more ani-
mals in these cold climates,
such as the Fox, the Wolf, the
Ermine, and the Sable. The
Beaver, too, was at one time
very numerous, especially in
the Western World : there
L Some of them are only
objects of chase. I should think
that nearly all the northern
nations are good hunters.
P. Yes; I told you that to
procure their stock for the win-
ter is the chief business of many
during the summer. I will
read you an account of an old
man who lived at Kamtschatka.
Hear what he and his sons did

lichens, which we have lately during the summer:

'

described, come to his relief.

"
These lichens cover the rocks The man and his sons had
which are under the snow. The killed twelve hears, eleven moun-
i

tuin sheep, several reindeer, a large

reindeer scrapes away the snow
number of ducks, and teal,
with its feet and its broad and a few geese,swans and pheasants.
shovel-shaped antlers, for it '
In November,' said he, we shall '

belongs to the family of Deer catch man)' hares and partridges;

which are distinguished by their and I have one thousand fresh
palmated antlers. If the stock salmon lately caught, and now
of lichens fail, the reindeer frozen, for our winter's stock.
must die, for they are its last Added to this, in my cellar there is
resource. a good stock of cabbages, turnips,
and potatoes with various sorts
;

of berries, and abuut thirty poods

108. THE ELK, &c.
(of thirty-six pounds each) of
sarannas with a sweetish-
(a root
The ELK is another deer bitter taste), the greater part of
with palmated antlers. Al- which we have stolen from the
'

though it is a tall powerful

field-mioe, who also collect them
i

animal, it is very gentle and in large quantities for the winter.'

193
 ARTICLES OF FOOD. THE ELK, KTC.

Tea, tobacco, and spirits, are tlie !

preatest articles of luxury in
Kaintschatka, and bread or biscuit
is a very acceptable present. The
Reindeer Kitriakees make a sort
of bread composed of the boiled
bones of the deer, with the marrow
in them, pounded very fine, and
mixed with a portion of the incut
and fit The scarcity of sal is a
great evil, as the ti-li cannot he
dried in the open air so as to k eep
rous for the men to help them-
selves tir>t.
P. Yes. That is one of the
true signs of barbarity for
the men to be unpolite to the
women. But hear the re-
mainder! "They prefer the
blood of the dog-fish to any
I other drink; but usually they
drink water."
I do not think that you would

properly until the next year, l!' like the dining-room of the
salt were more abundant, as many Grccnlanders. It is said that
fish miirlit be cured in some sea- " the air is often so
cnin as would last for several
impure with
the effluvia of dead fowls and
years."
seals, the entrails of animals,
L. It is a very good thing to the putrid remains of boiled or
find so much food hut I don't raw flesh, that to a European
think that I should like to it is
impossible to remain long
live in a frigid country for all within doors. Every thing seems
that. covered with the dripping "I
P. On the other hand, the train-oil and smoke."
people of the north think that Ion. Have you finished the
no one can he as happy as history of the food now, ]>:i]>:i?
themselves. Some have a very P. Not quite. may add We
high opinion of rheirown attain- a great many more general
ments; and ridicule other Eu- particulars about these frigid
ropeans, calling them by nick- countries: for instance, it is
names. But most of those said that the Northern Indians
nations are very barbarous. It (that is those within the Arctic
is said of the (jreenlaadera that circle) often cat their food raw.
in cooking and eating their It is said that they also eat
victuals, they are most loath- wliortle - berries, and even a
some. They have no set time kind of unctuous (fatty) clay.
for meals, but usually cook Ion. I suppose that that is
their game as soon as it is when they cannot get meat
brought in. When they eat, poor fellows !

they sit upon the ground P. And yet there is always

around a large wooden dish. an abundance of fish. I told
From this they take the meat you of the abundant shoals of
1

with their fingers; the men first, herrings

and afterwards the women, who W. And of i\\c porpoises.
sit on the opposite side of the P. And other animals of the
house. sea arc equally abundant.
IK. I call that barbarous! There are vast swarms of
for the men to eat with their shrimps which are very car-
fingers! nivorous. When Captain Parry
/.. I think it is more barba- travelled in the Polar regions,
194
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.
the crew hung joints of meat
from the side of the ship, and
within a few nights, they were
picked to the very bone. The
animal life in these regions
has indeed surprised many
people; but you shall hear at
once the account of the Medusa,
which others have written
then you will understand why
it is so. With this account we
will close our history of the
THE MEDUSA.
"
By what means does nature
support,amid the frozen world,
this immensity of life? Ac-
cording to the same plan
by which nature supports the
inhabitants of the seas by
making them the food of each
other. Here we observe a con-
tinued gradation of animals,
rising one above another, the
higher preying upon the lower,
till food is at last found for

animal food. those of largest bulk. The

109. THE MEDUSA.
" When we contemplate the
aspect of the northern world,
bleak, naked, dreary, beaten by
the raging tempest, and subject
to cold which is fatal to life,
we naturally imagine that
animal nature must exist there
on a small scale. It might be
expected that only a few dwarf
and stunted species would be
scattered along its melancholy
shores. But the mighty Ar-
chitect of nature makes here a
full display of his inexhaustible
resources. He has filled these
naked rocks, and wintry seas,
with a swarming profusion of
life, such as he scarcely brings Greenland sea, or above twenty
forth under the glow of tropical thousand square miles
basis of subsistence for the
numerous tribes of the Arctic
world is found in the medusa,
which the sailors well describe
as ' sea-blubber.' The medusa
is a soft, elastic, gelatinous
substance. Specimens may be
seen lying on our own shores,
exhibitingno signs of life except
that of shrinking when touched.
Beyond the Arctic circle it in-
creases in an extraordinary
degree, and is eagerly devoured
by the finny tribes of all shapes
and sizes. By far the most
numerous, however, of the me-
dusan races are too small to be
discerned without the aid of the
microscope. These medusae
occupy about a fourth of the
and ;

suns. He has stored them with hence their number is far be-
the mightiest of living beings, yond calculation. Mr. Scoresby
compared to which, the elephant estimates that two square miles
and hippopotamus of the tro- contain 23,888,000,000,000,000;
pics seem almost diminutive. and as this number is beyond
Even the smaller species, as that human words and conceptions,
of the herring, issue forth from he observes that 80,000 persons
the frozen depths in shoals which would have been employed since
astonish by their immensity; the creation in counting it.
" This
they fill all the southern seas, green sea may be con-
and minister food to nations; sidered as the Polar pasture-
the air, too, is darkened by ground, where whales are always
innumerable flocks of sea-fowl. seen in the greatest numbers.
195
 ARTICLES OF FOOD.
These prodigious animals can-
not derive any direct subsist-
ence from such small invisible
particles; but these form the
food of other minute creatures,
which then support others, till
at length animals are produced
of such size as to afford a morsel
for their mighty devourers."*
W. Well, I admire those
medusae ! They are wonderful
things. They correspond
the Lichens.
P. The Lichens are the lowest
and are the
sort of vegetables,
foundation of
the vegetable
kingdom, just as the medusae
are the foundation of the ani-
mal kingdom in the Polar seas.
Ion. Yes; because, you see,
the lichens die and make earth,
which becomes food for large
vegetables; then these larger
vegetables die, and form earth
to support larger plants still,
and so on. That is exactly
like the medusae becoming food
for the animals above them.
P. And in both cases, they
at last afford food and clothing
for man. Ought we not, indeed,
to be very thankful to "the
Mighty Architect," whoe noble
works we thus freely use? Let
us once more learn to love and
thank Him whose mighty hand
brings forth food from the sea,
and earth, and air.
You may now write your
last lesson on the food of man. ing amonrjtt somenf the northern
\V. And
then may we write
another of articles of food?
list
P. Yes; but mind that you
commit it to memory when you
have written it.
* PERATE AND FRIGID COUNTRIES.
Edinburgh Cabinet Library.
196
ANIMAL KINGDOM.
Lesson 21. ARTICLES OF FOOD.
(Frigid Climates.')
THE ARTICLES OF FOOD
FROM THE AMMAL
KINGDOM.
From the intense cold of the
Arctic rrtjiini, IIIHII ct/tild xearcely
ejristthere without animal food.
TJtus ire find some of the tnii/nnls
of the temperate con frit* lirinij 11
within the Arctic circle ; timl in
to
tJte parts further northward they
are replaced by the !>KI\ I>KKK,
8KAL,WAUIU8,WUALE, PORPOISB,
lit: \n. ft in I others.
There are also abundance of
Birds; but there is not one with
brilliant plumage lihe that of the
Tropical birds. The prim-ipnl
are the GULL, COUMORANT, the
DIVBRS, AUK, PCFPIN, PKTIIEL,
WILD DUCK, SBA EAOLB, Sfc.
From the sea is obtained an
unlimited supply offuh. parti-
cularly HBRHJNO.- and HALMOS,
which are found- in immense
shoals. T heea.-istenceflfthi'x,fixh
>
and consequently of' the \\iuile-,
Seal, I'olar Hear. lye., depends on
one of the lowest kindsof animals,
called the MEDINA, in the same
rray as the existence oft/te larger
plants ilejienils tin the lamest kind
ofvet/etables, the LICHENS. TJie
numbers of the medusa are
(jreater than the imagination can
conceive, and they are so small,
they can only be seen by
that
means oj the microscope.
There are no Iteptilcs within
the Arctic circle.
The mode of and of eat-
living
nations very barbarous ;
is still
not hnoming better,
but, from
they are quite content with
their present state.
P. Nowmakeyourtableofthe
ARTICLES OF FOOD IN THE TEM-
OBJECT LESSONS FROM THE GREAT EXHIBITION,

imfr
$urts #mrtjr /iftjj.
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING.
PART THE SIXTH.
CHAPTER SIXTEENTH.
ARTICLES OF CLOTHING.
P. First a word or two on
Clothing in general. You quite
understand that as long as we
are in the world we have to
dwell in bodies made of "clay."
You have learned, too, how, as
long as we are thus connected
with the body, we must take
care of it and feed it.
\V. Yes. And we have
learned of more than 100 ar-
ticles used for feeding it.
P. And we must not only feed
our body, but we must clothe
it; for you will observe that
unless you take care of it, and
see that it has the food and
clothing it requires, you and
yourbody must part, or, as we more handsome covering than
" die." The a hat.
say, you must
clothing is of great importance,
as well as the food; therefore,
let us talk of it next.
Go and see some savage
from the Southern Seas, and
question him on the subject
of clothing. Ask some native
of Tunis, a Frenchman, or
a Chinaman, and each will
show his own plan for wrapping
up his body; each has a dif-
ferent idea.
W. Yes. And though they
laugh at each other, each be-
lieves his own notion the best.
P. There is something good
in all tbcir ideas, no doubt.
The strangest idea is that of
the savage.
Bring forward the savage,
198
and " What
ask, are your rules
for the toilet?"
The savage would " Put
say,
a ring in your nose;" or, per-
haps, "one in each ear." "Tat-
too thy face with bluck mark-
ings. Paint with pretty colours.
Wash thy body well with oil,
until it glistens in the sun.
Let the oil of the cocoa-nut and
the palm run over thee. Wear
round thy loins the skin of
some beast."
If you were to tell that savage
that we do not think his a good
costume, he might ,-av that be
thought his fine limbs and broad
chest were much more beautiful
to look at than a great con/;
or, that he believed his thick
flowing hair to IMJ a much
Now, that is a very simple
idea!
very different from our
idea of dress. He believes
that nothing more is wanted;
and his only " raw materials"
are a little colour from the
earth, or stain from the juice
of plants; some oil (not Ma-
cassar) from the trees, and
either a skin or some vegetable
fibres to make coarse cloth.
But we may thus see how
many men depend upon ideas.
If the savage were to travel with
you in England alone, how he
would wonder at the trouble
you take about dress! If you
took him to Manchester, and
only showed him one of the
cloth factory chimneys, he
would wonder why it should
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING.

smoke for the sake of making with hemp. Then tell him to
dress, or what chimney-smok- count the merchants, the clerks,
ing had to do with dress- the porters, and the sailors, who
making! And when you led depend upon the clothing mar-
him inside, and he saw the tens ket for their bread.
of thousands of wheels, the spin- Lead him southward to Bir-
ning-mules, and power-looms; mingham, where men and
when he saw 1,200 of these women make buttons, and show
looms at work together, and him the thousands of people
heard their deafening clatter, whose living depends on the
he would wonder more how button trade. Or take him up j

people could make so much northward, to Macclesfield

"fuss" about dress. And he and Derby, where si/hen dress
wjuld feel more sure of what is made. Then travel south-
he said when you led him from ward again, to Newcastle-nnder-
one factory to another; when Lyne, to see the manufacture
he saw all the processes of of hats. Take him to Coventry ;
printing and dyeing, and was here are more tens of thousands
told that these belonged to one employed in making ribbons and
manufacture only, the manu- watches.
facture of cotton. He would Lead him northward to Not-
feel surprised, too, at the number tingham, where the people are
of factories for making this making cotton stockings, and
cotton dress, and would be net, and lace. Lead him down
more surprised when he tra- to Leicester, where tvoo/len stock'
velled from town to town zni/sand gloves are made. Lead
throughout LANCASHIRE, and him southward again. Take
reached at last the giant port him to the town of Northamp-
of Liverpool. How he would ton. Let the scared savage I

open his eyes at the fleets of peep into the houses of the
merchant-ships, and the im- poor, and see how all are busy
mense bales of cotton with making strange leather cases
which they were laden! " What are these
for the feet!
Lead him to Warrington, on thickthings with nails?" he
the Mersey, and show him the would ask. These are boots
hundreds of families who live and shoes. Take him eastward
by making pins. to Norwich. All the world
Lead him to YORKSHIRE, here is making bombazines, and
and show him thousands stuffs, and crapes. Lead him
more machines, and tens through the counties of Cam-
of thousands of families which bridge, Huntingdon, Bedford,
get their living by making and Buckingham, and he won-
woollen dress. Lead him to ders what we want with so much
Hull, that he may see the straw-plait, or why the people
eastern port; show him vessels plait straw at all*. Many he
bringing flax from Holland, notices making pillow-lace, at
others with ?coo/from Germany, which he wonders more.
and others from Russia laden Then lead him to "LONDON
199
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING.

TV." Take him to bjrmond- the ideas of the nation have

sey, where the leather is tanned enlarged.
take him to Spitalfields, where But us enter the Crystal
let

poor men weave silk and, when

;
Palace. The
list of raw ma-

you have shown him all these terials rather surprises our
places, you may tell him that savage friend. I need hardly
in this country some millions From the ANI-
count them up.
of people earn their daily bread MAL KINGDOM we have skins,
by making articles of dress. fur, woof, feathers, silk, bone,
What do you think he will say? ivory, horn, pearl, tortoi.te^helt,
W. Why, he will say that whalebone, &c. From the VEGE-
those people would not get TABLE KINGDOM, cotton, htmp,
many customers in his country flax, straw, yutta perclui, In-
;

they don't wear hob nailed dia rubber; and from the MI-
-

shoes there, nor hats. NERAL KINGDOM, gold and sil-

P. And thus you may learn ver, precious stones, brass, irot,
the value of an idea. Suppose &c. Our savage looks upon all
that the civilized part of the these things, and he camioi,
world should suddenly take to make out in what way we use
the savage's philosophical view them he cannot believe, in-
of dress, and think exactly as deed, that they are all brought
he thinks what would become into use.
of the millions of people to Well! if he won't believe,
whom our articles of clothing let him walk on through the
give employment? Exhibition. Let him see the
Ion. They would be thrown various articles into which these
out of work; then they must raw materials have been formed.
starve. Look, Mr. Savage, at our rib-
P. But these people depend bons ! In how many different
confidently on the ideas of dress styles do we get them up! Here
which the world has now. are " gauze, satin, sarsnet, and
They know that since the time lutestring plain, figured, flow-
of the Ancient Britons, the ered, stamped of open pattern,
people of this country have and of open texture with edges
changed their ideas of dress, plain, scalloped, pearled, and
and that they will not go back vandyked some are not smooth
:

again. ribbons, but they are yojered

and quilted with beautiful skill."
We " But what do
have, however, to talk yon do with
of the articles of clothing in THE
thefenthers?" grumbles the sav-
"
KXIIUUTION. Suppose we go age. Surely you would not be
and see them dressed like geese !"
II Let us take the savage
. Come and look at the FEA-
too, papa? THER BONNETS. Here are bon-
/'. Very well ; and it would nets made from the feathers of
be well if we could also have the ostrich, the guinea-fowl, the
an Ancient Briton, stained with pheasant, the goose, anil the
"
woad, that he might see how swan. These are novelties !"
200
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. FANS, LACE, ETC.

these bonnets, yet yon see rows P. Yes. Here, Mr. Savage,
of different shapes and colours. is a little article, one of our
What do you say to them, Mr. Queen's jewels; its value in
Savage? They are light, yet money is greater than all your
they arewarm and soft. Would island, and half a dozen others
you like to take one home to beside 2,000,000. Look at
your estimable squaw? those noughts! if you understand
"One of those!" he would numeration, and think about
reply. "My squaw does not them.
wear bonnets she has not the Our savage chieftain wonders
idea of such a thing." But he how many such things are worth
would still like to see the novel- all the world, and whether our
ties. Then you might show Queen ever wears all the world
him the ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS. in her crown. But the heavy
How many things are used to idea oppresses him; he is tired
make these ornaments! There lead him to something else.
are flowers made from wax, Come here, friend. Here are
cambric, shells, feathers, and some articles of dress. Here
beetles'wings from hair, satin- are some of Mr. Nicholay's
wood, box, ivory, bone, and FURS. And when the savage
precious stones. Here, too, are sees the skins of the lion hang-
flowers made from seeds, and ing from the gallery, and the
not far off are singular flowers helpless look of the grim bear,
made from lace.
" What's this he grins with satisfaction. He
'ere?" our savage might say. is amused, too, with the strange

Ah! here are strange varie- collection of furs from the fox,
ties of FANS. Would you like the ermine, the stoat, the
to buy Mrs. (what's her beaver, the chinchilla, and the
name?) a FAN? Here is one marten but he does not un-
;

enriched with jewels, and worth destand what is meant by a

" victorine."
nearly a thousand pounds; you
see, it would buy up half of your Here is beautiful LACE to be
island at home. Perhaps you seen from Belgium veils worth ;

have never heard of M. Duvel- hundreds of guineas; a lace

leroij? He is a French gentle- dress which cost five years'
man, and he makes fans. He labour in making. The savage
employs two thousand people does not care for such things;
in this work. Here is a set he passes on.
which he has made for the Now examine the Cotton, the
ladies who
dwell in the Sultan's Woollen, the Silk Goods. Here,
harem; you see they are orna- too, are some Mixed Goods. Try
mented with designs from the and understand, Mr. Savage,
"Arabian Nights," if you have while I give you their names.
ever heard of such a book. And Here are bombazines, para-
now look at the /eaMer-fans! mattas, merinos, cobourgs, pop-
W. Perhaps he could like to lins, which are corded, watered,
see the article of dress called and brocaded crapes, Cash-
;

KOH-I-NOOR. meres, Bareges, twilled Ban-

201
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. MIXED GOODS.

danas, Indian shawls, spun-silk, There are "No, thank you;

cambrics, muslins, camlets, let mego!" So we'll send him
chintzes, tartans, tweeds, lin- oft' to the refreshment-room.
sey-wolseys, flannels, figured It is very clear that the im-

gauzes, flouncings, fancy checks, provements which are brought

scarfs, printed handkerchiefs,
embroidered vests, embroidered
robes, and tamboured dresses
I hope you understand these
names. Here are gorgeous spe-
cimens of velvets, with plush
satins, gros de Naples, and wa-
forth in the Crystal Palace are
not to his taste; he does not
understand the idea of them.
He has seen enough to know
that the civilized world pay
wonderful attention to their
articles of dress, and that is all !

tered silks; here are flannels, So we will leave our savage

corduroys, railway-wrappers, in the midst of the jellies and

you don't nse these in your the ices such "improvements"

island, I believe ? saddle- he quite understands. We are
cloths, druggets, baizes, friezes, now in the Transept. Let us
and rumswizzle. Ah, here I start from here. We will travel
have puzzled myself ! Here is through each department, down
the rumswizzle ! Take it up and the whole length of the Exhi-
examine it yourself. Ktims- bition.
wiz/.le is rumswizzle Properly speaking, we have
that's
what it is. It is made of wool, only to notice the Raw Mate-
which is undyed and foreign. rials of each country; but as
Here are more camlets, and we shall, I dare say, see in each
waterproof cloths; Mackintosh department some articles of
capes and cloaks oil-skin dress, we will also say a word
;

capes, and other convenient or two on the people's costume.

things. Here are ginghams,
calicoes, plain and striped, shirt- TURKEY.
ings, sheetings, damasks, dia-
pers, huckabacks, dimities, Here is TURKEY. It is the
quillings, lambskins, doeskins, nearest place to the Transept,
angolas, kerseymeres, broad- so we will
begin. This country
cloths, both piece-dyed and is partly in Europe and partly
wool-dyed, net, Honiton lace, in Asia, but the people are
bobbin-net, gimp, braids, fringe, more like the Asiatics than the
tassels, cords, cordings, glazed Europeans. The outer gar-
linings, Persian silk, hooks-and- ment of a Turk
a long, loose is

eyes, buttons, stay-laces. Here robe; underneath his robe is a

are wide waistcoat tied with a sash;
But the savage will not hear his trousers are quite loose, and
any more, he is bewildered he wears ornamented slippers.
quite. These slippers are only for tin-
" don't mean to say,"
You streets; for, when entering a
he asks, " that you mar all these house, the Turk leaves these
different kinds of things?" articles at the door. On his
Yes, indeed. Let me go on ! head our Turk wears a peculiar
202
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. TURKEY, EGYPT, ETC.

dress of white cloth or muslin. It is from these women that

Ask him what it is.He does the ladies of America have in-
" " turban." troduced a new style of dress,
not say hat," but
" Here is turban I take called the Bloomer costume.
my ;

great pains in foldingit." So

you would say, if you saw him PERSIA.
do it. Every one seems to fold
his turban in his own way ;
for Persia is our next depart-
a barberof Constantinople once ment. The dress of the Per-
showed the world that the mus- sians is much like that of the
lin of a turban may be arranged Egyptians and Turks, except
in different
sixty-six ways. that it is more expensive. The
Many Turks also wear a broad Persians are said to have sur-
sabre, or scimitar, at their side. passed all other Eastern na-
The Turkish women are dressed tions in their love of pomp and
much like the men, except that show. No Persian thinks him-
their faces are veiled; but it is self properly dressed without
said that they will unpin a a dagger in his girdle. Their
corner of the muslin to eat daggers and sabres do not
some sweetmeats, or smoke speak well for the people; it
one of the long Turkish pipes. is a bad thing to feel that you

Here, in the Exhibition, we may have to defend yourself

may see these articles. Here by force. If all the Eastern
are some turbans, and another nations would put away these
kind of head-dress, called afez things, they would find it much
" flowered muslin for turbans " easier to settle their disputes
a " scarlet cloak embroidered without such helps. The Per-
"
in gold a " ladies' suit com- sians wear high-heeled boots;
plete" vests, belts, silk sashes, their head-dress is a black
and so on; here are daggers, - skin
sheep cap. Although,
pistols, and sabres, " gold and like the Turks, they take off
steel mounted." their shoes on entering a house,
they do not uncover the head.
" This is a
EGYPT. very bad plan," said
an English officer who had
Egypt, an African country, often dined with the Persians.
"
!
is found in the same depart- We are obliged to do as they
ment with Turkey. The dress do, and while we dine we have
j
of the Egyptian is much like to bear the weight of our heavy
:
that of the Turk the every
;
cocked hats and feathers."
i

day colour is black, blue, grey,

I

or light brown. Those who are GREECE.

j
descended from their prophet
j
Mahomet, are allowed the pri- Here the department of
is

vilege of wearing a green tur-
;
ban. The Egyptian, as well as
the Turkish women, wear loose
trousers, like those of the men.
Greece, but there are not many
dresses. Here, indeed, is one
(numbered 56), and it tells you
by its wonderful smartness the
203
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. SPAIN, ETC.

character of the Greeks. The j

that there is as much difference
Persians wear expensive dress, j
between two inhabitants of the
but generally of sober colour; I north and south of Spain as
the Greeks, on the other hand, between an Englishman and a
dress with a great deal of show. Russian.
"A physician's janissary," it is The most striking article of
" wears a rich robe of dress
said, belonging to all the Span-
scarlet; his vest is of blue vel- iards is the great </,,/. This is
vet, trimmed with gold lace truly a national garment, and is
;

and in his silk girdle is a brace worn almost everywhere. " To

of pistols." The Greek wears the Spaniard it seems his only
short petticoats, and a short garment for holiday and every-
jacket, and sometimes scarlet day, for rain and sunshine, for
leggings but his dress is very winter and summer; the very
;

much varied. Sometimes he children wear it, and are often

wears a snowy white turban, encumbered with it
play." at
but more often the tasseled, The whole so much
nation is
red-cloth cap, called the Fez; attached to this cloak that a
and sometimes a fur cap, like a Spanish minister (in the time
muff. The young Greeks are of Charles III.) lost his life for
very handsome, and the cos- attempting to cut it down to
tume of some is the most grace- what he thought was a more
ful in the whole world. But reasonable size. The Spanish
all classes of Greeks dress hat is generally high-crowned,
showily and it is said that
;
and with a large brim.
even a servant will spend every The Spanish ladies are known
farthing of his wages in fine by their large m<intillus,or shawls,
clothes. which are nearly always black;
by their black lace veils, and
SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AND the great fans which they
"
MADEIRA. always carry with them. A
Spanish woman," it is said,
The costume of the Euro- " would be as likely to go out
pean differs much from that of of doors without her shoes, as
the Turks and the Eastern without her fan." Bonnets are
nations. But we must not look not worn ; the ladies' heads
to Spain for the character of are covered by their mantillas.
the European dress. When a In Portugal, the dress is like
traveller passes through that that of Spain.
it is said that nothing
country,
strikes him more than the ITALY.
wonderfully different dresses
of the people. If the people In the department of Italy,
were judged by their costume, we have splendid articles of
you would almost suppose that dress. From SARDINIA, there
the inhabitants of neighbouring are silk velvets, black, blue,
provinces belonged to different crimson, spring green, ruby,
hemispheres. It has been said emerald green, figured s<itins,
204
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. ITALY, FRANCE, ETC.

silk gros,and flowered damask coloured handkerchiefs are

embroidered cambric hand- worn over the shoulders.
kerchiefs black lace mantles But it is in Paris that the
boots made of leather prepared true character of the French
with the hair on, boots without dress is seen. There are seen
seam. From ROME there are the most gorgeous satins, vel-
samples of silk and crape. vets, and silks; men and women
From TUSCANY there are all ornamented with chains and
kinds of raw silk, straw-plait, jewels; while the dresses are
and straw-bonnets. continually being changed in
There is every variety of cos- shape, forming new and most
tume in Italy, as much as in elegant patterns. The French
Spain. The bandit with his are particularly noted, too, for
great slouched hat the Jesuit their gloves, ribbons, and artifi-
with his black shovel hat cial flowers. It is not worth
other priests with triangle- while to look into the French
shaped hats; some with black department to try to describe
dresses, and red crosses; others the articles sent. There is
with violet robes. In Tuscany almost everything in the shape
the women wear black beaver of dress that can be imagined.
hats with high crowns, and
with plenty of pretty ribbons & HOLLAND.
BELGIUM
streaming from it on holidays.
Belgium is the country for
FRANCE. lace and broad cloths. The lace
sent from there is truly beyond
Who will describe the French description. There is nothing
costume? If you begin your striking in the Belgian costume.
description in the morning, you It is said that throughout the
will have to alter
it in the country it is very rare to see a
evening, the fashion will
for man, woman, or child in rags.
have changed before you have In both Belgium and Holland
finished. Even if you do alter the children wear wooden shoes,
it,your description is not safe; called sabots ; they are cut out of
the next day, there will be a single pieces of wood, and may
new fashion. That Frenchmen be bought at sixpence per pair.
wear blouses, will hold good for
a long time; and that they wear AUSTRIA, ZOLLVEREIN,
the moustache and beard will NORTHERN GERMANY.
always be true, for this is the
settled fashion of the Celtic AUSTRIA is placed next to
nations. If you go to Nor- Belgium in the Crystal Palace.
mandy, you may there see This is a very large empire, at
women with white, high-
stiff, the South of Europe. The word
crowned caps. They are made "ZOLL-VEREIN" is derived from
of muslin highly starched; some the German zoll, a toll or tax,
are half a yard, and others j
and vcrein, union. Thus, the
even a yard in height: bright j
word means a Tax-union, and it
205
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. AUSTRIA, RC8S1A, ETC.

isgiven to a number of German is varied, because of the num-

states which have united their ber of nations. The
small low-
taxes, so that they may all be crowned cloth cap forms one of
collected at once. These states the distinctions by which we
are situated on the river Rhine, know a German the blouse is
;

and at one time they were a also worn by many of the

great hindrance to commerce; Germans. The poorer women
for when a vessel was sailing up wear long coats and thick
the whole length of the Rhine, woollen petticoats, like those
it had to
stop and pay toll at worn the "
by buy-a-broom"
the custom-houses of twenty- girls. In Austria, again, the
senen different states. You may women wear full short petti-
easily imagine how great a hin- coats, with coloured boddices,
drance this must have been. tightly laced.
These states on the Rhine, there- In Prussia the ladies are
fore, formed the union called noted for their skill in needle-
the Zollverein, by which all the work. From Berlin, the capi-
duties due from a vessel are tal, we have the well-known
collected by one state, and after- embroidery, the Berlin wool
wards divided. work. It is said that in needle-
\V. Then work "Germany stands first
the Zollverein de-
partment in amongst the nations, then Rus-
the Exhibition, I
suppose, means the department sia, then England, and then
of those states on the Rhine? France."
P. Yes. Prussia and the
states in the centre of Germany RUSSIA.
constitute the Zollverein. You
will see that the next depart- Russiais, you know, the
ment in the Exhibition is largest country in the world.
marked Northern Germany. It includes the most varied of
The towns of Northern Ger- climates, and therefore sends
many from which these goods different sorts of produce. From
are sent, are called the Hame Russia we have all kinds of
Towns, from the old German stuffs, silks,cotton and linen
word a league.
Arttt.s, goods various leathers, and
Ion. Did they form another furs.
league? With every description of
P. Yes a union was formed
;
raw material, you find in Rus-
by these towns to protect and sia every description of dress.
help one another; and in mat- Some are clothed in the Euro-
ters of trade they certainly did pean, and some in the Asiatic
so. They once had the whole style. Most of the peasantry
trade of the North of Europe wear a high-crowned cap. In
in their hands, and the towns the winter, instead of wearing
became very rich. Bremen, stockings, their legs are ban-
Lubec, and Hamburgh, are daged with coarse cloth or flan-
amongst the largest. nel ; the shoes (or sandals) of
Th e costume of the Germans many are made of linden bark,
206
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. SWITZERLAND, SWEDEN, ETC.

while others travel on skates over bright scarlet boddices, striped

the frozen rivers and lakes their
; aprons of blue, black, or red,
coats often consist of sheep's over greyish petticoats, thick
skins, worn with the wool turned stockings of flaming red, and
inward. The costumes of the the largest and most marvel-
'

Tartars, the Cossacks, and other
tribes, are very various; some
are gay and gaudy, others are
very coarse.
SWITZERLAND.
In Switzerland and the Tyrol,
there are many oddities of dress.
One of the Cantons, the Grisons,
is said to be so called from the
grey colour of the men's dresses.
In the Tyrol, the peasantry
"
strangely wear stockings with-
out feet to them, tight black
lous shoes in the world.' These
shoes have beech-wood soles,
several inches thick, heavily
shod with iron, and a round
lump in the middle."
The people of the UNITED
STATES have sent many goods
to the Exhibition, but their
clothing is very much like that
of the English, except that the
Bloomer costume, which I spoke
of before, belongs particularly
to them. It has not yet been
adopted in England; whether
it ever will be, we cannot yet

breeches, and leathern girdles, tell.

with knives stuck in them."
Their blue smock frock is TUNIS.
tastefully worked, and worn
by the gentlemen as well as the As we return down the Nave
peasantry. The aged women, towards the Transept, one of the
it is said, wear tall white or last places we reach is TUNIS.
red worsted caps, of sugar-loaf The costume of Tunis, and
shape, and weighing six or the natives of the North of
seven pounds; and their dresses Africa, is a mixture of the
appear hooped, from often con- European and Arab dress.
sisting of no fewer than ten The three principal tribes
petticoats. living in this district are the
Moors, Arabs, and Berbers.
SWEDEN, NORWAY, AND There is little difference betM'een
DENMARK. the races; the wandering tribes
are called Arabs, and those
In these cold countries, warm dwelling in cities are called
woollens are worn. The blue Moors. The dresses of the rich
skirts and homely linsey-wool- men of Tunis are most magnifi-
seys are well-known in Sweden. cent ; a rich Moor wears a gold-
Ion. What are linsey-woolsfys, laced waistcoat a jacket with
papa? embroidered sleeves immense
P. Linsey-woolseys are mix- trousers of silk or cloth and a
ed goods a cloth made from a broad belt of silk or gold. Over
mixture of wool and cotton. his dress he wears a woollen
" In
Stockholm, the boat-wo- cloak, bordered with gold lace;
men wear huge muslin caps, his boots, shoes, or slippers,
207
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. TUNIS.

are made of yellow morocco Bedouins (Bedweens). Iron bri-

leather. dle-pieces. Water-holders used
The women of TUNIS and on horseback. Gold foot-rings.
TRIPOLI also dress in magnifi- Bracelets. Lizard skins. Com-
cent style; they wear "a silk plete Arab belt, &c. Lea-
shirt of many colours in stripes, a ther cushions. Foot- rings for
highly-embroidered waistcoat, girls. King, used by Arabs
silk trousers, and a large gaudy to tie up their waist-girths.
silk wrapper. The head-dress Pins and breast ornaments.
is a cap of cloth of gold, with Ear-rings. Silver ornaments
many rich ornaments; the eye- for the head. Boy's belt.
lids are stained with antimony; Tunisian otto of roses. Otto
the cheeks are painted with of jasmin. Mixed essences.
rouge. On the ears, and ankles, Amber lozenges and necklaces.
and wrists are worn earrings, Parasols, with ostrich feathers,
anklets, and bracelets of massive and in red silk. Lion and leo-
gold or silver." pardskins. K-hol used for black-
The JEWISH women of these ing the eyelids, &c.. &c., &c.
parts may only wear black or Indeed you may find here almost
yellow slippers; they are also everything used for Arab cloth-
prohibited from wearing boots. ing.
The dresses of the MOORS are \V. How does the Arab dress
similar to those of the people himself, papa?
of Tunis. P. "The costume of the
The BERBERS are a wild ARAB, generally, is a large
people, from whose name the loose shirtand cotton trousers;
word " Barbary" is derived. sandals, or red leather half-
Their costume differs from that boots, laced a red hanging
;

at Tunis. It is said that they cap with a blue silk tassel; a

cover themselves with a black woollen wrapper thrown over the i

woollen garment like a sack, head, and hanging down the

which is never taken off, but back. The female dress is
generally made to last a whole almost the same as the men's.
life. The women dress much The young women decorate
like the men they tattoo their their hair with beads, coral,
;

legs and arms, and stain their and a silver crescent; they also
'

hands and nails, but never wear '

charms against mis-
veil. Both sexes wear buskins, fortunes."
like the ancient Romans. W. think that the silver
I
Let us look into the Tunis crescent mnst make them look
department of the Exhibition. very pretty. I should like to see
Here is a real Arab's tent. See an Arab girl.
how it is covered with the skin P. You will alter your mind,
of the black camel! Here are perhaps, when I read you the
rare articles of dress for man rest of their description.
" An
and horse. Velvet-saddles, em- Arab belle is almost covered
broidered with gold and silver. with tatooed flowers, with circles,
Plated stirrups used by the the names of gods and of her
208
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. CHINA.

friends; and she often wears W. I have seen a picture of a

two or three pounds' weight of Tartar with a " pig-tail," papa.
jewellery. All the women tat- P. Yes. Now
I think of it,
too themselves, and stain their it is to the Tartars that they
hands and nails, but they never owe the custom. A
long time
dye their hair." ago these Tartars conquered
China, and forced the Chinese
CHINA. to preserve their hair with great
care to cut off the greater part,
;

The CHINESE department is and to wear pig-tails reaching

united to that of Tunis. The
most striking part of the Chi-
nese dress is What do you think
is most striking, Willie?
W. The Chinese
should suppose.
P. Yes; just as you distin-
guish the Frenchman by his
blouse, the Turk by his turban,
or the German by his cap, so
to the calves of their legs.
Now look at his coat. It is
made of green silk, and it fas-
tens on the right side with gold
shoes, I or silver buttons. Please let
us unbutton this coat, and see
what there is underneath. Ah !
here are certain robes made of
nankeen a sort of cotton cloth.
W. I have worn nankeen; it

you may distinguish the Chinese is of a light buff colour. Why

by their shoes. is itso called?
Here is a specimen of a P. Because the cotton grows
Mandarin's dress, which But, near Nanldn, a city of China
see! here is a real live China- it
grows of a buff colour, just
" in
man, who is attendance." as we wear it. But the China-
Now notice his costume! His man does not wear it of this
dress nearly all silk. Silk,
is colour. See it is dyed brown
!

you is a favourite raw-

see, (sometimes the nankeens are
material in the warm countries ; dyed blue and black). He
it is
cheaper than in England, also wears loose linen trousers,
because it is more easilv culti- cotton stockings, and wooden-
vated. Thus, we have met with soled shoes. Now fasten up
it in Tunis.
Egypt, Turkey, and his robe again, and tie the
Persia; it also abounds in China, girdle round! To this silken
and we shall find it much in girdle are fastened his fan-case,
use in India. tobacco-pouch, bag for flint and
But look our Chinaman
at ! steel, and a case containing a
He wears a close skull-cap, and knife, and a pair of chopsticks.
has two long ropes of hair hang- But the dresses of Chinamen
ing down his back we call differ. Some wear tight leg-
them "
pig-tails." gings as well as loose breeches;
Just please to take off your some ornament their dresses
little cap, Mr. Chinaman. Now with gold embroidery and
you see that his head is shaved, pearls. They also ornament
all
except the crown ; this fashion with the costly Chinese crape,
islike that of the Tartars, and and wear crimson-coloured
others of the Mongolian race. socks. The richer people wear
209
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. CHINA.

fur dresses, but these are very Their faces are often daubed
expensive, and descend from with different-coloured paint;
father to son; some can only their teeth are tinged green and
afford fur- trimmings. One of yellow and their nails, particu-
;

the most important things in larly amongst the higher classes,

the Chinaman's case, is his fan. are often allowed to grow to the
No one in China thinks him- length of six inches. It would
self thoroughly dressed with- be almost as well if they allowed
out his fan. their toe-nails and toes to grow
We must add, whether equally long; but you have
it is

agreeable to the Chinaman or heard, I dare say, how cruelly

not, that many of the Chinese the poor feet of the Chinese
are dirty fellows! Their persons ladies are served. As soon as
and dress are both dirty. They a female child is born, her feet
seldom change their shirts or are tightly wrapped up. The
under-garments to wash them ; bandages are at periods re-
most of them never employ a newed, and the poor child is
bath, either cold or warm. thus tortured that its foot may
They use no soap, and scarcely not grow to the natural size.
ever wash their bodies ; they It is a painful sight to a Euro-
carry no pocket-handkerchiefs. pean to see a Chinese lady
At night they sleep huddled hobbling along with her feet in
under a coverlid, nearly in the shoes four inches long, and
same clothes that they wear two inches or so broad.
during the day. The conse- L. Such feet are really hardly
quence of this habit, and of large enough for her to stand
;

their filthiness, is, that they upon.

often swarm with vermin. It is P. The truth is, that the lady
said that sometimes the highest is a cripple.
i
officers of the empire will,If you ask Mr. Chinaman
even
in public, call what other articles of dress
their attendants
to take some of these vermin have been sent to the Exhibi-
from their necks. tion, he will show you. Here
The Chinese ranks are dis- are the celebrated era/*, shawls ;
tinguished by different-coloured they are manufactured by the
dresses. Just as in Turkey ladies of China at home. Here
none but a descendcnt of Ma- are scarfs made of cru'ie and
homet may wear green ; so iu gauze; here are all kinds of
China none but the emperor silks, Pongee silks, Pongee
may wear yellow. That is the silk handkerchiefs, plain and
royal colour. figured; filagree necklaces, and
The different classes of man- )in >t her - of - pearl ornaments.
darins are known by the differ- But let us leave the Chinaman.
ent-coloured knobs on theircaps. We will cross the Transept.
White is the colour for mourn- Now let us see where we are.
ing in China. We are now in the Western Nave
We must not talk of the of the Exhibition. Here is the
dress of the Chinese women, i INDIAN DEPARTMENT.
210
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. INDIA.

and then stalks away without

INDIA.
paying for his passage.
To say how all the people of Ion. What a shame!
India dress would be very diffi- P. The poor boatman does
cult. Come with me, and I not think so. He would tell
will show you a collection of you that the privilege of carry-
figures which will represent the ing over so holy a person is
different castes and trades of quite a sufficient reward. The
India. The room in which caste next in importance to the
these figures are placed is a most Brahmins are the Warriors.
magnificent place. It is fitted From them are chosen the
up in the style of an Indian kings, princes, and other rulers.
palace. The collection of The third class consists of those
figures is a very extensive one. engaged in useful pursuits
You may observe that each such as agriculture and com-
caste has a different costume. merce. The fourth class in-
W. What are castes, papa? cludes the labourers and work-
P. By castes we mean the men.
different ranks of society in The lowest of all classes are
India. The whole nation of the Pariahs, or outcasts. These
Hindoos is cut up into divisions, poor creatures are not admitted
and each division has no con- into any " caste" ; they are
nection whatever with any accounted worthless, and are
other. Whatever caste a man in a worse condition than the
may be born in, in that caste brutes. Many have no dwell-
he must remain all his lifetime. ing-place whatever, but live as
This system is a great curse to the dogs do indeed, they often
;

society in India. No man quarrel with the dogs for the

can ever raise himself to a food which is thrown to them.
better caste, so that few make Their countrymen abhor and
any attempts at improvement. shrink from them ; they will
The highest caste is that of the not allow them to enter a tem-
Braltmins. They are the priests ple, lest they should defile it.
of India, and they enjoy pri- They are only employed to per-
vileges which are disgraceful form the filthiest of work and
to think of, for they are more the meanest of offices such as
than cilght to be allowed to brutes perform.
any mortal. Being priests, We
read in the Scriptures of
they cannot become kings, but man's wicked inventions, and
they account the office of a oh, how truly do you see the
king to be beneath their dig- result of man's inventions in the
nity. In the most trifling condition of these poor crea-
matters, they claim the first tures! The religion of the
attention. Thus, it is said, if Hindoos was made by man,
one has occasion to cross a and you may see what such
river along with others, he religion does. These poor
enters the boat first, is first Pariahs are God's creatures
lauded on the opposite side, " created in His image." How
211
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. IX1HA.

angry must the Almighty feel P. Cotton, which grows there

at an invention which causes abundantly. Cotton is one of
His creatures to be so treated! I the principal articles of manu-
II '. I am very glad that I facture in India; the most im-
was not l>orn in India. portant is sill:. The soft fingers
P. And so am I, Willie.
;

of the Hindoo natives are well

Suppose we had lived there, , suited for all the fine processes
ami I had been horn a Pariah. \ of making silk and cotton cloth,
'

Such should I be now, and you and before we introduced .-team-

also. Be
thankful, too, that j
machinery to our ma-
help
you live in the laud which has Hindoo cloths
nufactures, the
been reached by the " glad
(

\
were much more valuable than
tidings." May such
glad tidings the English. At the present
reach India soon, and cause the time, vast numbers of these
heart of man to flow with love
|

I
natives get their living by spin-
toward his fellow-man! ning and weaving. The mns-
<

But we were
talking of ,
lins, calicoes, ginghams, and
the cloiliiny of the Hindoos, j
silks of India cannot, it is said,
Look at this little army of clay he surpassed. I may here
figures! Did you ever see such mention to that "
you muslin,"
a variety of costume? which is a very familiar name
II'. S\jme of the lower castes to you, is so named from Mosul,
are almost naked. the capital
of Mesopotamia.
P. Yes. Look at this group. on the banks of the
This city is
Here you have a gardener, a Tigris, and was once the great-
shepherd, a village waterman, est commercial city in the East.
carpenter, blacksmith, plough- Look for it on your map.
man, waggoner, and many If". Why is calico so called?

others; none of these wear any- P. The word calico (another

" "
thing more than a piece of cloth household word ) comes
round their loins and a turban from Calicot, the capital of
on the head. The dress for the Malabar. From this town
other part of their bodies is sim- calico was first exported. You
ply oil. They rub it
plentifully may look fur this, also, on your
over their naked skins, and as map. Hut enough of India.
there is plenty of oil in India, As I said, it would be wearisome
the natives find it much cheaper to describe the costumes. Let
clothing than a coat or trousers. us say, lastly, that, as usual in
The turban was not anciently Eastern countries, there it
worn by the natives; indeed, the plenty of ornament worn by
greater part of them do not those who can afford it. Tur-
wear it now. It was introduced of the richest velvet,
by the MAIIOMKTANB when they crimson and gold brocade,
conquered India, just as the gold and silver tissues, and so
TAKTAUB introduced pig-tails on, are worn by the men. The
when they conquered China. women wear" all sorts of
/.. What is their cloth made
things gold and silver lace;
of, p.iim; is it cotton or linen? elegant, vet massive trinkets,
J

212
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. INDIA, ETC.

such as bangles, ear-rings, the case are two necklaces of

chains, and necklaces; pearls, pearls, valued at 7,000, and
too, of the size of a pigeon's varieties of rubies, emeralds,
egg, and strings of diamonds opals, some of which are wrought
are worn by the wealthiest into exquisite patterns.
classes. There are in India
singing and dancing girls, called MALTA, CEYLON, JER-
nautches. (I do not think you SEY, AND THE IONIAN
would like their dancing from ISLANDS.
the accounts I have read of it.)
Let us conclude with the dress These places are widely
of a nautch: apart, as you may see on the
map. But their departments
A nautch wears " grey silk trou-
in the Exhibition are close to-
sers embroidered with silver, rich
anklets strung with small bella gether. This is because they
the toes covered with rings, and a are British possessions.
silver chain across the foot a very From MALTA we have many
full petticoat of rich cloth, deeply good specimens of black silk
trimmed or fringed with gold and lace, bracelets, studs, hair-pins,
silver. The vest is almost hidden &c.
by an immense veil which crosses From CEYLON " Pearls, of
the bosom several times, and hangs
down in broad ends. The hands, course," you will say, for you
have heard, ever since you were
arms, and neck, are covered with
a baby, of the " Ceylon pearl
jewels, and in the hair are silver
ribbons and bodkins. The ears fisheries ;" but I cannot find a
' in the
are fringed' with rings, and single pearl depart-
through the nose is worn a large ment.
gold wire ring, from which hang a From JERSEY,
the principal
pearl and two other gems."* articles of clothing are the spe-
" " cimens of Jersey knitting
Suppose our savage friend
were to see this nautch, how "pair of knit stockings," "richly
he would wonder ! He would knitted jacket," &c.
think the whole thing very ri- The IONIAN ISLANDS are a
diculous, perhaps. republic in the east of the
But India has long been Mediterranean Sea they can-
famous for jewels, and the most not be called a British colony,
under the protection
costly contribution iu that de- being only
of Britain. The most remark-
partment is the large case of
diamonds and precious stones. able productions from there
The principal is the Durra-i- are the spendid aprons which
the peasant girls of that country
noor, a rival of the Koh-i-noor,
wear. I will read you the ac-
worth, I cannot say how many
hundred-thousand pounds. In count of them from the OFFI-
CIAL CATALOGUE:
Cl ambers' s
i
"Foreign Cos- "An apron of muslin, marie in
tunies,''from which much of the !

Corfu, with a border worked on

preceding information has been i
linen with the needle : somewhat
obtained. (
similar to Dresden-work, but of
213
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, ETC.

larger stitch, on a very elegant account of the large-tailed Af-

and classical pattern, of grapes, rican sheep which are found in
vine-leaves, and butterflies. Egypt), sea-elephant oil, ele-
" An
apron of crochet-work, phants' tusks, and teeth of the
remarkable for the beauty of tlie
sea-cow, rhinoceros hides,
pattern and execution, and show-
sticks, whips. &c.
ing that mhat lias but recently
One of the most peculiar
appeared in England as an ac-
articles sent was a pair of horns
complishment, has been for ayes
the common needlework of the which showed to what an im-
Ionian peasant-fjirls. The bor- mense age the horns of the
der is of deep iJresden-work, ot ox tribe grow in those parts.
magnificent efl'ect, with emble- These famous horns measured
matical designs of lions, cupids, " 8 ft. 4 in. from
tip to tip," and
flowers, Ac. the circumference of one horn
"These aprons are the ordinary
was 21 inches.
work and every-day wear of the
The contributions from
peasant-girls of Corfu ; the dress
of the Greek peasant-women, in WESTERN AFRICA are interest-

general, being of an extraordinary ing. Here is a contribution,

richness, so that a peasant-bride's sent, I suppose, to show how
dress is often her dowry, being much the African damsels
not unfrequently worth 400 or 500 work :

dollars."
" Lime made of bones burnt into
ashes, mixed with water, and dried
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, in the sun. Used by those who
WESTERN AFRICA, spin thread to keep their fingers
GOLD COAST, AND dry."
ASIIANTEE.
Again, we have
These places you may also " Female fashionable dress of
look for in the map. They are cloth, worn by the higher classes.
all colonies or
"
dependencies The brown cotton is taken from
of Britain." the silk cotton-tree, winch grows
The most curious things from on the Gold Coast, and most other
the Cape are the harasses, or parts of the west coast of Africa,
The natives make
their canoes by
cloaks, such as the Kaffres wear;
hollowing it to tin' required sice.
they are made of the skins of The
wild animals. There are also green leaves just budding are
very wholesome, and used as vege-
a Kart're warrior's head-dress; tables."
a Bushman's blanket; a very
handsome tippet made from Here we have more fashion-
the feathers of the Cape birds. able dresses:
There are numerous skins of " Fine and
wild animals, collections of blue-glazed tobes,
worn by the higher class. The
ostrich feathers, buffalo horns manner in which the tobe is glazed
(you have heard of the Cape is as follows: After the cloth
buffalo before), goat skins hns been well dyed, it is taken out
weighing 65lbs. each, shecp's- of the indigo dye, and hung up
tail oil(you may remember the until it is thoroughly dry ; then it

214
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. ISLANDS IN EASTERN HEMISPHERE.

is spread on a wooden roller, and "The quality of the silk must

is well rubbed with the shell of a not be taken as a criterion of what
snail as hard as the force of the Mauritius will produce, as the
wrist can bear, which gives the manufacture is in its infancy.
gloss." "About 300 acres of ground have
been planted in the cooler districts
Here you find how Africa is of Mauritius with mulberry trees,
beginning to learn the love of which have rapidly grown up, and
dress from its neighbours: are now fit for use. A company
has been formed in Mauritius by
"Fine cheeked long tobe, and the exertions of Mr. Evena Dupont,
Haussa trousers, braided with red a barrister and planter there. An
silkabout the ankles, made after experienced 'fileuse,' has been en-
the Turkish fashion ;worn by the gaged from the neighbouring island
higher class of people." of Bourbon, and is now giving
instruction to various proprietors.
There are also many articles Some ten persons rear worms, and
sent from Dahomey; including send to the company regular sup-
the throne and cushion of the plies of cocoons; and eighty-seven
other proprietors have received
king, who is the chief supporter
of the slave trade, he is, in cocoons and mulberry cuttings
from the company. It is consi-
fact, a slave-hunter.
dered that this manufacture will
flourish and increase rapidly in
ISLANDS OF THE EAST- the island, and form eventually an
ERN HEMISPHERE BE- important branch of trade, the
LONGING TO BRITAIN. climate and the soil being peculiarly
suitable to the rearing of the silk-

I will give you the names of

worm."
these islands in the Eastern It is stated that
and Western Hemispheres, and " Silk was sent from
you will then, I am sure, be Bourbon,
of such fine quality, as to fetch in
glad to find out their places. Paris about 2 4s. the pound."
In the Eastern Hemisphere the
only two islands from which The Islands in the Western
goods have besides
arrived, Hemisphere, belonging to Bri-
those already mentioned, are
tain, are NEWFOUNDLAND, BER-
ST. HELENA and the MAURI- PRINCE EDWARD'S
MUDAS,
TIUS.
ISLE, CAPE BRETON ISLE, and
The inhabitants of the Mau- Islands of the West Indies, such
ritius have lately begun to as GRENADA, MONTSERRAT,
cultivate a most important JAMAICA, BARBADOES, ANTI-
article of clothing, which will GUA, ST. VINCENT, TRINIDAD,
soon increase the prosperity of the BAHAMAS, &c. but not ;

the island. The important all of these have sent goods;

specimen which they have sent
is seven pounds of white si/k,
" reared from silkworms in the
district of Tamarin." It is
said that
indeed, the articles which some
exhibit, were scarcely worth
sending. The tortoiseshell from
the hawk's-bill turtle, the silk
grass fibre, some of which has
215
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. BRITISH POSSESSIONS IN AMERICA.

been made into very pretty important contribution has been

fans, and the hats made of the sent. This is a collection of
bark of trees, are the most different sorts of iron. It in-
curious productions. Of course cludes pig, grey, bar, and rod
there are specimens of cotton ; iron steel-iron, and steel. This
;

for you know that from the collection is intended to prove

WEST INDIES and AMERICA that Nova Scotia can supply
the greater part of our cotton steel and charcoal iron in quan-
is procured. tities sufficient for the s;v'(v f
the whole BritishEmpire. And
THE BRITISH POSSES- what more, the quality is said
is

SIONS IN NORTH AND to be equal to that of the best

SOUTH AMERICA. foreign articles, and at greatly
reduced prices. From NEW
England once had much BRUNSWICK we have a speci-
larger possessions on the conti- men of jet coal, or as^hnlte,
nent of America than she has which has lately been discovered
now. The great country called there. The description given
the United States once con- of this coal shows it to be very
sisted of English colonies. The important; it is said to produce
"
present possessions of England gas of the purest colour, and
in Nortfi America are UPPER in greater quantity than any
and LOWER CANADA, NEW other coal used for the pur| !<<."
BRUNSWICK, NOVA SCOTIA, This coal is not only valuable
and the large dreary tracts of in itself, but it increases the
hind round HUDSON'S BAT. In value of something else which
Soufh America are DEMERARA, has been mentioned.
ESSEQCIBO, and BERBICE, W. You mean the iron ore
which three places are called found in NOVA SCOTIA ; because,
BRITISH GUIANA. as the coal is in the neighbour-
CANADA has not sent many hood, it will be useful for smelt-
articles of clothing. There are ing it.
specimens of flax and hemp, P. True: the articles just
which flourish in that cold cli- mentioned arc not used for
mate. There are bear, wolf, dress; but if you can trace the
and fox skins, and dresses fit connection between coal and
for those travelling in sledges; iron, you may also trace the
there are the honis of the moose- connection between the iron
deer, or elk, and leather from and many articles of clothing.
that animal; there is also whnle- BRITISH GUIANA is at the
skin leather, and leather from north part of South America;
the skin of the porpoise, and you may easily find it upon
other sea-mammals. There is the map. This colony is a
a perfect slfdije harness for in curious place, for it contains a
the winter the Canadians travel 'very mixed population. En-
much in sledges, which arc glish, French, Dutch, and the
drawn by horses. natives of America arc nil nu-
From NOVA SCOTIA a very merous there. The articles of
216
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. AUSTRALIA.

dress exhibited are not im- who understand the mining

portant: the fibre of plantain, business. The mine was started
of silk grass, and leaves of the about six years ago by a few
cabbage, palm cotton, barks of merchants; their capital was
many strange trees, panther 12,380, a very small amount
and leopard skins, and other for such a purpose. In the
articles used as clothing. short space of five years, copper
was procured to the amount of
AUSTRALIA, &c. 738,108; and the mines now
yield employment to 1,003
"A case containing 132 speci- people.
mens of Merino wool" is perhaps These mines may be very
the most important article of celebrated, but recently certain
"
clothing from AUSTRALIA; for diggins" have been found,
wool is one of the greatest which have caused a great deal
sources of wealth in that part more noise. In these diggins,
of the world. The country as they are called, quantities of
seems to be particularly fitted gold have been discovered and ;

for wool-growing and at dif- that part of Australia seems

;

ferent times the Merino sheep, likely to become as famous as

the Thibet sheep, the Cashmere California. It is said in the
goat, and all the breeds pro- newspapers that one lump has
ducing the finest wool, have been found weighing eighty
been introduced there. pounds. But we must not talk
" in
It is said that, 1807, the any longer about mines; they
first importation of wool into do not belong to our subject.
England from Australia was There! we have been along
245 Ibs.; but in 1848, it was time trying to find out what
23,000,000 Ibs. from New South articles of dress have been sent
Wales alone; and from all to the Exhibition, and really
Australia 30,000,000 Ibs. which
;
there is very little that is at all
quantity is worth nearly describable. I think that you
2,000,000." That seems to be would have liked better to hear
a wonderful amount of money of their raw material to have
to be produced from the backs heard the history of the wool
of sheep! and have known how
cotton, to
The kangai'oo is, as you it is grown, and how it is
all
know, an Australian animal. changed into clothes. Suppose
We therefore find patent kan- j
we wind up the account with
garoo skins, and enamt.lled kan- some remarks on dress in
garoo skins, in the Australian general.
collection.
It isworth while, here, to tell GENERAL REMARKS ON
you about the Australian mines. DRESS.
We have specimens of copper
from the Burra Burra mines, It is said that after all there
which have made a "great is very little change in the style
noise" lately amongst those of dress in Europe. In St.
217
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING.
Petersburgh, in Copenhagen, in
Paris, in London, and in
rica, you may see trousers and
coats of cloth which only differ
in their " cut." The same kind
of cloth coat worn by the
is
rich and the poor, and a work-
ing man in his Sunday clothes
may look as spruce as a lord.
" Previous to the
French Revo-
lution," it has been observed,
" the sword was the
badge
of a gentleman; but now that
last difference has been put
away."
" But in the East it
different; there is a different
dress for almost every rank.
In Persia, Turkey, or China,
the nobles are labelled with
the signs of their importance;
they carry their rank on
their backs, and their honours
on their sleeves; the rich na-
bob distinguished from the
is
' '
fellahby his cloth of gold
and embroidery." It is said of
the departments of the Eastern
countries in the Exhibition,
where the costume of the upper
classes is found, that the sun-
burst of " barbaric pearl and
"
gold around you on
flashes
entering, showing "a taste for
glittering trumpery, and dis-
play of riches." An
noble, as he rides abroad, looks
pleasantly at the magnificent
figure he cuts; but it is said
! that his gold-embroidered robes
'
are stiff and lumpy, while his
!
saddle " like a burnished
gleams
throne."
must, I think, be rather un-
It
pleasant when the signs of rank
sit heavily on a man. How
much more comfortable are
some of the poorer classes whom
218
GENERAL REMARKS.
I described those who will not
Ame- be troubled by any bimh-ns. Imt
in the warm weather dress their
bodies with oil ! The great
Indians, it appears, have the
same feelings. Clothing, in-
stead of being a necessnn. is
an ornament. Sir Thomas
Minim says, that an Indian
prince, after appearing in pub-
lic, blazing in jewellery, in
shawls of countless
splendid
price, in
gold-embroidered silks,
on an elephant, or a prancing
Arab, will return home and
is very pull off nearly everything. He
will sit nearlynaked, in a calico
wrapper, just as Europeans do
in their slippers and dressing-
gown. Poor fellows ! it is hard
work to be noble!
One great distinction between
the East and the West of the
world is seen in the people's
/(Crtf/-dress. The turban is the
natural covering for a burning
climate; it defends the scalp
from the sun, and although it
is rather heavy, it protects the
wearer from any chance of
" while it
being sun-struck,"
sometimes produces perspira-
tion. Besides this, it serves
the Mussulman as a pocket.
With all his piastres wrapped
Eastern around his head, the turban-
wearer will sleep soundly in
the caravanserai, knowing that
none but a most expert thief
can deprive him of his money.
Knowing these advantages, and
that the Eastern folks have
worn turbans for ages, you will
be surprised to hear that cer-
tain reformers have sprung up,
and have introduced a new
head-dress. This head-dress is
becoming very general, but it
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. GENERAL REMARKS.

has caused the old steady-going hat, which is clapped upon the
Turks to bt, very angry. turban itself. A good assort-
W. What is itsshape, papa? ment of these were seen in the
P. It is a sort of close fitting Tunis department of the Exhi-
skull-cap, and in
shape it is al- bition.
most exactly like an English Now for a word on the head-
gentleman's hat, except that it dress of the West. In England,
has no rim. It differs, secondly, also, the head-dress is called an
"
in colour, for it is of a bright red ; abomination," and justly so.
and it differs thirdly in having Ask an Englishman who does
a tassel at the top : it is called not like his hat, " What is the
a,
fez. matter with it?" and he will soon
"
L. Ah, I saw some people tell you. First, it has a queer
wearing them in the Exhibi- shape it's like a pot. Secondly,
tion! But it must take a Turkey- it is very dear, and soon be-

man much less time to put on comes shabby. Thirdly, when

a fez than a turban. Pop it on! the weather is windy ah, then !
and then you are ready to go out. the hat has little hold on the
P. That, I suppose, is its head, it presents a good broad
greatest advantage. But this surface to the wind, and accord-
fez shows how much people ingly the wind blows it off.
think about of
their articles You also know what follows
dress. The new head-dress has a round shape is a very good,
caused more excitement to the one for rolling, and it's very
gentlemen of the East, than delightful amusement to see a
the Bloomer costume amongst man try to catch his hat; there-
the ladies of the West. They fore the hat affords its owner
say it is an ungraceful red night- a little exercise. Fourthly, a
cap; that it gives no shelter to Scotchman may sit upon his
the head from the sun; that it bonnet,' and a German or a
'

makes no pleasant shadow on Frenchman may put his cap in

the face which last particulars his pocket and wear it again;
are true. But the new style but an Englishman serve his
if
'
is very rapidly adopted, not- hat so, it directly becomes a
" fast"
withstanding. All the shocking bad hat,' and must
and young Mussulmans wear it; not be worn. Fifthly, it is
the Sultan has adopted it in heavy in look and in weight ;

his army; and in Constanti- and, sixthly, it is little protec-

nople there is a great fez fac- tion from the sun, for it is said
tory, where enormous numbers that neither felt nor beaver will
are turned out every day. ward off a sun stroke." People
The regular slow-coach Turks in England have lately been
look upon the abomination with trying to reform their hats, and
horror. In some countries where
" wide-awakes"
articles called
the turban is worn, such as the have been invented, but they
North of Africa, an addition is have not become popular.
made in the shape of an enor- L. If I were a gentleman I
mous broad - brimmed straw- would wear a turban.
219
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. GENERAL REMAKKS.

P. Very nice-shaped tnrbans up through Belgium and Hol-

might be made; indeed, the land, and you meet with those
turban is the most graceful of wooden shoes which, as I
head-dresses. But it is objected said, may be bought for sixpence
that it is not fitted for our rainy per pair, and are called sabots.
country and that an April in These sabots are awful things
;

England would soon spoil it. to look at; it must be almost

Now for a word or two on as comfortable to be put into
the subject of ybof-dress. Of the stocks as a pair of salmis;
the ybof-dress in general, there and yet the little Norman and
is not so much that is striking. Dutch children run along in
There is a strong contrast be- them at their ease so great is
tween the top-boots of England the power of habit.
and the slipper-like shoes and The Itody dress is generally
sandals of the East. The Ori- found between that of the head
entals are, it is said, " a slipshod and the feet. The most strik-
people." The yellow slippers ing point in Eastern dress is
they sent to the Exhibition are the looseness of the robes. In-
sadly wanting in comfort; there stead of fitting close to the
is scarcely room for the toes, body, like the coat of the
and it is only by fitting them Englishman, the robes are loose
tightly into the shoe, that it and flowing, and in this respect
can be kept on at all. The pre- they are far more elegant and
vailing colour seems to be yel- natural than our own.
low. The shoes of some of the It is curious to sec how, as
Turkish gentlemen are said to people get nearer together, they
be of ft majestic breadth," and learn from each other. The dis-
" to be made as if
they were in- position to imitate is a prevailing
tended for the slaughter of part of our nature thus we
black beetles and other inter- find that the Turks, who are
which are too plentiful in
lopers, found bothin Europe and Asia,
Eastern places." It has been and the people of Egypt and
remarked that one of the the North of Africa, are more
reasons for wearing loose and like the Europeans wearing
easy shoes, is seen in the rules tight-fitting jackets over their
of etiquette in these coun- robes, whilst others have jackets
tries; for, in entering a great which hang loosely like our
man's house, it is necessary to paletots. In noticing the pat-
leave your shoes at the thres- tern< of the Eastern dresses at
hold of his door; also, in wan- the Exhibition, you will u!crve
dering around the mosques, or that the most popular pattern
in the mosques, or in any part is the stripe there an- -mic
which may be called " holy patterns "crossed." In Ar.ihia
ground," the feet must be un- the proper costume is of a pure
covered. The foot-dress of the white, although some fi-w of
West also open to some ob-
is the Bedouins have lately
jections. Travel along the adopted the striped Hotli;
north of France (Normandy), generally the white and red.
220
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. COTTON.

fifteen or
ARTICLES OF DRESS, RAW to the species.
twenty feet, according
The
leaves are
MATERIAL.
downy, and sometimes undi-
We
will now leave the article vided. The flowers are either
of costume for a few words on yellow, or dull purple. The
the raw material from which it seed-vessel is a capsule open-
isproduced. You know pretty ing in three, four, or five lobes,
well which are the chief raw and then exposing many seeds
materials for clothing. enveloped in cotton. The fibre
Ion. Yes, we have heard them is in some species much longer
so often. I will see if I can than in others, thereby giving
mention them once more. The rise to the commercial names
'
Kingdom yields cot- of long staple and
' '
Vegetable short
'
ton, flax, and hernp. staple cotton.
" The common herbaceous
The Animal Kinydom wool,
silk, and fur. cotton-plant is the species most
These are the principal. The generally cultivated. It is an
less important are the barks, annual, and rises only to the
gums, and fibres of trees, and height of about eighteen inches.
the skins of the animals. It bears a large yellow flower
with a purple centre, which
COTTON. produces a pod about the size
of a walnut and ; pod bursts
this
To begin with COTTON, you when exhibiting to view
ripe,
know that the WEST and EAST the fleecy cotton, with the seeds
INDIES are the most famous securely imbedded in it. This
places for this substance but it variety is sown and reaped
;

will grow in other countries, if like corn.

" The tree-cotton
they be not too cold. For in- grows to
stance, the cotton tree will a much greater height.
- If left
grow in North America, and to grow without being pruned,
it is also procured from the it sometimes attains a height of

South of Europe. It lias often twenty feet. Marco Polo, the

been described. I will read you Venetian, who travelled in
an account of it. Asia four or five centuries ago,
" Cotton is a delicate fibrous '
spoke of this tree thus Cot-:

substance found within the ton is produced here (Guzerat)

seed-pod of a tropical plant. in large quantities, from a tree
It is in fact a series of vegetable that is about six yards in height,
hairs springing from the sur- and bears during twenty years.'
face of the seed-coat, and fill- "The colour of the seed seems
ing up the cavity of the vessel to be connected in some way
in which the seeds are con- with the quality of the cotton
tained. fibre. There is a West Indian
"The number of different wild cotton-plant, with so short
kinds of cotton is very consi- a fibre that it cannot be spun."
derable. The plants vary in The quantity of cotton sent
height from three or four to from America is immense. The
221
 ARTICLES OP CLOTHING. COTTON.

plant is well worth a great after they are deposited. They

deal of care, and the planters do little or no damage during
are obliyed to treat it carefully. the first nine or ten days of
You shall hear a few particulars their life, but a few days before
concerning its cultivation.
" The completing their growth, they
crop is suhject to many become so excessively voracious
injuries, some of which the as to destroy an entire planta-
planter can contend against, tion in a few hours. InstMiiccs
while others baffle all his care. have been known of four hun-
A single night's frost, which dred acres of cotton plantation
sometimes occurs so late as the being ruined in four days by
j
month of April, will ruin histhem.
whole prospect, and require a "Supposing the planter to
renewal of the labour; nay, one have escaped all these multi-
day of a strong north-east wind farious evils of winds, insects,
will blight a field of growing and rains, the cotton-fields be-
plants. If these sources of gin to display a very beautiful
trouble are escaped, there is appearance. Wide - waving
'

another often looked forward groups of viny foliage, blended

to with dread. This is a spe- with three-coloured blossoms
cies of cockchafer, or cutworm, of brilliant hues, and pods of
which cuts the young and ten- darker shades in various states
der plants close to the ground, of ripeness. When the Hower
sometimes ruining a whole field comes forth, it has a fine yellow
at once. When apprehension colour, which it retains during
from these dangers is over, then the first day; under the influ-
comes on the labour of thinning ence of the night it changes
the plants, which would injure to a red or crimson hue; in
each other if left as close as the third day it darkens into
they were sown. The cotton- a chocolate-brown, and then
plant is of the tap kind, which falls to the ground, leaving a
sends its root straight down pod already half an inch in
into the ground, and draws diameter.'
much of its nourishment from " The cotton
plants begin to
the atmosphere by means of its open about the 1st of August;
broad leaves; and the distance from which time to the 1st of
between the plants in the ground December the whole attention
i.s
regulated according to this of the cultivator is directed to
circumstance. the 'picking' of the cotton, as
"As the spring has its the pods daily open. During
sources of mischief to the cot- the autumnal season, the winds
ton-grower, so has the autumn. are violent, and the rains
There appears about this time heavy, so that the picking is a
a caterptOar, which commits tedious operation."
great ravages. This insect de- I mentioned to you, a little

posits its eggs upon the leaves while ago, that the Hindoos
of the cotton-plant during Au- were particularly famous for
gust; which hatch a few hours spinning and weaving. It ap-
222
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. COTTON, FLAX.

pears, too, that they made trade, for at least three thousand
cotton-goods long before the years."
English did. It is said, in Such was the case but the
;

proof of the quality of these fingers of the Hindoos have

goods, that a Persian ambas- been surpassed by what, do
sador, on his return from India, you think ? By machinery and
presented his king with a cocoa- steam. It is said
" So
nut, which contained a muslin wonderfully perfect has
turban thirty yards long, and the machinery become, that the
so fine as hardly to be felt when Manchester manufacturers can
expanded in the air. pay for the importation of the
Dr. Ure, who has written raw cotton, for the process of
much about manufactures, men- manufacture, and for the ex-
tions this natural fitness of the pense of shipment to foreign
Hindoos for the work. He parts, and yet undersell the
says that, in Coromandel and Hindoos, who spin for three
Bengal, in nearly all the vil- farthings a-day."
lages, every man, woman, and The principal articles made
child is employed in making from the cotton are Calicoes,
cotton cloth. He then goes Ginghams, Muslins, Dimities,
on to say : &c. You may yourselves sit
" The
peculiar tact of the down and make a list of the
natives causes their success in other cotton goods. You will
the manufacture, for as they find that the various sorts are
are deficient in mere muscular very numerous.*
strength, so are they endowed
with exquisite sensibility and FLAX.
pliancy in every organ and
limb. The hand of an Indian The FLAX-PLANT is next in
cook-maid is more delicately importance to the cotton. I
formed than that of a European dare say you have seen this
beauty. An English workman plant; if you have not, you
could scarcely manage to work had better buy a pennyworth of
a piece of canvas with the sim- linseed from the chemist, and
ple loom with which the Gentoo sow it in your garden. There it
weaves gossamer muslin. will grow up with a stem, about
" In India a weaver is no
ig- twenty inches in height. It
noble caste, looked down upon will bear a blue flower, which
with disdain. He takes rank will be succeeded by the
next to the scribe, and above all seed. As the Latin name for
other mechanics. Were he to the plant is linum, the seed is
condescend to the performance called Unseed, and the cloth
of any drudgery out of the line made from the plant is called
of his business, ho would lose linen.
his caste. Thus their fine phy-
sical *
organization, guided by The accounts of Cotton and
experience, gave to Hindostan Flax are taken partly from Knight's
the monopoly of the cotton |
Pictorial Gallery of Arta.
223
 AKTICLE8 OF CLOTHING.
Jon. From what part of the
plant the cloth made, papa?
is
P. From the long stalk of
the plant, which separates into
very fine silk-like fibres; but
when you hear how it is
vated you will understand
better.
" The
flax -plant, like the cot-
ton, requires great care in the
cultivation. The flax-plants
come up thick and evenly, and
with them also some weeds. As
soon at the flax is a few inches
high, the weeds are carefully
taken out by women and
dren, who do this work on
bainl.- and knees, both to see
the weeds better and to avoid
hurting the young plants. They
tie coarse pieces of cloth round
their knees, and creep on with
their face to the wind, if possi-
ble; this is done that the tender
flax, which has been bent down
by creeping over it, may be as-
sisted by the wind in rising
again."
It appears that the sooner
the plant is gathered the finer
the fabrics are. If very fine
flax is wanted, for making
cambrics, the plants are pulled
as soon as they get yellow at the
bottom of the stem. They are
gathered in small bunches,
which are laid upon the ground
to dry, and are afterwards
stacked.
They are next steeped in
water, which is an operation re-
quiring great care. It is said
that
"The object of this process is
to separate all the bark from
the stem, by dissolving a glu-
tinous matter which causes it
to adhere. The usual mode of
224
FLAX.
steeping inEngland is to place
the bundles of flax horizontally
in shallow pools or ditches of
stagnant water, keeping them
under water by means of poles
culti- or boards, with weights laid
upon them; water nearly putrid
issometimes employed, but at
the hazard of staining the flax.
In Flanders, however, where
flax-steeping is a distinct t ratio,
matters are thus conducted.
The bundles of flax are placed
in a frame made of oak rails,
and then immersed in the river
chil- Lys. Boards loaded with stones
their are placed upon the flax, till
the whole is sunk a little under
the surface of the water; the
bottom does not reach the
ground, so that the water flows
both over and under it. There
are posts driven in the river to
keep the box in its place and ;
each steeper has a certain por-
tion of the bank, which he calls
his own. The flax takes some-
what longer time in steeping in
this manner than it does in
stagnant or putrid water; but
the resulting colour of the
flax is very much superior.
When is supposed that the
it
flax has been steeped nearly
enough, it is examined care-
fully several times in the day,
to ascertain whether the fibres
readily separate from the wood
throughout the whole length of
the stem. As soon as this is
the case the flax is taken out
of the water; for the quality of
the flax is injured by the steep-
ing being either too much or
too little by only a few hours."
In this way the bark is M pa-
rated from the fibres, but there
is
yet a woody portion in>ide
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. FLAX.

the stem, from which the fibres noted for ages as cultivators
have to be drawn off without and dressers of flax, and have
injury. To do this the steeped had in their own hands the
stalks have to be again dried, raw materials for the most
and go through certain pro- finished goods. This partly
cesses called breaking and accounts for the superiority of
scute/liny. You may easily the Belgium lace, which has
understand these. The stalks already been mentioned. A
having been dried until they long time ago, they were able
are quite brittle, and some of to form thread of so fine a
the fibres separate of their own texture that its value was ten
accord; the "breaker" lays times the price of standard gold.
them in rows, and lets a heavy How fine a thread they can make
weight fall on them, or they now, it is not easy to say.
are rolled by heavy iron rollers. The process of steeping in the
The wood inside is thus smashed river Lys gives the Flemings the
without injury to the fibres. main advantage, and therefore
The scutcher has then to take they are now being imitated bjj.
these stalks, and beat them others. IRELAND is famous fot
with a " scutching-bat," until its linen, and some years ago
all the broken pieces of woody a large society was formed for
stem are knocked off. improving the manufacture in
The flax is now ready for that country.
the factory, where it undergoes "When the Exhibition prizes
the operation of "scutching were distributed, the society
the ends." It is next "heckled"; received a " council medal" for
that is to say, it is passed its improvements in flax. I saw

through five or six iron combs, one of the reports of the society
beginning with a large-tooth a few days ago. and it appears
comb, and ending with a small- that they are doing a great deal
tooth comb, until it becomes of good. They have brought
soft, silky, glossy, and free from over some Flemings to teach the
dirt, and is quite fit for spin- natives, and have almost dou-
ning. The other processes you bled the produce of the island
must see to understand ; they since they began. It appears
named " " card- that the inferiority of the Irish
are doubling,"
ing," "drawing." and "roving." flax was caused principally by
Flax is made into many carelessness. The cultivators
different cloths. table-linens, would not pay enough attention
shirtings, damasks, and sheet- to the soil, the weeding, and
ings; huckaback and diapers steeping they chose rather to
are the principal. sav that it was the fault of the
L. Which are the principal country, and that it is impossi-
flax-growing countries? ble for a crop of flax to be as
P. By far the most famous profitable in Ireland as on the
people for flax are those of Continent.
BELGIUM and FLANDERS. \V. How much we do owe
The Flemings have been to those Flemings, and the i

225
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. STRAW-PLAIT, WOOL.

French people! The Flemings WOOL.

taught the English to make
woollen cloths, at Canterbury Wool the principal raw
is

and other places. Do you not
remember Mr. Young's letters?
And in our history of England
we lenrned how the persecuted
French introduced the silk-
weaving when they settled in
Spitalfields.
L. And we owe many of our
garden vegetables to the Flem-
ings; they introduced the Wind-
sor bean, and the brocoli, you
may remember. And you told
us, papa, that we used to send
to Flanders for early green peas.
P. True. The raw mate-
rial next in importance to flax,
is perhaps Hemp. The hemp
plant grows in Russia and other
cold countries; hemp is stronger
and longer than flax, and is
used coarse
principally for
material from the atn'mnl king-
dom. One of the most inter-
esting woollen contributions in
the Exhibition, is the case of
CA8HMEKKSii.vwi.sand dresses,
which was sent by His Royal
Highness THE PRINCE Ai.m:i:r.
The case contains two sluiwls,
two dress-pieces, and a piece of
coarse woollen cloth, made from
the wool of the Cashmere goats
kept by his Royal Highness in
Windsor Park.
The wool which is shorn
from the Cashmere goat con-
sists of substances of two qua-
lities: one part is a beautifully
soft and /ine down, which is found
close to the animal's skin ;
the
other substance is outside the
fine wool ; it is harsh and coarse,
j

goods, such as sacking, sail- and is called kemp. These two

cloth, ropes, and all kinds of
cordage, twine, &c.
STRAW-PLAIT.
The straw-plait manufactory
wools unfortunately, so
arc,
intermingled, that they cannot
be separated by machinery, and
the coarse wool can only be
drawn out from it one fibre at
,

a time by hand; of course such

must not be passed by unmcn- a process is exceedingly slow
tioned. It has been of very and tedious.
great importance. Some of the It would never answer, as a
i

plaited matter of business, thus to

straw once sent from
Leghorn, in Tuscany, was al- separate the fibres to make fine
most worth its weight in gold. shawls; the cost of the goods
In England, in the counties of would be so great, that no one
,

Buckingham, Bedford, Essex, would buy them. But, as MOB

Cambridge, and Suffolk, straw- as it was known in the districts
|

plait affords in-door employ- of the woollen

,
manufacture
ment to many of the women that the Prince wished to try
,

and children. In the summer, the manufacture from the fine

they sit all day long at their wool, it is said that there were
cottage doors, plaiting straw hundreds of hands, from the
but they earn very little. You highest to the lowest, who of-
know the use of straw for hats fered to help. They all set
and bonnets. about separating the fine from
226
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. WOOL, SILK.

the coarse wool, most earnestly, Abundance of wool is procured

without asking to be paid. from WALES, too from SCOT- ;

They were as anxious to make LAND, and various parts of

this woollen manufacture for ENGLAND.
the Prince as the English ladies The principal kinds of cloth
were to manufacture their car- made from wool are BROAD
pet for the Queen. I have CLOTHS, kerseymeres, serges, bom-
read, that for some months, bazines, &c. These are all used
upwards of 1,000 persons were for purposes of clothing ; they
engaged during their leisure are made from what is called
hours in this " labour of love." short wool, and are called
From the fine wool which "Woollens." The other class
these parties so willingly picked, of goods are STUFFS, blankets,
the shawls in the Exhibition flannels, baize, moreens, camlets,
have been made. The piece of &c. ; these articles are made
coarse cloth is manufactured from the long wool; they are
from the coarse wool or "kemp." principally articles of hosiery,
But, as I said, goods manu- and are called " Worsteds."
factured from the wool of the L. What is papa?
crape,
Cashmere goat are too expen- P. Crape a mixed sub-
is
sive. The ai'ticles called Cash- stance. The Norwich crape is
mere shawls in this country are formed of wool and silk the ;

not really so, they are made of
other wool. Real Cashmere
shawls seldom find their way
to Europe; they are so eagerly
" Sul-
sought after by the rich
"
tans" and " Rajahs of the
East, who frequently pay thou-
sands of rupees for a pair. To
make a large handsome pair
requires, we are told, the labour
of twelve or fourteen men for
half a year.
L. Now, papa, will you tell
us where the raw material, wool,
comes from, principally?
P. I think I have mentioned
the principal woollen countries
before. SPAIN, with her merino
sheep, was once the most im-
portant, but is not so now. GER-
MANY is of greater importance;
large quantities are bought at
Leipsic. A great deal is also
brought from ASIA; but per-
haps the greatest quantity is
brought from AUSTRALIA.
Lyons crape is formed of worsted
and silk.
SILK.
What a different substance
from wool is SILK! the wool
growing on the back of the
sheep, the silk drawn out in an
almost endless line from the
inside of a caterpillar. One
grows like a vegetable, the
other is only spun.
The CHINESE were the first
peoplewho wore silk dresses.
The Europeans admired their
smooth glossy appearance, but
they thought that the silk was
a vegetable production. At
length the secret was found
out by two monks. In the
year 522 some silkworm-eggs
were smuggled away from
China in a hollow cane; they
were hatched, and the young
worms were fed upon the leaves
of the wild mulberry-tree.
227
 ARTICLES OF CLOTHING. FUR, LEATHER.

Now, the principal silk-pro- important animal produce than

ducing countries are CHINA, fur. You know that it is the
INDIA, PERSIA, TURKEY, ITALY, skin of animals rendered hard
and the South of FRANCE. Many by the peculiar properties
attempts have been made to of the oak bark. This bark,
produce good silk in this and those of most other trees,
country, but the expense of contain, as I have said, a prin-
rearing and attending to the ciple called tannin. The tan-
worms has always been greater nin is very "astringent"; it
than the value of the silk. binds the particles of the leather
together, and renders it almost
FUR.
waterproof; at the same time
FUR the principal animal
is it
preserves the substance from
clothing for cold countries, just decay.
as silk is the animal substance Of the processes of " leather-
warm "
used in countries. dressing" and tunning" I have
We might almost have in- hardly time to speak. Calf,
cluded its history with that of kip, morocco, roan, kid, and
the wool, for both substances sheep, are the principal kinds
are really hair. of leather.
W. And both are " coverings The other raw materials, such
of the skin." as horn, whalebone, bone, &c.,
P. Yes. But we find the are all more or less important ;
smooth glossy form of the fur to but these you may study for
be so convenient that we do yourselves. You may also ac-
not shear it from the skin as quire for yourselves much more
we do the wool we rather information on the subjects we
;

shear the skin from the animal. have talked about.

The finest collection of furs in Ion. If you will lend us some
the Exhibition was that sent by books, papa, I should like to
Mr. Nicholay, of Regent Street. read more about them.
The Emperor of Russia sent P. I am glad to hear you say
some fur articles, one of which so. Who would not wish to
was a black cloak " made from know more than he knows al-
the neck of the silver fox." He readv? I would like you to learn
valued it at 3,500. Mr. much of all things round about
Nicholay, however, did not you. Tell me why you should
agree with the Emperor's "esti- want to gain more knowledge.
mate"; he offered to make a IT. I like to gain knowledge
finer cloak for 1,OOO. He says because it is pleasant.
that these black skins arc /'.
Try also to gain know-
brought from Hudson's I Jay, ledge for the sake of others.
and are smuggled into Russia in (jft knowledge that you mav
consequence of the high price give it. The getting will afford
they fetch. you pleasure the <//>/'/ will
afford you more plm-uic: ami
LEATHER more still, you will thus bo
LEATHER is perhaps a more pleasing God.
228
 DUTY OF AN "EDUCATED PERSON."

When PRINCE ALBERT de- Can you understand those

signed the Great Exhibition, words ?
he had such thoughts as these W. I cannot understand them
he wished men to learn, that very well.
they might teach. The provi- P. Then you may read them
dence of God has ordained that over again, and think about
by teaching one another men them. And as you grow up
may become as brethren, and live to be a man, ask for God's help
together in peace. Thus, when that you may become a truly
the Prince spoke of the Exhi- " educated person." Ask that
bition to which he was looking you may be educated in spirit
forward, he said, as well as in mind; then God
" I conceive it to he the will honour you to be of
duty of
service in promoting the de-
every educated person, as far as in
I him lies, to add his humble mite of signs of His providence. You
I
individual exertion to further the may also learn this beautiful
I
accomplishment of what he believes hymn, to help you to remember
Providence to have ordained." God.

PRAISES FROM THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

THY bounteous hand, Lord ! Too long thy children's blood,
This gathered wealth bestows; Shed by each other's hnnds,
By thee the swelling tide is poured, Unchecked hath rolled its crimson
Prom thee its fulness flows. flood
Thine are the gold and gems O'er all the guilty lands.
O'er Indian surges borne Too long but now no more
The glistening pearls, the coral We blush at what hath been
stems, Henceforth, from sea to furthest
Prom ocean caverns torn. shore,
Thine the warm colours bright, Be peace and concord seen.
Of every tint and mould ; Like brethren, hand in hand,
Thine the pale marble's purer light, The nations mingle here ;

All colourless and cold. Our Palace fatherland

is their

The gorgeous rainbow plumes We bid the nations cheer.

Prom tropic forests wide We clasp in one embrace,
The downy webs of Eastern looms One brotherhood of soul,
The palm-tree's waving pride Our kindred of the human race,
All, great Creator, all,
Prom Afric to the pole.
E'en as ourselves, is thine ;
And to thy name, Lord !

Nought, of all this, our own we Eternal Three in One !

call, From every heart the strain is

Save by thy gift divine. poured,
Then let thy blessing crown As from the heart of one.
" All
The world's srreat jubilee, glory and all praise,"
And smile with beams of mercy To Thee", the great I AM",
down i
And to the Spirit of thy grace,
On earth's one family. I And to the incarnate Lamb.
Worcester, 1851. n.
229
 THE "LIONS." THE CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN.

PART THE SEVENTH.

CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH. Crystalized Alum. I think they

were the principal things that
THE (C
LION8" OF I ill: EXHI-
we noticed.
BITION.
P. And these, and many other
Do yon remember any objects things, have been long remem-
in the Exhibition which you bered, not only by you, but by
noticed more than the others? most of the visitors. From the
Ion. I do, papa. I looked great share of attention they
more at the CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN have attracted they have been
than anything else. There called the Lions of the Exhi-
were a great many more things bition.
all down that "Nave" which I have made yon some draw-
pleased me. Let me count up ings of these objects. Suppose
all that I can remember. that I arrange them in the
P. Very well proceed. order in which you mentioned
;

W. there was the them, and tell you something

First,
Crystal Fountain ; secondly, the about each.
Koh-i-noor every one will re- L. Yes, do, papa. Just tell
member that thirdly, there was us enough about each to help
;

a great lump of liock Crystal us to remember it.

iH'iir the Koh-i-noor; fourthly, P. Very well. First,
1 there was that large Wine Jar
from Spain. Then I remember THE CRYSTAL FOUN-
the great statue of Godfrey de TAIN.
Bouillon ; the statue of St.
Michael and Dragon; andthe I should think that every one
the statue of the Amazon. who went to the Exhibition
L. And the Greek Slave. saw the CRYSTAL FOUNTAIN.
Ion. And the great Bavarian When people went in parties
Lion. and separated, or when they
L. There was also the made engagements to meet one
beautiful case from France. another, the rule was, nearly
IK. Yes. Constantin's Artifi-
" Meet me at the
always, Crys-
cial flowers ; the Silk trophy from tal Fountain."
England; and the pretty Corn And
it was a very pleasant

trophy from Russia. The India place to meet at. It was plea-
Rubber trophy, too, was a re- sant to look at its brilliant
markable thing. The Timber columns of glass, and the glit-
trophy from Canada; and the tering water. The fulling spray
great Jaw of the Siterm Whale ; not only made nm.>ic, Imt
the Stuffed A nimtils from Wur- seemed to cool the air. The
(f.mberg; the Ccxilbrook-dnle Iron water rose through a tube which
Dome.; the great Slab oftfaho- is silvered, but it could not be
'
and the large masses of seen, for the glass of the column
230
 THE " LIONS." THE KOH-I-NOOR.

isso cut that the reflection of
the light hid it.
W. What a large basin there
was, papa, surrounding the
fountain!
P. Yes. The basin is said
to be 24 feet in diameter; the
fountain is 27 feet in height;
and the weight is said to be
4 tons.
W. That is 80 cwt.
P. True. It was made by
Messrs. Osier, of Birmingham.
Their names, as glass-makers,
will not easily be forgotten
now.
THE KOH-I-NOOR.
I said, perhaps every visitor saw
the Crystal Fountain; so, I sup-
pose, every one saw the Koh-i-noor ;
and also, that every one must know
what Koh-i-noor means. All day
long the thousands of people were
1
stillmore valuable, but it has never
yet been entrusted to a lapidary.
" The Koh-i-noor has
long en-
joyed both Indian and European
celebrity. Hindoo legends trace its
existence back some four or five
thousand years,and in aheroicpoem
of great antiquity, which is still
preserved, it is called Mahabarata,
which would imply that it is one
of the most ancient of all the valu-
! able precious stones that have come
down to our times. The poem in
question details its discovery in the
mines of the South of India; it
states that it was worn by one of
the warriors slain during what
is called the Great Indian War,
which is supposed to have happened
nearly 5,000 years ago. No men-
tion is made of the diamond in In-
dian record from this period up to
the year 56 before Christ, when it
is referred to as being the property
of the Rajah of Nijayin. From
him it descended to his successors,

the Uujahs of Malwa, until the

asking the guardian policemen, principality was conquered by the
''What is its mime ?" and all day Mohammedans. Into their hands
long did the policemen answer, it fell, with other spoils, said to be
"The Koh-i-noor, or Mountain of greater value than were ever
of Light." before or since amassed in India."
W. I should like, papa, to hear W. I remember, papa, that
the Koh-i-noor's history very when you spoke of the costume in
much. India, you spoke of the Moham-
P. I have here a work called medan Conquest. You suid that
" The
Crystal Palace and its Con- the Mohammedans introduced the
tents." which contains both the turban as a head-dress.
ancient and modern history of this P. You shall read about the
wonderful jewel. I will read it to
conquest of India one day; but
you: let us proceed.
" The KOH-I-NOOR one of the " About the
is
beginning of the
most valuable diamonds known; fourteenth century, the Mohamme-
there are only two others estimated dans, in their turn, wore subjugated.
at a higher price. One of these is The principality of Malwa was
the great Russian sceptre dia- overrun by the armies of Ala-adin,
mond, a perfectly round and beau- the Sultan of Uelhi, in 1306, and
tifully cut brilliant, the finest the KOH-I-NOOII became the pro-
diamond in the world, and valued perty, with other treasures, of the
at 4,800,000. The other belongs Sultan Abi-adin.
''
to the little kingdom of Portugal, About 200 years back may be
but is uncut; it is the size of a said to commence the modern
turkey's egg. It is supposed to be history of this singular diamond.
231
 'THE LIONS. THE KOH-I-NOOB.

JEAN TAVBHNIER, an enterprising

1

P. No. Only a co>ui>it-ror

French trnveller, and an eminent would ever have made such a re-
jeweller, visited India about the quest the value of a kingdom
;

year 16GO, for the purpose of pur- changed hands when those two
chasing diamonds and other jewels.
1

gentlemen changed turbans. But

His profesnion and his personal I will read on.
character recommended him to the
" In whatever was ob-
way it

nobles of the court of Delhi, and tained, there is little doubt that
even of Aurungzebe himself. By the jrrent diamond of Aurungzebe,
the Sultan's command, Tavernier which was then famous all over
was permit ted to handle and weigh the East, was in the possession
the jewels in the imperial cabinet. of Mohammed Shah at the time of
Among them was one which far the Persian invasion, and that it
surpassed all the rest in size and then changed masters and l>ecame
value. Tavernier describes it as the property of Nadir Shah. It
roee-cut, the shape of an egg cut was when it came
into his hands
in two lengthwise, of good water that it first name of
obtained the
and grent transparency, and weigh- the Koh-i-noor. Upon the death
ing 280 carats. There is but little of Xadir the diamond became the
doubt that the diamond thus exa- property of AHMED SHAH, of the
mined, and described as forming kingdom of Kabul. It is said that
one of the collection in the Delhi Ahmed Shah prevailed upon the
cabinet 200 years ago, was the young son of Nadir Shah to show
Koh-i-noor. him the diamond, and then retained
" AURCKOZEBB'S
great grand- it the young man not having the
;

son, named MoiiAM.MBi) Sn.ui, is means of enforcing its recovery.

the next important person con- "The siil>sequent fortunes of the
nected with the Koh-i-noor. His Koh-i-noor are no longer matter
of doubt or question. The jewel
kingdom, Delhi, was conquered by
another great Eastern ruler, named descended to the successors of
Ahmed Shah, and Mr. Klphinstone
X A DI B SH A 11 and t lie diamond then
.

changed hands in a singular way. saw it worn by SHAH SIIOOJA as an

It is said that Xadir Shah, on his armlet surrounded with emeralds.
occupation of Delhi in 1739, com- When Shah Shooja was driven
pelled Mohammed Shah to give up from Kabul, he became the nomi-
to him everything of value in the nal guest, and actual prisoner, of
imperial treasury and his biogra- KI-.NJKKT SING, the ruler of La-
;

a socretary, mentions apeth- hore. Runjeot spared neither im-

<uh, or present, by Mohammed portunity nor menace to get posses-
?her,
Shah to his conqueror of several sion of it. and in 1818 he induced or
magnificent diamonds. But this compelled the fugitive monarch
was not enough. Mohammed Shah to resign the precious gem, pre-
was in the habit of wearing the senling him on the occasion
|

(Treat diamond in the front of his with a lac and 25,000 rupees, or
1

turban, and on the !ii>t interview about twelve thousand pounds

I

between hiniMlf and his wily con- sterling. Shah Shooja, however,
queror, the latter insintetl upon gives a different account. Hestates
tjrcheiH flint/ turban* an a jtr(*>f that Hunject Staff assigned to him
autl friendtlnn." in exchange for it the revenues of
(if hi* regaril
L. 1'oor Mohammed! I should three large villages, not one rupee
think that he would hardly like of which he ever realised."
he would not 1C. What did Itunjeet
such friendship :
'
Sing do
believe it to be true. with it. papa ?
232
 " LIONS." THE
THE KOII-I -NOOK.

P. He wore it, to be sure. It treasury they seized, to pay the ex-

is said thatwas "highly elated,"
lie
and he wore it as an armlet on
state occasions. But the precious
jewel had more adventures. Run-
jeet Sing must die but not so
the Koh-i-noor. Thus, when the
Prince's death-time came, there
was the great question, is
to have the diamond next?" The
crafty priests of the land had a try
for it, butThe ruler's life
failed.
was ebbing away and they per- ;
suaded him to make it a present
to the great Indian idol Jugger-
naut. Ilunjeet could not speak,
but he made a slight bow with his
head to say " yes." Runjeet's se-
cretary, however, would not agree.
No no ! He declared that he
! it is now to adorn the person of
must have a better authority for
such a wonderful gift than the
movement of a dying man's head
he would not give it up until he
had a written order, properly
signed. But before
made out, poor Runjeet died.
L. Then who hud it next?
P. It passed to Runjeet's suc-
cessors, and was much worn by
them. On all state
every public festival, out came the
wondrous Koh-i-noor! SiEteSixft
was the last monarch who wore it,
and he was murdered. It then re-
mained in the treasury of Lahore,
until their last monarch was super-
seded by the BRITISH
Italian lapidary and when it
penses of the war. Amongst the
articles was the Koh-i-noor, which
was then destined to leave the
Eastern land for the West. The
! East India Company said that it
was a state jewel that it could not
easily be exchanged for rupees,
"Who and that it should therefore be
presented totheQueen of England.
Accordingly, Lord Dalhousie sent
it to
England, in charge of two
officers.
Since the arrival of the gem in
England, it has passed through a
more "glorious career" than ever.
It has engaged the attention of all
nations. More, from being the or-
nament of tawny Indian princes,
our fair and beloved sovereign,
who shines forth more brilliantly
than many Koh-i-noors amongst
the rulers of the earth.
IF. Well, I heard the people at
this could be the Exhibition grumble that it
did not shine enough perhaps
the Queen will teach it to shine.
Ion. Or, perhaps the Queen has
"taken the shine out of it"; it's
occasions, at a very different thing to be an
ornament for black princes.
P. This wonderful diamond,
after all, is very badly cut and
polished. It is not known where
the operation was performed, but
it is said that it was done by
GOVERN- an
;

MENT. was found in what an unwork-

TF. When was manlike manner he had cut it, he
that, papa ?
P. A year or two ago. You was immediately executed. The
have often heard me talk, of the last point worth noticing is, that no
great war in India, with the Sikhs one has ever yet bought it. Two
(shirks). These people are the in- million pounds is a rather heavy
habitants of Lahore; their country amount to pay down in hard cash.
is sometimes called the Punjaub, W. Yes. I noticed that every
which means " the country of the it was taken
time it changed bunds
five rivers." In the last great by force. You told us of its being
Indian war our army conquered gained by conquest four times. I
the Sikhs, took possession of hope that no one will over conquer
Lahore, and "annexed" it to Bri- England and take it away. It
tish India. seems to be more safe now than it
All that thev found in the Lahore ever has been.
233
 THE " LIONS."
MASS OF BOCK CRYSTAL, ETC.

P. We hare had such a long of this statue render it a striking

talk over this Koh-i-noor that we object. It is the work of a
shall only have time just to men- French gentleman, M. Le Seig-
tion the other " lions."
neur, and is intended to repre-
sent the Archangel overthrow-
THE MASS OF ROCK ing his enemy Satan. The sub-
CRYSTAL, Ac. a very good one, yet both
ject is
this and the statue of
"Godfrey
This was sent to the Exhibi- de Bouillon have been found
tion principally on account of fault with as works of art.
its great size. You may read THE AMAZON. M. Kiss, of
in "Little Henry's Holiday" Berlin, is the artist who designed
what rock crystal is composed famous piece. Directly the
this
of. This mass was cut out of Exhibition was opened it became
the Sitiyilon, a celebrated road a great favourite. So also did
which was cut through the Alps the GREEK SLAVE, which was
by Napoleon Bonaparte. more beautiful and interesting
THE SPANISH WISE JAR. than fine. I need not describe
This great Jar is an ugly-look- them to you; you may better
ing thing, but it well represents understand them by the pictures.
Spain. The making of wine The great BAVARIAN LION
is one of the
principal employ- was looked upon by our artists
ments in that warm grape-grow- as a failure. Its size was its
ing country. The jar is a wine- great recommendation; it was
coo/er ; when used, it is filled a
truly monstrous lion.
with wine and is placed under
the earth. THE SILK TROPHY, &c.

GODFREY DE BOUILLON, The trophy was truly in-

silk
&c. teresting as a specimen or" the
English manufacture of silk.
Of this statue you may also The art of silk - weaving was
read in " Little Henry." I have introduced into Knpland by
only time to say that Godfrey the persecuted Protestants of
was a great crusader: he was France, who were obliged to flee
the leader of the second crusade, from their country. You may
and was proclaimed King of read in many history books of
.IiTusalem, A. D. 1099. There "The Revocation of the Edict of
was also a giant statue of Nantes," by which so many hun-
KK IIAKD I., the Prince of the dreds were compelled to flee to
Crusaders, outside the building. England for protection. greatA
The figure in the Exhibition is number settled in London, at a
unly a cast from the original, place called Spitalfields. It is
which wns made in bronze, and from Spitalfields that the tro-
is at Brussels. It is the work phy was sent, by the manufac-
i :m named M.
artist Simonis.
turers, Messrs. Keith and Co.
ST. MICHAEL AND THE DRA- The CASE OF ARTIFICIAL
GON. The colossal proportions FLOWERS is a beautiful testi-
234
 THE "LIONS." THE CORN TROPHY, ETC.

monial of the wonderful skill of P. True. The INDIA-RUB-

the French. Nothing could
possibly be more like nature
than these artificial flowers. Al-
though they are made of cam-
bric, they have often been mis-
taken for real flowers. Visitors
have been seen to stand and
admire them for two or three
minutes without knowing that
BER TROPHY is another inter-
esting object. It contains some
useful articles, such as India-
rubber pontoons, and life-boats,
of which there are a wonderful
variety in the Exhibition. You
know, I presume, that India-
rubber is the juice or gum of a
tree. It grows principally in

they were artificial. America, where it flows from

the tree like milk. Gutta Per-
cha is a very similar gum.
THE CORN TROPHY, &c. The TIMBER TROPHY, from
Canada, is a most useful col-
This collection is from Russia, lection. The sugar maple, the
and is a very tasty display of hard iron wood, and many
seeds and grasses. Some very others, are sent from Canada's
fine wheat is shown, and there ancient and immense forests.
are specimens of dried green These forests contain all va-
peas, which, when boiled and rieties of timber; and the tim-
brought to the table, look as ber trade of Canada supplies
fresh as though just picked from employment to from 8,000 to
the garden. Russia ought to 10,000 men.
produce a fine corn trophy, for The JAW or A SPERM
this large empire contains one- WHALE is a monstrous thing.
seventh of all the land on the The whales from which we pro-
earth. Thus it has every variety cure oil have not any teeth;
of climate and soil. It is said they have instead, a substance
"
that called Whalebone." The
" There are in the world two Sperm Whales are so called,
great because they contain a sub-
'
districts composed of vegetable stance called Spermaceti. These
soil' one in RUSSIA, and another
;
are the whales in which we
in HISDOSTAN. In the centre and
south of Russia, the soil consists
find teeth. They live ill the
South Seas.
entirely of decayed vegetable mat-
ter, to the depth of three to six
The STUFFED ANIMALS FROM
feet. This tract of vegetable soil is WURTEMBERG. Wuitemberg
as great as all France and Austria is, as you know, one of the king-
together: it is most fertile, and on doms of Germany. Some of
it is
grown the immense quantity the Germans are fond of mak-
of wheat with which Russia sup-
ing amusement with the lower
plica somany nations of Europe." animals. The children's books
are full of droll stories of ani-
Ion. Then
I say that, with mals; and the
';
comical crea-
such land as that, Russia ought tures" at the Exhibition
to have sent a good corn afforded amusement to thou-
trophy. sands.
235
 THE " LIONS. COALBROOK-DALE IRON DOME.

North and South America. It

THE COALBROOK-DALE
IRON DOME, &c.
This immense casting was
admired by many, although it
was often asked, For what pur-
pose is it made? It is,
pose, a garden ornament. Its
principal use has been to prove
the skill of the Coalbrook-dule
Iron Company, who sent it.
Coalbrook Dale is a beautiful
valley in Shropshire, through
which runs the river Severn.
The GREAT SLAB OF MAHO-
GANY gives an idea of the won-
derful size to which trees can
grow in the tropics. It was sent
from Honduras, a place between
measures 57 inches across, and
64 from the top to the bottom.
The MASS OF CRYSTALIZED
ALCM is the last subject which
I have drawn for you. The
I sup- process of alum manufacture is
a very singular one. You will
find it described in "Little
Henry's Holiday." In " Plea-
sant Pages" we will have an
object lesson on this substance,
and other chemicals.
There were, as I said, several
other " lions," but I have
scarcely time to describe those
which I have drawn for you.
You must try and make out an
account of them for yourselves.

THE TROPHIES OF PEACE.

ADAPTED FROM "HOUSEHOLD WORDS."

A MTOHTT dome is reared in solemn state,

To hold the produce of the world's invention ;

The ftpiicious palace of the labouring tjreat,

Whose bloodless triumphs history loves to mention.

The " trophies" of the past fade into gloom,

Which conquerors planted on the field of battle ;

When iiriTitliinir armies sank before their doom,

And shouU of glory drowned the low death-rattle.
These things were once, while yet the world was young,
Kre it drank wisdom from the fount of rcnson;
Now let a curtain o'er such scenes be hung
War's winter fled, we hail a softer season.

The love of art engenders love to man,

Anil this, in turn, the love of Iiis Creator ;
'Tis ignorance that mnrs Heaven's gracious plan,
And rears in blood the murderer and man-hater.
But now the children of the human race,
Crossing their bounds to mingle with each other,
In foreign nations kindred features trace,
And learn that every mortal is their brother.
236
 THE VARIETY OF VISITORS.

PAKT THE EIGHTH.

CHAPTER NINETEENTH.
THE VISITORS TO THE EXHI-
BITION.
P. At
the beginning of our
hook, I read to you the descrip-
tion of the Crystal Palace, and
the opening of the Exhibition
on the 1st of May. Since those
pages were written, the Exhi-
bition has run course; it is
its
now closed, and the wonderful
days of its career are matters
of history.
I need hardly tell you of the
crowds of visitors who came to
see the grand sights. Just as
the light of the sun and " the
rain from heaven" are given to
all, so also the glories of the
Exhibition were prohibited from
none who had a mind
derstand instruction, or a soul
to enjoy pleasure.
So, all people came. The
Queen, and the nobles the
there will often be three times
ten thousand there in one day."
W. That would be too many!
P. Well, some said that the
vast Crystal Palace would hold
even forty thousand people if
so many should ever come to-
gether. They did not think
that the number could ever be
larger; but it was prophesied
that if the number should ever
reach 50,000, great mischief
must happen. It was said, too,
that no more that 60,000 could
be crammed together within the
walls.
So people waited till the Ex-
hibition was opened. During
the first three weeks, the period
of the live-shilling days, from
fifteen to twenty thousand had
to un- met daily. But when the shil-
days came, before a fort-
ling
night had passed away, it was
found that more than fifty
thousand at a time had met
;

boys and girls from the charity inside the Palace of Glass.
schools learned men, and men
;
W. That was ten thousand
of science ploughboys, and old more than had been expected!
;

people from country work- P. In a few more weeks,

houses; clergymen, and men of people read in the newspapers
war merchants
;
tradesmen ; reports which made them to
;

clerks shop-boys, errand-boys, wonder more.

; They heard of
costermongers, nursemaids, and sixty thousand people being
other household servants, all there; and, one day, it was said
kinds of folks were there. by every one that seventy thou-
And their numbers. A
thou- sand had assembled together.
sand people means ten hundred; Ion. That was a mistake, I
that is a great many! Ten should think!
thousand a great many more
is P. No; it was true.
;
And
they form a vast crowd. Yet even that number increased.
when the Exhibition was to be When the end of September
opened, and every one talked came, the Exhibition had been
about it, many thought, "Ah! open four months, and it was
2.37
 THE CROWDS.

known that it would positively vehicles, did duty that day. The
close on Saturday the 11 th of pavement and roads round the
October. There were tens of railways were choked up.
thousands who thought that W. But as they came near
"
they must go to see it only the Exhibition, when the differ-
once more" ; thus the crowds in- ent crowds met, papa?
creased until the last week. P. Then came the hubbub
Then came the great crush !and noise; all seemed confu-
On the Monday, 107,815 peo- sion, yet all was order, for the
ple came. On the Tuesday, "mighty mass" of human
there were 2,100 more; that is, beings moved on in one long,
109,915. On the Wednesday dark, dense stream. From early
there were 109,760 ; and on the in the morning until long after
Thursday, the last of the shil-midday, this dark moving
ling days, the visitors numbered
stream of people covered the
90,813. The day happened to pavement of the whole length
be very rainy, or the number of Piccadilly, past Hyde Park
would, no doubt, have been Corner, Sloane Street, Knights-
even higher than before. Such bridge, and all the way to the
remarkable numbers were far Crystal Palace. Nothing could
beyond anything that the most be more wonderful than the
extravagant imagination had crowd, except the numberless
thought of. vehicles in the road. For all
IK. But, papa, how did they the conveyances I have men-
all get there? How full the tioned came from all parts,
streets must have been !
making one ask with uplifted
P. Indeed they were. Enough hands, " Where can they all
conveyances to carry half the come from?"
crowd, could not be had. All L. And the inside of the
the great city of London was Palace?
excited. Early in the morning, P. That I would rather not
from the terminus of each great say anything about. The scene
London Railway from the would take too much time to
North Western, the South describe. Many hundreds of
Eastern, the Great Western, people went in who quickly
the Eastern Counties, the came out again. Some were
South Western, the Great filled with awe and fear even
Northern, and from the Lon- at the hum and buzz of the
don and Hluckwall line, along great busy bee-hive, as it
these seven principal lines seemed upon their car.
to swell
enormous trains conveyed the Ion. I wonder whether any
shoals of country folks. And one has counted up all who
when these country folks came from beginning to end.
reached the street, the cabs were P. Yes. The total number of
instantly filled, the omnibuses visitors from the opening to the
were crowded inside and out, close, from the 1st May to the
and vans and carts, old stage* llth October, 1851, was
coaches, and all sorts of queer 6,201,856. I will read to you
238
 THE EXACT NUMBERS AND TOTALS.

the account which has and western Nave were kept

been
given of the numbers: by Mr. Masters.
NUMBER OF VISITORS. What a famous place that
In the month of May the Crystal Palace was to eat in !

You saw the crowds that ga-

In June ....
number of visitors was

....
734,782
1,133,116 thered
.

around the refreshment-

In July
In August
In September
.... .
1,314,176 stalls, eating ices and jellies
1,023,435 all
1,155,240
.
day long. Now hear how
.

In October, up to the llth 841,107

much they ate. In one depart-
.

ment, Mr. Younghusband's

Grand total 6,201,850 (which was the principal), the
.

The amount of money received following articles were con-

is the next remarkable point. sumed: Bread, 24,536 quar-
You may remember the early terns; coffee, 9,181 Ibs.; pound
Ibs. Savoy cakes,
history of the undertaking. cakes, 28,828 ;

Then it was feared that not 20,41 5 Ibs.; Bath buns, 311,731
enough money could be found Ibs.; plain buns, 460,657 Ibs.;
to meet the great expenses cottage loaves, 57,528 Ibs. ;
which would be involved. But milk, 17,257 quarts ; cream,
these expenses have been paid, 14,047 quarts; ice, 180 tons;
although they amounted to meat, 113 tons; ham, 19 tons;
more than 350,000. And, potatoes, 30 tons ; salt, 16 tons ;
what is more, there yet remains soda water, 40,869 bottles ; le-
a surplus of 150,000. monade, 130, 698 bottles; ginger
Here is the total of the re- beer, 365,050 bottles.
ceipts :
W. I could not have believed
that so much would be eaten.
Public Subscription 67,400
Entrance Fees . . .
421,400
What a large amount of money
Receipts from various
must have been paid for all
other sources* . . 13,200 those goods! I saw you pay
6d. for one, ice, papa, and there
505,000 were ices sold for Is. each; so
Ion. That is a wonderful sum, that the 180 tons of ice alone,
papa What is the next re- yielded a very large sum
!
!

markable point? P. Yes; it is said that the

P. The quantity of refresh- money taken for refreshments
ments eaten is, perhaps, the inside the building, was even
most remarkable thing of all. more than the immense sum
There were three refreshment- paid for admission at the doors.
courts. The principal, in the Thus, you have five remarkable
north end of the Transept, was points in the history of the
kept by Messrs. Younf/husband Exhibition since
its opening.

and Son those in the east

;
Ion. I can say them, papa,
I think. The variety of people
*
The amounts paid by the con- who went to the Exhibition
tractors for supplying the cata- the number of people the
logues and refreshments; with the money taken at the doors the
royalty on the articles sold, &c., &c. quantity of refreshments eaten
239
 CDRIODS FACTS.

and the money paid for re- hours. From them it was ga-
freshments. thered by three or four money-
P. True; and I have here a porters, who carried it to four
list of curious facts, which are collectors, charged with the task of
also worth counting it. From them it went
remembering: to two tellers, who verified the
" Of the
money received at the sums, and handed it to the final
doors, 275,000 was in silver, and custody of the chief financial
81,000 in gold. The weight of officer, Mr. Carpenter, who locked
the silver coin so taken (at the each day's amount in his peculiar
rate of 281bs. per 100) would be 35 iron chests in the building till next
tons, and its bulk 900 cubic feet morning, when in boxes, each
!

the rapid flow of the coin into the holding 600, it was borne off in
hands of the money-takers pre- a hackney-cab in charge of a Bank
vented all examination of each of England clerk and a Bank-
piece as it was received, and 90 porter.
" The
of bad silver was tnken, but only money was received in all
one piece of bad gold, and that forms, ranging between farthings
was a half-sovereign. The half- and ten-pound notes. Contrary to
crown was the most usual bad the notices exhibited, change was
coin, but a much more noticeable given. Occasionally foreigners
fact is, that nenrly all the bad gave Napoleons, and these coins
money was tnken on the half-crown being mistaken for sovereigns,
and five-shilling days. they received nineteen shillings out,
"The cash was received by and liberty of admission into the
eighteen money-takers; on the bargain. The monies of America,
very heavy days six extra ones Hamburg, Germany, and France,
being employed during the busiest were often tendered and taken."

MORE CURIOUS FACTS FROM TUB GREAT EXHIBITION.

(IHDITBD BY MR. PUNCU.)
Tnis Palace tall, Her subjects pours
This Cristinl Hall, From distant shores,
Which Imperorrt might covet, Her Injians and Canadians;
Stands in High I'urk And also we,
Like Noah's Ark, Her kingdoms three,
A rainbow bint above it. Attind with our allngiance.
The towers and fanes, Here come likewise
In other ncaynes, Her bould allies,
The fame of this will undo, Both Asian and Knropian;
Saint Paul's big doom, From Kast and West
Saint Partner's Room, They send their best
And Dublin's proud Rotundo. To (ill her Coornucopean.
"Fin here that roams, Iseen (thank Grace!)
As well Incomes This wondthrous place
Her dignitec and stations, (His Noble Honour Misther
VICTORIA Great, II. Cole it was

And houlrls in state That gave the pass,

The (Jon gross of the Nation?. And let me see what is there).
240
 CURIOUS FACTS.

With conscious proide Amazed I pass

I stud insoide From glass to glass,
And looked the World's Great Deloighted I survey 'em;
Fair in, Fresh wondthers grows
Until me sight Before me nose
Was dazzled quite, In this sublime Musayum !

And couldn't see for staring.

There's holy saints
And window paints,
By Maydiayval Pugin
Alhamborough Jones
Did paint the tones
Of yellow and gambouge
Look, here's a fan
From far Japan,
A sabre from Damasco ;
; There's shawls ye get
From far Thibet,
And cotton prints from Glasgow.
in.

There's fountains there There'sGerman flutes,

And crosses fair ; Marocky boots,
There's water-gods with urrns; And Naples Macaronies ;

There's organs three, Bohaymia

To d'ye see,
Has sent Bohay
" Godplay,
;

save the Queen" by turrns. Polonia her polonies.

There's statues bright There's granite flints
Of marble white, That's quite imminse,
Of silver, and of copper ; There's sacks of coals and fuels,
And some in zinc, There's swords and guns,
And some, I think, And soap in tuns,
That isn't over proper. And ginger-bread and jewels.
There's staym ingynes,
That stands in lines, There's taypots there,
Enormous and amazing, And cannons rarej
That squeal and snort, There's coffins filled with roses;
Like whales in sport, There's canvas tints,
Or elephants a-grazing. Teeth insthrumints,
There's carts and gigs, And shuits of clothes by Moses.
And pins for pigs ;
There's lashins more
There's dibblers and there's Of things in store,
harrows, But thiml don't remimber;
And ploughs like toys
Nor could disclose
For little boys,
Did I
And compose
elegant wheel-barrows. From May time to Novimber !

For them genteels

Who ride on wheels, Ah, Judy thru !

There's plenty to indulge 'em With eyes so blue,

;

There's droskys snug That you were here to view it !

From Paytersbug, And could I screw

And vayhycles from Bulgium. But tu pound tu,
'Tis I would thrait you to it !
There's cabs on stands
And shandthry danns ; So us raise
let
There's waggons from New VICTORIA'S praise,
York here; And ALBERT'S proud condition,
There's Lapland sleighs That takes his ayse
Have crossed the seas, As he surveys
And jauntingcyarsfrom Cork here. This Cristial Exhibition.
241
 CLOSE OF THE EXHIBITION.

the Exhibition," you read of the

CHAPTER TWENTIETH. principle of competition, and of
the importance of these prizes.
THE CLOSE OF THE EXHIBITION.
On Wednesday, the 15th
LET us now talk of the Exhi- October, His Royal Highness
bition's last
days. Thursday, the Prince Albert met the
October 9th, was the last of the gentlemen who had examined
shilling days. There remained the different goods and had
two half-crown days during decided to whom the prizes
which it was open the Friday should be given. These gen-
and the Saturday. tlemen presented their report
The Great Exhibition closed to the Prince, and the Prince
on Saturday, the llth October, made a speech in reply.
1851. This was the 141st day This ceremony was performed
since the opening, and at five in a business-like manner, the
o'clock in the afternoon, the prince and the gentlemen being
organs gave the signal for clos- seated on a raised platform in
ing. At the same moment the transept, at the part where
they struck up the national the nave and transept meet;
"
God save our gra- the crystal fountain had been
anthem,
cious Queen." The organs were removed to make room. The
joined by the many voices in other part of the building was
the crowded avenues, but, un- crowded with visitors, such as
fortunately, the building being the exhibitors and others.
so large, those who played and W. If I had been one of the
sung could not hear each other exhibitors, I should have listen-
very well. So, although the ed very anxiously to hear my
organs sounded forth with all name mentioned. I cannot
their might, and the people think how the gentlemen could
sung forth with all their might, tell which articles gained prizes
they could not keep very good when there was such an im-
time. Never mind If there was mense quantity of goods to
!

not harmony of sound, there examine.

was a harmony of spirit, which P. I will tell you how it was
is better still. English people done. All the goods in the
always sing with spirit "God Exhibition were arranged in
save the Queen." thirty-four classes, and for each
On the Monday and Tuesday class of goods a 'jury was
following, the Crystal Palace formed, consisting of half
was thrown open to the exhi- foreigners and half English-
bitors and their friends only, men. The men selected were
who were admitted by tickets, those who understood the arti-
without payment. cles which they had to examine.
The next day was appointed Thus one jury had to examine
for the last great business viz., all the clock-work another all
;

fur announcing the. names of those the tapestry and lace; another
exhibitors who h<id gained prizes. the musical instruments ;
ano-
In " Little Henry's Holiday at ther the philosophical instru-
242
 LIST OF PRIZES.

ments, and so on. Each jury RAW MATERIALS. JURIES I. TO IV.

had a chairman, who used to Brit. For. Tot
take the chair when they sat Council medals . 6 16 22
Prize medals . 125 437 562
and talked over the goods they .

Honourable mentions 131 535 G68

had to examine.
MACHINERY. JURIES V. TO X.
These thirty-four chairmen
Council medals . . 52 36 88
of the juries also had to meet Prize medals . 301 191 492
.

frequently, and to form a higher Honourable mentions 51 114 165

jury of themselves. When the TEXTILE FABRICS. JURIES XI. TO
chairmen of the juries thus
met, they
called the Council.
formed what was Council medals
Prize medals
XX.
..123
. . 337 498 835
Honourable mentions 185 277 462
W. I think that that was a
good arrangement; for METALLIC, VITREOUS, AND CERAMIC
very MANUFACTURES. JURIES XXI. TO
there might be some articles XXV.
which one jury alone could un- Council medals . . 14 21 85
derstand properly but if each Prize medals . . 312 214 526
of these thirty-four chairmen Honourable mentions 208 199 407
understood a different busi- MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURES.
JURIES XXVI. TO XXIX.
ness, they could help one
another. Council medals . 4 10 14
Prize medals . . 142 232 374
P. True. AndontheWednes- Honourable mentions 100 104 254
day, when the Council of Chair-
man met
him that
the Prince, they told
the meetings of the
all
Council medals
Prize medals
..224
FINE ARTS.

. . 27 60 87
juries and the council had been Honourable mentions 41 47 88
held, and the prizes had been de-
cided upon. In each department Besides these, there were
the exhibitors of the goods which council medals which were not
were very excellent, but not classified, such as that given
quite good enough for a prize, to His ROYAL HIGHNESS THE
had received honourable mention ; PRINCE ALBERT for the idea
those whose goods were more of the Great Exhibition, and
excellent, were to receive a the model lodging-houses.
prize medal (from the jury); Another was given to the
and those who had brought Government of Turkey; others,
forth novel inventions, and to the Bey of Tunis, the Pasha
most beautiful goods, were to of Egypt, and so on.
receive a more important medal Besides the council medals
they were to receive a Council not included in the above
medal, which was to be given classes, there were thirteen

by the council of chairmen. money prizes, of 50, 40, and

The following is the list of 10 each, given principally to
" Council me-
the numbers of poor people. The total number
" Prize and of medals, honourable men-
dals," medals,"
" Honourable mentions"
given tions, &c., was thus 5,084
by the thirty-four juries, and 2.039 to British subjects, and
the council: 3,045 to foreigners.
243
 DEFECTS OF THE EXHIBITION.

All these matters were ex- the merit of many articles

I

plained to the Prince by VIS- greatly depends on the price at

COUNT CANNING, the President
of the Council, in the report
which he read. When the
Prince had replied, as I said,
and had thanked the gentlemen
of the different juries for their
exertions, the National An-
them was once more sung.
Once more thanksgiving was
offered to the Almighty, in a
prayer
which was read by the
Bishop of London. The halle-
lujah chorus, which had been
sung at the opening, was again
sung. The Prince and Com-
which thev can be sold. There
was a still greater defect. In
verv few stalls conld people
be found to give estimations of
the articles shown. I had pur-
posed to give you a course of
Object Lessons on all the
strange and peculiar objects in
the Exhibition ; hut I found
that it was almost impossible
to do so. On examining many
curious objects, I found that
they could not explain their
own qualities; they could not
tell me their uses neither
;

missioners then left the plat- could they tell me their own
form ; and the business of the history.The Catalogue would
day was ended. not helpme it only gave their
names, which were matters of
L. GREAT EXHIBITION! la littleimportance. Now, sup-
it all over? posing that there had been at
P. Yes. While we are talk- each stall a man who knew all
ing the goods are still being that could be said about each
removed but the great Crystal article, how interesting a history
;

Palace, which is perhaps the of the Exhibition might have

most wonderful part, remains. been made! What a peculiar
There are still the questions, series of Object Lessons we
" What is to become of the should have had !

Crystal Palace?" "What will W. But why did you not

be the effects of the Great Ex- write to some of the exhi-
hibition?" "What is to be bitors?
done with the 150,000 sur- P. I did so; but some had
plus ?" For the answer to these not time to write descriptions,
questions we must wait. others would not send any
W. I know one of the effects answer at all. Nearly all people
it has delighted everybody. felt the want of explanations.
P. Say nearly everybody. Many thousands could do little
The Exhibition was not quite else but stare and wonder, while
perfect. There were just faults they ought to have been able
enough to show that it was a to examine and understand. With
human invention; for it could the help of such attendants the
not be without faults, unless it Exhibition would have been not
had been Divine. There was only a great show, but a school.
a great fault that there were no But although their absence was
]>rires affixed
to the goods to a defect, perhaps it could not
show their different values for ;
be helped; the expense of
244
 REWARDS OF MERIT.

" to be
hiring such men would perhaps only do they rise truly
have been too great. noble."
So, Willie, the truth has
So let us leave the defects. come out at last! Two work-
They were not many. We will ing-men are acknowledged as
rather have one more word in "noblemen." How much better
favour of the men by whom the noblemen do they make than if
idea was conceived and realized. they had been fighting-men !

Ion. Yes! What do the peo- L. Yes. Because, you see,

ple say to Mr. Paxton now? they are more like God.
And to Messrs. Fox and Hen- P. And may many more such
derson? men men of science and
P. They do not say " Mr. industry become the nobles
Paxton " now, but SIR Joseph of this land and may all the
;
" Mr.
Paxton, and instead of present noblemen become men
Fox," SIR Charles Fox. of learning, science, and reli-
L. Oh, papa! then they are gion ;
ever doing good to the
made noblemen! world, instead of being men of
P. No. They were made war.
"knights;" they were noble W. And what do the people
men before. Did I not tell say to PRINCE ALBERT, papa?
you long ago, that the work- P. For him, also, they utter
zn^-man is the true nobleman. forth praises, which we must
Indeed, the working - men not keep back.
are the only noblemen. He They say, "All honour to our
who can, and will not work, is truly noble Prince!" There
a base-man no matter how he
;
were times when most princes
may be born. They who work and kings were the destroyers
whether they work with mind of the earth their honours were
;

or body whether they work to built on the blood of their fel-

improve the laws of the country low-men. But the Exhibition
or to improve the habits, has brought out another great
manners, or dwellings of the truth. To His Royal Highness
" Council
people whether they work to the Prince Albert a
improve the manufactures in Medal" has been awarded for
which they are engaged " the idea of the Great Exhibition
whether they work to make of 1851, and the Model Lodging-
discoveries in science whether house for the labouring classes."
they u-orfc to teach the young This may remind many princes
whether they work in the high of the earth that each has work
and holy calling of the ministry to do within his kingdom work
no matter how they work, if which leads to higher glories
" to make the than those of war.
they only work
world better than they found it," L. And will other princes and
they thus become more like nobles attend more to these
their Heavenly Maker, who things?
causeth all things to work to- P. No doubt they will, for
gether "for good," and thus already some effects of the ex-
245
 HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE ALBERT.

ample of the Prince are
The Duke of Northumberland,
it is said, has given orders for
one thousand new labourers'
dwellings on a better plan. The
Duke of Bedford has already
erected a great number of better
dwelling-places for his labour-
ers; and we have a "Society
for improving the Condition of
the Working Classes."
Thus we see how the Exhi-
bition will bring forth
With many working
headed by a working
all labouring to further improve-
ments in the sciences
seen. for their country's good, will
there not be joyful results?
W. Yes. I should think that
the people will become much
happier, and the poor people
will love those who are rich.
P. And princes and nobles
of other nations may also learn
to change their pursuits, and
learn the true meaning of the
word noble. Thus will other
nations become happier.
fruit. May many more princes be-
nobles, come servants of Him who
Prince, "went about doinggood," whose
noble title is, TUB PRINCE OF
and arts PEACE.

THE CLOSE OF THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

GLORY to the God of Ilearen,
Peace on earth, towards men good will !

Now shall honours due be given

To the best of human skill ;

Always will we deal with others

As we would they dealt with us,
Anil rejoice, as men and brothers,
To befriend each other thus.

For it is a glorious teaching,

AI.BBKT, thou hast taught mankind,

Greatly to perfection reaching,
And enlarging heart and mind;
Stirring us, and stirring others
Thus to do the best we can,
And with all the zeal of brothers

Help the Family of Man I

God be tlmnk'd ! that thus united
All the world for once has been,
Crowding, welcome anil delighted,
Hound the throne of England's Queen :

God be tlmnk'd that we and others,

England with the World around,
Thus have sought to love a brothers,
And the good we sought, have found.
MAHT1N P. TUPPHR.

24 C

!- ITRIt, UlTK, AND CO. C!l VM. CUU11T, FI.BI.1' STKKEI'.

 NEW SERIES OF CHILDREN'S ANNUALS
ON A NEW PRINCIPLE,

beginning of the half-century suggests a new

idea. Why should not every child keep a record of his

>ff .
t>
fy\
LIFE-TIME.

PRICE la.

BY THE EDITOR OF "PLEASANT PAGES."

LONDON : HOUSTON &-STONEMAN ;

AXD ALL BOOKSELLERS.

life-time? Begin even when the child is tAvo years old,

furnish him every year with a concise account of its important
 CHILDREFS ANNTTALS-(CWWrf.)
events, and in the course of ten years he will have a
history of the progress of the world during his growth
into boyhood. Such an account of his own times will be
not only interesting, but highly useful, affording him a

knowledge of his own country, and of the world into

which he must soon enter. More he may continue
to read his annual account until manhood ; and perhaps
on, through manhood to his second childhood ; but this
may depend upon the Pleasant Pages, or sober thoughts,
which he may find to read. Children are often instruc-
tive to men, so also may children's books be.

The Editor, therefore, means to make a book to be

read by young and old. May many young readers

begin the history of this half-century, and read until

they grow May

old !
they and himself be spared to
keep company even to the end of the term, the year

1900, and be prepared by this course for a better world ;

May we then still keep company, and, with mature

minds and solemn thoughts, ponder those everlasting
records of the countless centuries, of a universe, of

worlds, which are written in the Book of Life.

One word as to details. The First Volume, entitled

OLD EIGHTEEN FIFTY ONE, is to be published on 1st
January, 1852. Each volume will form a complete
history a whole year-full of events with Pictorial
Illustrations. no more than. One Shilling.
It is to cost

So the Editor, with confidence, asks every Parent to

procure a copy for each of his Children, and to persuade

other Parents to do likewise.

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