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With eloquence, that, under favoring star,

Had graced the Senate, or illumed the Bar-
Such gifts were THINE- -A host of friends appear,

And sanction this faint record with a tear.
SHATFORD farewell!-all who thy merits scan,
Attest the GENIUS-FRIEND-and HONEST MAN.

All who have seen or read the comedy of the School for Scandal, and they must be persons of very little taste or feeling who have had the opportunity of so doing and yet omitted it, and very little curiosity must all those possess who have not sought for every production of a writer so excellent as the late Brinsley Sheridan. It may be recollected that in the above play the School for Scandal, Lady Dundizzy and her party are reported to have introduced the subject of breeding sheep in Nova Scotia, were the flocks were remarkable for producing twins. Baron Maunchausen, too, a personage of almost equal authority with Lady Dundizzy, has somewhere informed us, that in one of the districts he visited during his wonderful travels, he had found an ingenious people who had invented a method of making the most of their cattle by carving them out by degrees, and eating them piece meal, without giving much pain to the animals and still further without the cruel method of slaughtering them as we do in Europe. The Baron tells his readers, that in one of the countries he travelled through, the voluptuary epicures, and the most tasteful fine ladies,

often indulged their appetites by having a large beef steak, or chop, cut from the most fleshy parts of the living animal; and it was done with such facility and neatness, as is difficult to be described. That ladies of the highest rank, and even those belonging to their Royal Courts, were properly instructed for the purpose and very dexterous in performing the necessary operations on all such occasions: in fact it was thought amongst all well bred people, as easy and as fashionable a thing for a young lady to cut her own beef steak from the living animal, as it would be here to serve her friends with it, while sitting at the head of her own table.

The practice abroad of thus providing the provisions of a fashionable family, was not so difficult, as may at first be imagined. It was somewhat after this method: the cattle were usually driven by those who had the care of them, into the most convenient spots; perhaps the park or lawn before the house, just as we may sometimes see beautiful herds of sleek-coated fat deer, grazing near to, or brought to the very palings of a delightful English Villa. The lady herself singles out the innocent animal which is to supply her table, it is secured; the proper instruments are provided, and the task is performed by her own delicato hands. She of course consults the appetites of her expectant guests, and acts accordingly, always cutting the quantity of steaks required, from the most plump or fleshy part of a fine fat bullock, or the rump of a tender young heifer.

Now the servants and attendants on these occasions,

have always previously prepared, and ready at com. mand, what they call healers or preservers. These are made of something resembling what is here known by the name of gold-beater's skin. The patch is made according to the size of the incision about to be made: a mild, but very tenacious substance is spread round the edges of the patch; this by close adherence to the skin of the animal, prevents the action of the atmospheric air on the orifices of the cuts so inflicted: by this method all danger is avoided, and even all unseemly effects entirely prevented. Thus, amongst the better sort of people, (as far as regards choice cuts and tid bits) a fine bullock or heifer may be said to be eaten eight or ten times over! For the operation is usually performed twice a year on the same animal; and the flesh grows up to its pristine firmness, and its more than original juicy consistency. The third, fourth and fifth times of cutting the slices are thought to be in their highest state of perfection; after that the meat becomes paler and paler every time they are cut; and at the expiration of the tenth or the twelfth year, they are purposely fatted and finally slaughtered for the supply of the common market. The lower orders of the people, as in most other countries, not being able to pamper their appetites, and indulge their varying humours, in the same degree as is the case with the upper classes. They, of course, do not expect to be fed with the tid bits, and almost living savoury slices such as the quality get, but are content to wait till the whole carcases of the animals are brought to the shambles in the regular way. 'Tis rather wonderful that

the Gourmands of France, or the Aldermen of the City of London, have not put something of this sort into practice, in this part of the world.

But now we are on the subject of breeding, and raising cattle, it may not be amiss to notice a custom of breeding bullocks on the coast of South America; or rather on some of the Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

These animals are of a dwarfish nature; not half the size of full fed English oxen: such as are commonly seen in the midland counties. This peculiar species of small oxen is seen in great numbers in South America. They run about the woods and pastures in a half wild state, as if they belonged to nobody; nor do they in any one sense. They ramble about in so wild, so uncertain a manner, that sometimes their owners do not know them; and they become the property of any adventurer who can catch or kill them: and, though their flesh is very good, they are considered valuable, chiefly on account of their skins. The carcass is often left, the skin only taken these skins and the skins and furs of many other animals form a great branch of trade between that country and England; particularly the borough of Southwark, which is I believe one of the principal Marts for these kinds of commodities.

Perhaps it may be remembered that about forty years ago, two Indian Chiefs made some noise in London: The public prints were continually speaking of them, and of their being seen at routes at noblemen's houses and at all public places. I once had the opportunity of being at the house of a private gentleman in the vol. ii.

F

Borough, where they frequently visited. They were either directly or indirectly concerned in some mercantile transactions connected with that branch of trade alluded to: whether they had any mission at Court, or official employment with Government, I cannot say. One of them, I think his name was Bowles; some thought him an European; perhaps he was so; for he was quite easy in his deportment, and by his manner and speech might be thought either an American, or an Englishman. Three of the gentlemen who were with him, excited in my mind greater curiosity than either of the Chiefs. The three gentlemen here alluded to, appeared to belong to the embassy, or in some way or other, a part of their suit. One of the gentlemen, as soon as they sat down to dinner, was helped to some fish, of which he began to eat heartily: a lady near him put a potatoe on his plate: he did not reject it, but put it rather aside: on her politely pouring a little melted butter over his potatoe and fish, he absolutely started, and rose from his seat: he could not speak three words of English, but uttered something like baw! baw! maw! maw! He seemed to apologize by his action, for his appearing so rude in leaving the table; then ran to the window, opened it, and looked into the street. The fact is, the sight of the melted butter touching the fish he was eating, entirely took away his appetite, and he ran to the window to recover himself. One of the gentlemen near him explained— That none of his countrymen ever eat melted butter with any thing, and as to sauce with fish, all the sauce they wanted was a little of the very element in which

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