The Express.
London, England, 1865-09-06 00:00:00

THE (•EXII,

some uneasiness of conscience at the

thought would occur in the midst
ment, how many of those littleg

mere name is a poem, went to re ones
of a score of dainty dishes. It was our one trans-
gression of that kind. and we may hope to avoid
any repetition of it, so as to be able to read of
Roman Emperors' fantastical 'appeal without any

qualms of cornrows.
If our next neighbours cannot induce as to try
new dishes by their exampled advice, remoter ones
are still leas likely. We have no snakes or lizards
which tempt us, or would fill up the gap. Buffalo
humps are out of our way; and we have made no
systematic experiment of the porpoise. The
Chinese would be aghast at our waste of puppy
dogs and kittens, and rats, and many other savoury
morsels ; but nothing short of a siege, like that of
Magdeburg or Derry, would drive us to dine in
that way. We might relish kid ; but then goats I
are such mischievous animals in an enclosed
country, that they destroy more food in ease way
thaa they give in another, in the form of milk
and joints of kid. We rill drink goat's milk
under Macgillicuddy's Reeks ; but we had rather
not bring the animals into our fields and yards.
The shortest and wisest way is to look at home,
after all, and make what we can of the advice
offered us there. We are assured, and we have
complete belief in the assurance, that one meal of
1 meat per day is better than more for all healthy
people. This hint concerns one oleos among nal
especially, and that class is not the wealthy. Oar
physicians and surgeons declare that a large pro-
portion of the maladies they have to cure among
the superior artisans and small shopkeepers of the
country arise from overfeeding, and particularly
from an excess of animal food. The butchers,
1 fishmongers, and poulterers in our manufacturing
towns tell us that their beet customers—the buyers
of the primeet rump steaks and of the earliest
lamb and spring chickens, and salmon—are the
well-paid operatives and artisans, and among
them there is • prevalent idea that it shows
a liberal and hospitable temper to put dainty fish
and solid meat on the table two or three times a
day. If they would consider what is reasonable,
and inquire what is wholesome, and believe what
is regarded as good manners by those whom they
respect ; and if the employers of men-servants
would restrain the gross self-indulgence of the
kitchen, there might be a very important saving,
and much improved distribution of meat through-
out the country, from this day forward.
Some people still harp upon the notion of ab-
staining from veal and lamb, in order to let the
calves and lambs grow up to multiply their kind ;
but this suggestion is not practical, and amounts
to mere waste of time and thought. The calves
and lambs reared for the botcher are not qualified
for breeding, and would simply not exist if not de-
manded for the market.
The truth is—fish is our great natural and
unexceptionable resource, under any failure
of meat. It is astonishing that so delicate,
suitable, nutritious, and cheap a diet is so nearly
neglected as it is by the great multitude of our
countrymen. The present movement towards
the development of our fisheries, coast and In-
land, is thus far more in the interest of the
wealthier than the poorer classes ; and the mil-
lions have barely a taste of the enormous quantity
of good food which passes our shores from year's
end to year's end. Of the pilchards which are
just now caught by hundreds of tons off the Cornish
coast, namely all will go to Catholic countries
abroad, to be eaten there, while our labourers, and
many above them, will be living on bread or pota-
toes, without an ounce of animal food for weeks
together. If this could be mended—if the old',
popular taste for fish could be restored—and if
the great piggeries, under trial in emulation of oar
American cousins, and the Bromley banner;, and
the turkey yards and goose and duck-breeding
establishments in the Pens, are all made the most
of, we may yet escape the worst consequences of
the dreaded scarcity of the meat which is already
disastrously dear.

Information was yesterday received at the
Foreign-office that Mr. Rassam had arrived at Suez,
and had reported to her Majesty's agent and con-
sul-general in Egypt that Consul Cameron bad
been released. No details received.