The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-25 00:00:00

SUBSTITUTE FOR FOOD. _ f

BEET-ROOT BREAD.—We (Berwick Advertiser) re-
turn
to this subject according to our promise made last
week. To the remarks then published we have to add
that the girdle cakes made of the same material have
proved a very successful experiment, and by all the
parties who have partaken of them they are pronounced
to be excellent. We subjoin the receipt for the manu-
facture of the bread, and shall be glad to hear that it
obtains the consideration of the householders or retailers
of bread. The saving in the cost, namely, one-third, is
considerable, and certainly at any time, but more parti-
cularly at the present, merits attention:—
"BAKER'S BREAD."—Tako one stone of beet-root
boil it until it becomes quite soft, pound it or mash it
fine, then add one stone of wheaten flour, and bake with
yeast in the same manner as bakers do wheaten or
common flour bread.
" GIRDLE CAKE."—Mix equal parts of beet-root
(prepared) and flour, add half an ounce of carbonate of
soda to each stone, and bake."
BOILING PEAS.—As a substitute for potatoes, ly iling
peas are one of the articles coming into general con-
sumption. The following is the best mode of preparing
them for use. They require merely to be put into boil-
ing water (if soft so much the better) : this should be
strictly observed, not cold water. They should be al-
lowed to boil slowly for three hours, adding water, if
required, in progress of cooking. They will increase to
double the quantity in siz, and about three times in
weight. They make a good, substantial, lasting food ;
and if a little beef, pork, or red herring be added, a
small quantity makes an excellent pot of soup. The
present wholesale price, in a dry state, is under 2d, per
pound. To parties interested in providing food for the
million, or relief committees, peat and rice will be found
excellent articles to make good the deficiency caused by
the loss of the potato crop.

NEGLIGENCE OF STEAM-SHIP
COMPANIES.
The wreck of a steamer in the offing of Cork harbour adds
another to the long list of disasters in which the dangers
arising from uncontrollable accidents at sea are frightfully
increased by the culpable negligence of the companies
whose duty it is to provide against them. The hirius,
Captain Moffett, struck on a reef of rocks, and on being
backed off was found to have sustained such extensive
damages as to render her sinking a dead certainty. By
what infatuation sea captains, in nine cases out of ten,
are induced to accelerate the fate of their vessels, after
a hole is knocked through them, by backing into
deep water, we never could comprehend : but that
is not the main point to which we now desire to direct
attention. When, however, the ship was found to be
filling, she was again run ashore ; and the one thing needful in
the emergency was boats, for passengers and crew numbering
ninety I The life boat was lowered—blunderingly, on the
wrong side; but no sooner was it lanuched, than it was
found unable to accommodate, with safety, more than eight
person?. Twenty crowded into it in the thoughtless despera-
tion of the moment : before the steamer was well cleared it was
swamped, as a matter of course; and every soul but one was
drowned. Those who remained on board the steamer
reached the shore through the exertions of the coast. guard.
The steam company who sent out to sea ninety passengers
in a ship having a life-boat that could carry only eight per-
sons, have been guity of a mad recklessness of human life,
differing but little from premeditated manslaughter. Had
the accident occurred at a more remote distance from the
harbour, in all probability not one of the seventy who escaped
a watery grave would have lived to relate the disaster. There
is surely some call for interference on the part of the Govern-
ment. Steam Companies should be compelled to provide
boats sufficiently commodious for their full complement of
passengers and crew in case of wreck.—Carlisle Journal.

STEAMERS' BOATS.
The wreck of the Sirius, Irish steam-packet, between
Dublin and Cork, presents another lamentable example of
the consequence of not compelling the owners of packets to
provide their vessels with boats of a size and build to live in
a heavy sea, and stow safely a large number of persons.
As usual, the best boat of the Sirius was launched only to
be swamped, and fifteen or twenty lives were lost. As the
boat was over-crowded by fifteen or twenty passengers, we
infer what the size must have been, and how unfit for the
exigency. One of Captain G. Smith's paddle -box boats
would have received forty or fifty people without danger.
The boats which packets ordinarily earry are worse than
useless. It would be far better for the safety of passengers
that they had none. In this instance of the Sirius the lives lost
were lost through the boat. Had there been no bad boat to
trust to, all would have been saved. Packets should either
be provided with good boats, such as the paddle-box boat
with flat floor and wide beam, and ample stowage, or they
should have none, to serve only as a false reliance and a
snare. A thimble for a reservoir of water would be as good
a safeguard against fire, as a common ship's boat is in a
thronged packet against the dangers of shipwreck.—
Examiner.