Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-10-11

orally ono at time, Though sometimes
two were brought on at once There were
10 joints. nothing to be carved. Every
article of food was brought on III quart
bowls IN sort of hash form. We dove
iuto il with our chop sticks which, we'll
handled, took up about mouthful, and
transferring this to our plates worked the
chop sticks again to get it or parts OF 1t
to our mouths No one seemed to take
more than single taste or mouthful OF
each dish SO that. even if one relished the
food, it would need something like hun
dred different dishes to satisfy an ordinary
appetite. Some of US took very readily to
the chop sticks; others did not-perhaps
were glad they could not; aud for these a
Yankee fork was provided, and their Chi
ncse ncighbora at the table were also
prompt to offer their own chop sticks to
place a bit of each dish upon their plates.
But as these same chop sticks were also
used to convey food into the mouths of the
Chinese, the service did not always add to
the relish of the food.
These we're the principal dishes served
for the first course, and in the order
named: Fried sharks fins and grated
ham, s.ewcd pigeon with bamboo soup,
fish shows with ham, stewed CHECKED With
water cross, seaweed, stewcd ducks and
bamboo soup, sponge cake, omelet cake
flower cake and banana frittcrs. birds
soup, tea. The meats seemed all alike; ;
they had been dried or preserved in some
way were cut up into nouthfuls, and
depended for all savoriness upon their ac-
commandments. The seaweed, sharks fins
and The like had q glutinous sort of taste /;
not repulsive, nor very seductive. The
sweets were very delicate, but like every
thing else had a very artificial flavor !;
esery article indeed, seemed to have had
its original and real taste and strength
dried or cooked out of it, and common
Chinese flavor put into it. The bird nest
soup looked and tasted somewhat as a
very delicate vormicelli soup does The
tea was delicious-it was served without
milk or sugar, did not need any such ame-
,ioiat;on and was very refreshing. Evil
deutly it wls made from the most deli ;
cate leaves or flowers Of the tea plant, and
had escaped all vulgar sleeping or boil
ing.
During the first recess, the presidents
Of the comprehensive chief entertainers
took their leave, aud the merchants as
sumed the post of leading hosts; such be-
ing the fashion Of the people The Sec
ond dinner opened with cold tea, and a
rose scented liquour, very strong, and serv.
ed in tinny cups. and went on with Itch
ems and fungus libe moss, more sharks
ins stewed chesnuts and chickns. Chin
csc oysters yellow and resurrectcd from
the dried stage, more fungus stewed.
stew of -four and white nuts, stewed NUT
ton, rost ducks, rice soup. rice aud duck s
eggs and picked cucumbers, ham and
chicken soup. Between the second and
third parts there was an exchange of com.
phmentary speeches by the head China
man and Mr.. Colfax. at which the inter
prefer had to, of6ciate. The third and
last course consisted Of great variety of
fresh fruits; and the unique entertain
ment ended about ii o'clock, after sit.
ting of full FIVE hours. The American
resident guests furnished champagne and
clarct, and our Chinese hosts, invariably
at the entrance and departure of each dish.
invited us, with gracious bow, to sip
thereof. in the which they all faithfully
joined themselves. u. ...
r. The dinner was unquestionably a most
magnificent one after the Chinese stan
dard the dishes were many of them rare
and expensive; and everything WAS SER
we'd in elegance and taste. 1t was Gu
rous and interesting experience, and one
Of the rarest Of the many courtesies exten.
ded to Mr. Colfax on this coast. But as
TO any real gastronomlc satisfaction to be
derived from it, | certainly did not see
it," Gov Bross's fidelity to the great
principle Of "whon you are among the
Romans to do as the Romans do" led him
to take the meal seriatim, and eat of eve