The Portland daily press., 1870-12-09

Some interesting details Of how the residents
of Paris manage to live during the siege are
given in the letter of the Paris correspondent
of the London Times writing on the 14th ult
He says:
1t is not yet question of surrendering,
starving OF lighting. The croakers declare
that we are almost at the end of our provis-
ions; but they have been so long declaring this
that one has ceased to put much faith in them.
l nave oeen told, over and over again, that the
supply OF fresh meat was to fail next Monday,
ana then Thursday, and then-posltively at
me very latest-On Saturday; but 1T IS still
holding out, inexhaustible, apparently; Inc
largest restaurant in Paris was yesterday-lt
being Sunday-crowded from B to Z, and every
| body had, if may Judge from my own expe-
| rience, at least an eatabe dinner, with plenty
| of fresh meat The beet was probably horse,
| and some OF the entrees possibly cat; but still
| every body seemed to relish them, and dined
| very heartily. In fact, there is no knowing
| what you can eat until you try. hope shan't
| utterly horrify your readers, and henceforward
become a social outlaw if I confess to having
this morning eaten at one of the best restaur-
ant in Paris-rat
Ones gastrOnOmic conscience gradually
haidens, suppose, in an atmosphere of this
| kind, and so when this morning met friend
| on the Boulevards Just about breakfast time,
who asked me to come with him to Hail. Las he
! had there ordered rats, instead of at once run
down, agreed to go and just look at them
| They looked very good, served up in SAINT
with gravy and toast, and my friend pronounce
| ed them "excellent;" and so l did eat or
| rather taste, and am obliged to confess that l
should have no objection to repeat the expert
ment tomorrow. The flesh was white and
very delicate, like young rabbit, but with more
favor.
see that one journalist, calculating the
| amount of meat left in Paris, includes the ami
mails of the Jardin oes Plantes, so that one
may have chance of getting tiger-steak, or
clubbing with ones friends for a round of
| rhinoceros unless the government may seize
| upon these beasts for the public USE 1t is a
little odd that they should be allowed to live
| so long. The government can scarcely think
| them more valuable than the Palace of st.
Cloud, and now that monkeys and dogs are
| considered by epicures rather as delicacies, it
| is difficult to see what food can be found for
them which might not be eaten by human be-
lngs. There is young American lady here,
| who is just now in the depths of despair about
her dog-a splendid Siberian wolf-hound, val
ned at e100 in hard cash, and of unappreciable
value in the softer coin of sentiment. The
authorities have found him out, and declare
| that dog which eats 1-2 francs worth of food
a day cannot be allowed to live in besieged
town.. The wild beasts must, there fore, be in
considerable danger.
1t is question of the belly, nothing more
| Our beef and mutton will be exhausted in a
fortnight, perhaps sooner. Will Paris feed on
| horse, OF which there is abundance? believe
it will, and those who, like myself, VOW never
to touch horse will live on vegetables. You re-
member the story of the three children who
would not in captivity eat the flesh offered to
idols, and fed on pulse. AT the end of forty
| days they were very fat. think l could get
up in Paris the Shadrach, Meshech and Abed-
nego Club. When the siege of Paris is over
you will see us as fat as pigs on our diet of
pulse, peas, beans and lentils.
Talking of pigs, let me end this letter with
an anecdOte. L took FREUD to breakfast with
me yesterday morning at Barabants. On the
bill of fare l found cochon de lait. Now, have
many weaknesses, but all are as nothing in
comparison with my weakness for sucking pig.
/ at once said, by all means, we shall have
sucking pig" But called back the waiter
and asked him if it was real sucking pig? He
said, Truly Then 1 said, "a little pig?"
He replied, Surely" Again said, ga young
| Pig" But this question floored him, and he
hesitated: At last be confessed, ut was a
| guinea-p pig, cochin dInde." Now, L ask you
are you equal to guinea-pig?