New-York tribune., 1880-02-08

stomach is not in the full possession OF
;ts facultes at sea- If not disabled, IL
il abnormally exacting and fasddlous. l1
shudders at the display OF coarse abundance
Ii is sensitive in respect to gravy. ~
rebels outright at the spectacle OF haI-
consumed boiled leg of mutton--not preuy
sight even on land when it has reached cer-
tain stage of diapdation, and quite intoler-
able when it rolls uneasily at sea- The pas
senger who is not sick is always hungry. In
the morning he looks forward to luncheon.
| In the afternoon he thinks of dinner. AT the
table he gives his whole mind to criticism oil
the cuisine. To the great majority who' tor
at least few days, are uneasy enough
to be dainty but well enough to appear
at meals, the style of service is matter
of supreme Importance. 4 delicate morsel
prettily dished and quietly served, will tempt
the dubious appetite and stimulate the sys-
tenn; but the very aspect OF an English dlIl-
ner table, crowded with gigantic joints sod
den vegetables and congealing gravles, pas
sengers clamoring and hurrying, and stewards
scrambIing, prOvokes more sea-slckness than
perhaps the sea-sick themselves imagine.
II is by no means clear, however, that the
establishment of meals la carte Will involve
much improvement in the quality OF the rare
The English sea-cOOk is own brother to the
English hotel and eatlug-house cook. Whether
mt the cabin-table OF in the iDn-Darlor, British
dinners are pretty much alike, consisting OF
plenty of wholesome food, subjected to the
influence of fire long enough to be TIT Tor
human consumption, but not otherwise pre-
pared for the palate The great sale lot
bottled sauces in England is crushing con-
demnati0n of English cooks Those workmen
they are never artsts-depend upon the
wholesale manufacturer TO supply fiavorlng'
in quantities to suit Who that has spent Il
Summer in England does not shudder rs he
recalls the awful mOnOtOny OF the unsea-
soned hotel dinners! And when the steam
ships have their little restaurant tables Will
not the steward offer us the same unvarylng
bill of fare which n hundred head walters
have offered us in the towns OF England
Bit of sole, sir. outlet roast fowl, goose
berry tart Tr-and never q savOTy taste in
single dish?
IF the English steamship companies would
send to the Continent for cooks and chief
stewards, they would begin the reform at the
right end Nothing could be better than the
cookery aud table-seryice on the German and
French lines between New-YOrk and Bremen,
Hamburg and Havre. The owners understand
that the appetites of passengers need to be
humored and amused, az well as appeased
and they set before them every day dinner
in courses. varied and abundant without often
sive prOfusion. and above all thoroughly well
cooked and neatly served, leisurely and en-
tertaining meal which ono remembers after
wards as a part of tLe pleasures Of foreign
travel. why" asks the English paper from
which we have already quoted, " III return for
" the sailors and engineers whom we lend TO
France. should we not borrow from her the
"superative cooks of whom, above all other
"nations, she has the monopoly2 Of one thing,
" at any rate. we may be certIin-that If we
do not, the Americans will. Rich Americans
are generally gourmetS Of a nice and tasti-
"dious type and many years ago the Arago and
" the Fulton-twO United States padde-wheei
" steamers, which piled between Newly
and Hayre with great success and popularity.
" but which have long disappeared from the
ocean-showed the advantage OF committing
"to Frenchmen the culinary department OF
their vessels The consequence was that
" tue Arago and the Fulton rarely sailed from
"New-York or from Havre with firSt-class
berth empty. and everything that art and
"socitude could devise to tempt the capri
" cous appetite of lady at sea was resorted
TO on board"