Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1881-12-22

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Tie Old Testament, and vas evident.
b highly eslesmed as that which
.'strenafhenefh mans heart. The
ahewhread twelve leaves of whioh
vas one of Tie sacred offerings. placed
IA the onter court Of the Jewish sane-
.lnary. 70 remain there untouched one
day and the next to be eaten by The
prisfa only. II tlle people were dis
oheslienf and sliiI neelEsd tie Lord
Ehrsa med % break the staff Of their
~ This shows hoN imElorikat
this part Of their provision was Ia
the estimation Of the Jews.
Of all food to which civilized or
even the semi-barbarous nations have
turned for Support none has been 50
universally in use and thought so in
dispensible as this, from whatever
made or however rudeIy manufae-
tured. Many things were used that
we should decidedly object to if Of
fered to any of us in place Of the
wheat, rye or corn bread that we are
SO well acquainted with. To this
day, in countries where our grains
cannot be raised or easily procured,
the people find some substitute which
they make into bread.
Earth bread is made from q white
earth in Upper Lusatia, formerly .
part Of Germany, but now under the
rule of Prussia, and the poor Of that
region to this day use this bread in
times Of scarcity. The earth is dug
from hill where saltpetre was once
manufactured. When laid in the sun
and heated it cracks and globules,
like meal, exude from it. These are
mixed with little -four and soon fer
ment, and it is then baked. PrOba-
bly, there is some saltpetre or soda In
this earth which gives it lightness.
Something similar to it is found in Cat
alonia and also used for bread. 1t is
affirmed that in cases of extreme need
many have lived on this bread for
weeks without experiencing any inju-
ry.
Fish-bread is still used in Iceland,
Lapland, Grim -Tartary and other
places far north. The fish is dried,
then beaten to fine powder, and some
times the inner bark of some of the
trees of that region is mixed with it,
and then wet and made into bread
and cakes.
Moss-breads il much used in Ice.
land, and is considered very nutri-
tive. The ichen or reindeer moss
contains a good deal of starch. The
moss is gathered in the summer, thor
oughly dried and ground into meal,
and bread, gruels and pottage are
made from it. It is sometimes boiled
in milk or whey till it becomes jel-
ly.
Banana-bread. All classes of peo-
pie in the West Indies are fond Of
bananas, and particularly when made
into bread. The ripe fruit is rubbed
through seive and then formed into
q loaf and baked in hot ashes or dried
in the sun. Before baking it is wrap
ped in some banana leaves. 1t is
always provided by the people for
long voyages.
Plantain bread is made from the
fruit of the plantain tree. The fruit
is about foot long, two inches wide,
has thick, tough skin, containing
soft pulpy flesh, quite sweet and soon
becomes agreeable to all. The fruit
is gathered green, the skin taken off
and the pulp roasted on clear coal
fire a short time, then grated and
made into loaves and served up as
bread, or used dry like grated cheese.
The plantain is very largely cultiva-
ted in Jamaica, and is a native of
Asia. No kind of provision, it is said,
could supply the place Of plantain-
bread. TIE natives think it far pre-
ferable to wheaton bread or the pre-
pared bread-fruit from the bread tree.
Cassava bread is made from a root
called Jatropaniat, found in the Car
ribbee Islands. The juice is deadly
poison, and used by the Indians to
poison their arrows; but the bread
from the pulp Of the root after the
poison has been extracted is much
used by the natives, and also by many
others, where the root is raised. We
have eaten it at the South, and found
It quite palatable. The root is well
cleaned and scraped, finely grated,
and then put in a sack made loosely
of rushes. This is hung from cross
bar over tree, or two forked sticks,
and a heavy weight put upon the
grated pulp. with vessel beneath the
sack to receive the poisonous juice
When the pulp Is pressed dry it is
ike starch, and placed over smoke to
dry it becomes harmless. Then it is
passed through seive, and kept dry
till needed. 1t is now called cassava.
When made into bread or cake it is
baked by laying it on hot iron plates,
or on hot earth. Tapioca is made
from the finest part Of this root col
lected into irregular globules or tears,
as the natives call them by straining
the whole mass while yet moist.
Sago-bread is made from the roots
of the sago tree, which grows in the
islands Of Banda and Amboyna in
the Malay archipelago. The sago
tree is cut into small pieces. which
are bruised and beaten in a mortar
then water is poured over it. and left
undisturbed for some hours. while the
pithy matter, which is the meal OF
sago, settles. When this is accom-
plished. the water Is poured Of, and
the meal dried, then formed into cakes
or fermented and made into bread