The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-22


fact in 1884. French refugee bore witness
chat beef and mutton. rs we'll as pork. were
but twopence n pound in Boston. and Josse-
lyn. writing in 1871. recorded that he had
bought In Boston dozen pigeons. all dressed
for threepence Johnson in his Wonder
Working Providence" says that New Eng
landerB then had apple. pear. and ounce
earts. instead OF their former pumpkin
pies They had also apple nose apple
slump, buttered apple pies, puffed apple pies
and apple crowdy. Josselyn says that tho
~quinces. cherries. and dnmsons set the danes
N-work. Marmalade and preserved damsons
are to be met with in every house" The New
England women had not forgotten the lessons
learned in their English homes. They made
not only preserves and conserves. marmalaies.
and "quiddonics, ''nut also hypo"ra nd house
hold wines. usGuebarbs. and cordnls. They
candied fruits and mado sirurs. They pre-
served everything that would bear preserving.
Including besides tho things mentioned.
plums, peaches. oranges. lemons. nrtichokes.
green walnuts. clecampane roots. eringo
roots. and barbnries. one finds recipes for
conscrves OF roses. OF violcts. OF horage flow
ers. rosemary. mint. lavender. and marjoram:
rules for making poppy water. cherry water.
thyme water, angelica water. &C. Tho pages
of Judge SewalFs diary Give many items OF
his daily fare. He speaks not only Of boiled
pork. boiled bacon. and pork and beans. but
OF boiled pigeons. boiled renson. roast beef.
roast lamb. roast fowls. roast turkey. fricassee
,offowls. 'ioll OF salmon" oy sters fish and oil.
pastry. bread ana butter mince pie apple pie.
gingerbread. suEarcd almonds. glazed al
monds. honey. curds and cream. sage cheese.
green peas. barley. chocolate. figs. oranges.
and shaddocks besides the fruits aud berries
grown in New England. An English traveller
named Bennett. who visited Boston in 114O.
was enthusiastic about the mark cts Iie says:
s'Their poultry OF all sorts IL as fine as can
be desired. and they have plenty Of fine fish OF
various kinds. all Of which are very cheap.
Take the butchers meat altogether in
every season OF the year. l believe
It Is about twopence per pound ster-
ling As good turkey may be bought for
about two shillings sterling as We can buy in
London for six or seven. and as fine goose
for tenpence as would cost three shiinGs and
eixpence or four shlIings in London. They
sell fine fresh cod that will weigh a dozen
pounds or more. lust taken out OF the sea. for
=, about twopence sterling. They have smelts.
too, which they sell rs cheap as sprats are in
London. The salmon. which they sell for about
q shilling apiece. will weigh fourteen or fifteen
pounds. They will sell as fine a haunch OF
venison for half crown rs would cost full
thirty shillings In England. Bread is much
cheaper than in England but not nearly 30
good. Butter Is worry fine. and cheaper than
i ever bought any in London: the best Is sold
all summer for threepence n pound
For many years the coonists dned exactly
at noon. and on farms half an hour earlier. On
Saturday all ate fish for dinner Judge Sew
all frequently speaks of his Saturday dinner
OF ish. Fish days had been prescribed BY the
King In England in order that the fisheries
might not fail of support. owing TO tho in
creased consumption in meat induced by the
reformation In religion. New Englandrrs
obeyed the mandate. Int ate Goldfish on Satur-
days because the Paptsts ate Ash on Fridays
As regards the method Of serving a meal In
colonial times. MI we know is that tho hasty
pudding came ilrst. for the purpose. perhaps
OF breaking the force Of tho boys appetites.
In an account OF n Sunday dinner given nj the
house OF eN-b"esidcnt John Adams. rs late rs
1917. the first course WAS II pudding Of Indian
corn. with moliases and butter; the second
course consisted OF veal. bacon. neck of NUT
ton. and vegetables. There Is. however. soma
reason to believe that New England tablos
were ess iavishiy sct forth in the first quarter
OF this century than in "the good old colony
times. when We lived undor the King"
Now England was settled by eer-drinking
and ale-drinEing race. Nothing. perhaps.
more severely tried the settlers OF Plymouth
and Massachusetts Bay than tho deprivation
OF malt liquor Bradford. tho Pilgrim Gov
ernor complained loudly Of tho privation.
while Hgginson, the Salem minister deemed
It cause for Boosting that whereas my
stomach could only digest such drink as was
both strong md stale. can. and oitentimes
do. drink New England water very we'll" The
author points out that, as HigEinson died
presently, his praise Of the unwonted beverage
docs not carry the force intended. Another
early chronicler. Roger Clap. notes with be-
wilderment that 1t WAS mot accounted n
strange thing in those days to drink water"
Wood in his New England Prospects" says
OF New England water. Il dare not prefer it
before good beer. az some have done. but any
man would choose 1t before bad beer. whey. or
buttermilk." The dearth OF malt liquors did
not long continue. for the colonists soon i'm
ported malt ana learned to make beer from
Indian corn, In 1884 an ale-Iuart OF beer
could be bought for a penny. and n landlord
was liable to ten shillinGs fine II he made a
greater charge or IL his liquor fell below GER
tain quality. So greatly had the sale OF ale
and beer extended in 1915 that Cotton Mather
said every other house in Boston was an alo
house. and a century later Gov. Pownall made
tho same assertion. At the same time Boston
The colonial New Englanders did not con-
fnv themselves by any means to ale and beer.
Other mild fermented drinks. like mead and
msthegin. were consumed in large quantities
1nJudge SewalPs diary are found references
also to cider. claret sack. canary. punch. sack
possetand black cherry brandy. Sack. however.
was passing out OF use in Sewalgs time. In 1916
Winthrop records that four ships had como
into port with eight hundred butts OF sack on
board. Canary wine was imported in large
quantities. The Wnthrops In their letters
make frequent mcntion Of canary. Caret was
mott much liked by tho coionlsts who pre-
ferred the sweet taste OF sack. Aqua-vitE. u
general name for strong waters. was brought
over In large quantities durin tho seventeenth
century and sold for about three shllings u
gallon. When. by 1870. molasses mad come to
be imported In con siderable amounts. the for.
ests OF New England supplied the fuel requisite
for converting it into the liquor called by John
Eliot "rumb" and by Josselyn that