New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-26

!
Of chicken stewed with edible brd's-nests, and
excited not only interest, but praise. Then
came hashed pigeon, which every one agreed
would have been excellent if the bones had not
been hashed up along with the meat When fly
ing fishes wings were announced naturally
some murmurcd
oh the road to Mandalay.
Where the flyin'-fshes play.
An the dawn comes up like thunder outer China
'crost the Bay
The fish was in thin shreds and was cooked
In kind Of cream sauce, and it was good.
"GwEE KOw."
At this point the dishes began to be more
complicated and less ineligible. The next one
was said to be XII pan 0he letters have their
ordinary English sounds in this phonetic tran
script 1t was chicken stewed with various
other things. but what the other things were.
save that they probably belonged to the vegeta-
! bic kingdom. no man dared to say. The dish
which followed this was a nearly white, geat-
nous mass that excited universal suspicion.
"What is it, SAM" some asked.
"Gwee kow" was the reply.
But Yankee curiosity was not satisfied
whats II made OF"
Il don't know"
well, ask the cook"
he don't know"
The prospect not encouraging; but every
body took n little. and it was found to be edible
though practically tasteless subsequent talh
with the cook showed that he really did know
what he was cooking. but further than that It
was some part Of some sort Of fish ne was
able to cnliehten his questioners.
At this point intermission was taken for
The serving Of old white rice wine, which
the first liquid that had appeared upon the ia
BILE. A physician who was present was seen,
after tasting it, to draw a clinical thermometer
from his pocket and take its temperature The
host declared that it was very mild and indeed
| experiment showed that il would not burn but.
though the glasses were small, no one asked TO
have them refilled more than once. II was felt
that an equally good and very similar drink
could be prepared by soaking raisn5 in 80 per
cent alcohol. The wine was soon followed By
the best dish OF the dinner. This was lobste
stewed with water-nuts and other things which
could not be identified and it would bear com.
parison. as all agreed with the more familiar
Newburg.
The next dish the most mysterious Of all
It consisted Of stiff. gelatnous Jumps light yel-
low at one end and nearly black at the other
Sam said it was some sort Of meat. The cOok
afterward said it was fish. The company
promptly and unanimously named it rubber
nccks." which seemed vastly more appropriate
than "hoi shum." Sang no" indubitablS
a meat course. but Sing ghee" was a puzzle
The company took it to be scaweed. but Sam
said it was some sort of flower, and the cook
said it was 4 mushroom. The last dish.
"bouns gwee." was ragout Of shellfsh Of some
mysterious variety. with flying fishes wings,
mushrooms. water-nuts and other ingredients
which could not be guessed one characteristic
was common to nearly all Of these Dishes
| lack Of haVor-and the American barbarians
! found salt a helpful addition.
When the last course had been served tea
was passed around and the musicians went
back to their instruments. which they now
/ played with fresh enthusiasm. Soon the guests
Of both races began resretfully to remember
other engagements. and the Americans, at least,
/ went away with the comfortable feeling that
/ Sam had shown excellent judgment in the choice
Of his company and that they had themselves
been equally wise in accepting his hospitality.
/ .