ing-birds amongst
ancient epicures; since, after being subjected to a peculiar process
of fattening and purifying, only the legs of these animals are eaten.
Light wines, beer, sugar and water, strong coffee, and a variety of
delicious liqueurs, are drunk by the French, but they have shown
themselves capable of conforming to the English taste in a relish for
stronger potations. _Spaniards_ of all ranks, use fruit, vegetables,
fish, and olives, for their principal diet, and oil and garlic are
used plentifully in their culinary operations; chocolate is their
chief beverage, but at dinner ladies drink nothing but water, and
gentlemen a little wine. The fare of the _Portuguese_ peasantry is
meagre in the extreme, although, they are, in fact, surrounded with
the abundant luxuries of nature; a piece of black bread and a pickled
pilchard, or head of garlic, is their usual subsistence, but a salted
cod is a feast. In _Italy_, ice-water and lemonade are luxuries
essential to the existence of all classes, and the inferior ones, who
never inebriate themselves with spirituous liquors, can procure them
at a cheap rate; macaroni and fruit are chief articles of food, but
the Italians are great gourmands, and delight in dishes swimming in
oil, which, to an English ear, sounds very disgustingly; however, it
must be remembered, that oil in Italy is so pure and fresh, that it
answers every purpose of our newest butter. A gentleman who had
resided some time in this country, informs us, that by the Italians,
_puppy-broth_ was reckoned a sovereign remedy in some slight
indispositions, and that he has constantly seen in the markets young
dogs skinned for sale. Of the _Turks_, the ordinary food is rice,
sometimes boiled with gravy, and sometimes made into _pilan_; a kind
of curry composed of mutton and fowl stewed to rags, and highly
seasoned gravy. This is eaten with their fingers, since they have
neither knives nor forks, and the Koran prohibits the use of gold and
silver spoons. Coffee and sherbet are their ordinary beverages, and by
the higher classes of "the faithful," wine is drunk in private, but an
intoxication of a singular and destructive description, is produced by
opium, which the Turks chew in immoderate quantities. The food of the
_Circassians_ consists of a little meat, millet-paste, and a kind of
beer fermented from millet. The _Tartars_ are not fond of beef and
veal, but admire horse-flesh; they prefer to drink, before any thing