Here with his much-loved Stream, his Life he leaves, important. The Cod is valuable, and when fresh supplies a palatable and good Aliment. The Whiting may be given to the weakest Digestion; the Haddock is more firm, and consequently less digestible; the Mackarel is drier, and not so Nutritive. The common Flounder and the Sole are tender, the Turbot and the Holibut more viscid. Mons. GOSSE discovered that the Solution of Skate was very tardy in the Stomach; and other Persons have found the Salmon and Sturgeon to be equally so. is "The Shell-Fish are usually deemed great Dainties, though not in general quick of Digestion; upon some Constitutions they produce Anxiety and Fever, and affording perhaps the most viscous Gluten of those three Kinds of Food, and should never be taken without Vinegar. The Crab is so heavy, that it is rarely tasted, without the Addition of Acids and Condiment. The Lobster and Shrimp are mostly used in Sauces; the Cockle is rather tasteless, and the Muscle, though more savoury, is often attended with poisonous Consequences, which, it is asserted, may be entirely prevented by well washing them, in Vinegar and Water. The Oyster a Delicacy, and vast quantities are Consumed in a raw state; they form also a very common Mixture as a Sauce to other Animal Food of an insipid Nature, both Fish, Flesh, and Fowl; they are more easily digested when raw, than dressed in any form whatever; are esteemed nourishing, without being heating, and are extremely proper in Consumptive Cases, or for People who are recovering from Sickness, where weak Stomachs will not digest Flesh Meat, &c. The ROMANS, observes Mr. WHITTAKER, in his History of MANCHESTER, first taught us the Art of fattening our Oysters in artificial Beds; the Feeding Pits being first invented about Ninety Years before CHRIST, and first constructed upon the Shore of BAIE, and even as early as the Reign of VESPASIAN, the British Oyster was deemed famous among the ROMANS, and thought worthy to be carried into ITALY"." crosses the Water to the opposite Island, the Herrings will desert the Coast. BOETIUS tells the same of some other Place. This Tradition is not Uniform. Some hold that No Woman may pass, and others that none may pass but a MACLEOD. So superstitious and ignorant were the ancient GREEKS and ROMANS, that they believed Oysters to grow fat with the two first Quarters of the Moon, and become lean with her Waning.-Ostries et conchyllis omnibus, says AULUS GELLIUS, contigit, ut cum Luna crescant pariter, pariterque decrescant: so says CICERO. GELLIUS Quotes LUCILIUS, Luna alit Ostrea. HORACE also says, nascentes implent conchylia Luna. It is true they had some Taste respecting the Relish of Oysters, and knew how to distinguish well. What says JUVENAL of the nicely discriminating Gusto of an Oyster Epicure? That he could tell at the first Taste whether they came from the Circean Rocks, the Bay of Lucrinum in CAMPANIA, OF from RICHBOROUGH, IN KENT County, in ENGLAND. . Lest the whole Breed should undistinguish'd die, Into new Ponds the little Wand'rers place; The Ponds now drain'd, the cautious Eel lies roll'd The following Rules have been given regarding the Consumption of Fish. FISH should be as fresh as possible, when tainted, even in the slightest Degree, they contain something very noxious to the Constitution; they should be Eaten quite hot, and in less Quantity, and not after other solid Food, and none, Oysters excepted, in a cold state. Fish, though alkalescent, like other sorts of Animal Food, yet as they are defective in Nutritious Qualities, they require more Condiment; thus Acids, fermented and even Spirituous Liquors, are often taken to assist their Digestion. Fish is certainly improved by the Use of Butter, yet at the same time, it must make it heavier, and hence those disagreeable Consequences arise, which render Drams necessary, and the Fish is blamed, when the Fault is in the Sauce. Of all Sea and River Fish, those are best that live in Rocky Situations, next to them, in Sandy or Gravelly Places, and in clear, sweet, and running Water, Those are bad, that are in Pools, Oozy Lakes, Marshes, and in any still muddy Water. The middle-sized Fish are most desirable, and the preferable mode of dressing, is to Broil them, secondly, to Boil them, and to Fry them is the worst. * Sero sapiunt Phryges. "The Prouerbe saieth, so long the Potte to water goes, That at the lengthe it broke returnes, which is appli'de to those, Yet, with Figge leaues at lengthe was catch'de & made the Fisshers praie." No sweeping Drag-net should the Fish alarm, Still other Arts your Leisure may employ, } *"The Glow-worme shining in a frosty Night, BRETON'S Ourania. + TO ANGLERS. "O take away that wily, treach'rous Hook! Why are the harmless tenants of the Brook (Secure, poor things, till now, amongst each other) To be of cold Barbarity the Sport? Perhaps each Fish that from the flood you court, May mourn its Parents kind-a Sister-Brother. The Boy commanded Silence with a nod, And then refusing seem'd to swim away. Now with the Current down the Stream he glides, But soon returns the Odour to regain, And winds in Circles through the liquid plain; Thus heedless Moths display their painted wings, And flutter round the Flame which sure Destruction brings. Meanwhile the Boys, attentive, scarce appear To breathe, by turns inflam'd with Hope and Fear; Now certain, now despairing of their Prize, On this alone they fix their greedy Eyes; At length Fear yields to Hunger, and the Bait He credulously swallows; the Deceit Soon by his Blood discovering, he in vain When from his Mouth the Steel he would withdraw, Deeper the Steel is rooted in his Jaw; The Fisher jerks his Rod, with nimble hand, Farewell, my Rod, and to my Lines farewell, And, dying for his injur'd Brethren, choak me." J. T. |