---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 ,,ancient ,,natives ,,of ,,britain1 ,,encamped ,,near ,,colchester4 7,from a curious ,glyptic in possession of the ,author47 ,,the ,,oyster2 ,,where1 ,,how1 ,,and ,,when ,,to ,,find1 ,,breed1 ,,cook1 ,,and ,,eat ,,it4 ,illustration ,,london3 ,,tr,,bner ,,co41 #fj1 ,,paternoster ,,row4 ,,mdccclxi4 ,,london3 ,,william ,,stevens1 ,,printer1 #cg1 ,,bell ,,yard1 ,,temple ,,bar4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,in ,,season4 ,the ,r4 canon correct2 ,alimentary ,qualities of the ,oyster2 ,profitable ,investment2 ,billingsgate1 and ,london ,consumption2 ,english ,oyster-beds2 ,jersey ,oysters2 ,french ,oyster-beds on the ,coast of ,brittany #i ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,ancient ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,oyster4 ,the ,ancients2 ,oysters a ,greek and ,roman ,luxury2 ,sergius ,orata1 and the ,oyster-beds of ,baia2 ,immense ,consumption at ,rome2 ,failure of the ,circean and ,lucrinian ,oyster-beds under ,domitian1 and ,introduction of ,rutupians from ,britain2 ,agricola1 ,constantine1 and ,helena2 ,athenian ,oysters1 and ,aristides4 #ba ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,modern ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,oyster4 ,fall of the ,rutupian ,supremacy2 ,louis ,,iv4 and ,william of ,normandy2 ,conquest of ,england1 and ,revival of ,oyster-eating in ,england2 ,the ,oyster under ,legal ,protection2 ,american ,oysters #bd ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,at ,,home4 ,its ,nature1 ,colour1 and ,structure2 ,natural ,food2 ,perception of the changes of ,light2 ,uses of the ,celia2 ,fecundity and ,means of ,propagation2 ,age2 ,fossil ,oysters in ,berkshire and in the ,pacific2 ,power of ,locomotion #bh ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,in ,,its ,,new ,,settlement4 ,dredging for ,oysters2 ,oyster-beds and their formation2 ,sergius ,orata2 ,pliny the ,elder2 ,baia and the ,lucrine ,sea2 ,roman ,epicurism and ,gluttony2 ,martial and ,horace1 ,cicero and ,seneca2 ,masticate ,oysters1 and do not bolt them whole2 ,mediterranean and ,atlantic ,oysters2 ,agricola and the ,rutupians2 ,apicius ,clius1 ,trajan1 ,pliny1 and the ,vivarium #cg ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,on ,,its ,,travels4 ,the ,isle of ,sheppey1 the ,medway1 and ,whitstable2 ,milton1 ,queenborough1 ,rochester1 and ,faversham ,oysters2 ,colchester and ,essex ,beds2 ,edinburgh ,pandores and ,aberdours2 ,dublin ,carlingfords and ,powldoodies2 ,poole and its ,oyster-bank2 ,cornish ,oysters and the ,helford ,beds2 ,poor ,tyacke1 and ,how he was ,done2 ,dredgers and their ,boats2 ,auld ,reekie's ,civic ,ceremonial2 ,song of the ,oyster2 its ,voyage to ,market1 and ,journey by ,coach and ,rail #de ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,at ,,its ,,journey',s ,,end4 ,oyster ,stalls2 ,how to ,open the ,oyster2 an ,oyster ,supper2 ,beer1 ,wines1 and ,spirits2 ,roasted1 ,fried1 ,stewed1 and ,scolloped ,oysters2 ,oyster ,soup1 and ,oyster ,sauce2 ,broiled ,oysters2 ,oyster ,pie2 ,oyster ,toast2 ,oyster ,patties2 ,oyster ,powder2 ,pickled ,oysters2 ,oyster ,loaves2 ,oyster ,omelet2 ,cabbage1 ,larks1 and ,oysters2 and ,frogs and ,oysters #ed ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,and ,,the ,,doctor4 ,oyster-eating in ,prussia2 ,disgusting ,wagers2 ,oysters better than ,pills1 ,a ,universal ,remedy2 ,professional ,opinions2 ,when ,ladies should eat them2 ,repugnance overcome2 ,oysters as an ,external ,application2 ,chemical ,analysis2 ,how to tell if ,dead before ,opening #fh ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,abroad4 ,british ,oysters in ,ostend ,quarters2 the ,whitstable in a ,slow ,coach2 ,holstein1 ,schleswig1 and ,heligoland ,natives2 ,norwegian and ,bremer ,oysters2 ,american ,oysters2 ,french ,oysters2 ,dutch ,oysters2 ,mediterranean ,oysters and ,classical ,judges #ge ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,treasure ,,of ,,an ,,oyster4 ,sweet names given to ,pearls2 ,barry ,cornwall ,proctor's lines2 ,component parts of ,pearls2 ,mother-of-pearl2 ,how ,pearls are formed1 ,sorrows into ,gems2 ,their nucleus2 ,sir ,everard ,home and ,sir ,david ,brewster2 ,curious shapes and fancy ,jewellery2 ,pearl ,fisheries2 ,bahrein ,island and ,bay of ,candalchy2 ,miseries of the ,divers2 ,pearls as ,physic2 ,immense value of recorded ,pearls2 ,a ,perle for a ,prince2 ,most precious ,pearls #hb ,,the ,,oyster ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,in ,,season4 ,the ,r4 canon correct2 ,alimentary ,qualities of the ,oyster2 ,profitable ,investment2 ,billingsgate1 and ,london ,consumption2 ,english ,oyster-beds2 ,jersey ,oysters2 ,french ,oyster-beds on the ,coast of ,brittany4 ,of the ,millions who live to eat and eat to live in this wide world of ours1 how few are there who do not1 at proper times and seasons1 enjoy a good oyster4 ,it may not be an ungrateful task1 therefore1 if ,i endeavour to inform them what species of animal the little succulent shell-fish is1 that affords to man so much gastronomical enjoyment--how born and bred and nurtured2 when1 and where2 and1 lastly1 how best it may be eaten1 whether in its living and natural state1 or having undergone the ordeal of cooking by the skill of a superior artist4 ,i have oftentimes been told that it is a mere question of fastidiousness1 or fashion1 that oysters should be served for human food only at a certain fixed period of the year--those months possessing the letter r being proverbially the only months when the oyster is fit for human food4 ,why not1 such reasoners have said1 eat oysters all the year round8 ,life is short4 ,why not obtain the first of gastronomical enjoyments every month of the year and every day of the month8 ,i can in no manner go with these opinions1 either from my practical knowledge of the oyster1 or from any just reasoning4 ,i am aware that there are many good men and true1 and others calling themselves1 somewhat erroneously1 sportsmen1 beyond the white cliffs of ,britain1 who would eat an oyster on the hottest day of ,june and ,july as they would a partridge1 a pheasant1 or a salmon at any season of the year4 ,sufficient the names oyster1 partridge1 pheasant--all gastronomical delights--all to be eaten1 and by them eaten whensoever and wheresoever served1 what matters it8 ,i am also aware that in our good ,city of ,london1 in the hottest and earliest days of ,august1#a oysters are gulped down by the thousand3 it is1 nevertheless1 an error--a revolting1 unhealthy1 unclean error--which ought to be denied1 both at home and abroad1 by the strong hand of the law4 ,i1 for my part1 utterly and entirely ignore fish or fowl of the game species1 as fit for human food during the seasons of breeding2 and although an oyster may be eatable in ,august1 if the month be hot it is rarely fresh2 and what is more disgusting or more likely to be injurious to man than a stale oyster8 ,that which ,i have said1 however1 on the oyster in this little book which ,i offer to the million--for the million are interested in the subject--will1 ,i hope1 induce those who have hitherto broken through a rule strictly adhered to by all gastronomes1 to abstain in future2 and those who have hitherto enjoyed oyster-eating1 fearlessly to eat on and secure the first and foremost of all gastronomical indulgences provided for man--only in due season4 ,on the #beth of ,july1 says ,brand1 the antiquary1 being ,st4 ,james the ,apostle's ,day1 the priests of old were wont to bless apples2 and a popular belief too1 in #aehh1 though generally ignored in the more enlightened days in which we live1 was1 that whoever ate oysters on that day would not be without money for the remainder of the year4 ,this is very probable1 for without they were selected with great care1 disease and even death might follow4 ,this conjunction of apples and oysters on ,st4 ,james's ,day may have suggested ,bianca's remark in the ,taming of the ,shrew1 when comparing the resemblance of the old ,pedant to that of ,vincentio1 which she remarks was as complete as that of an oyster to an apple4 ,one must1 therefore1 take care not to eat oysters during the months of ,june and ,july1 because they are unwholesome on account of the spawning-time2 and also be careful in their selection in ,august4 ,there are instances when persons1 after having eaten oysters during these months1 have become ill1 and have even died4 ,last summer1 at ,ostend1 thirty persons were taken ill in consequence of having eaten oysters in the month of ,july4 ,they are1 during these months1 very thin1 and without taste2 in the month of ,september they become again fat and eatable1 which may be accounted for by the fact of their being self-generated4 ,the strength of the poor oysters is entirely spent in fattening themselves1 in order the more to tickle the palate of the epicure in the proper season4 ,now let us proceed to open the oyster4 ,the ,oyster6 ,the mere writing of the word creates sensations of succulence--gastronomical pleasures1 nutritive food1 easy digestion1 palatable indulgence--then go sleep in peace6 ,lobster salads1 beef and veal1 truffles and chestnuts1 all good in their way1 are1 nevertheless1 attended with evil consequences to the human frame4 ,but oysters--ye pleasant companions of the midnight hours1 or the mid-day feast2 is there a man1 woman or child in all ,europe--ay1 or in ,asia1 ,africa1 or ,america--who does not owe you a debt of gratitude which they repay to the full by the enjoyment of your society tte--tte8 ,you are eaten raw and alive1 cooked and scolloped1 in sauce and without sauce4 ,true1 true1 oh oyster6 thou art the best beloved of the loved6 ,the oyster1 when eaten moderately1 is1 without contradiction1 a wholesome food1 and one of the greatest delicacies in the world4 ,it contains much nutritive substance1 which is very digestive1 and produces a peculiar charm and an inexplicable pleasure4 ,after having eaten oysters we feel joyous1 light1 and agreeable--yes1 one might say1 fabulously well4 ,he who has eaten for the first time oysters is best enabled to judge of this2 for1 soon after having eaten them1 he will experience a sensation he never felt before1 and never had an idea of4 ,this sensation scarcely remains with people who eat oysters every day2 it is more practically felt when oysters are eaten for breakfast or before dinner1 although they are also very wholesome in the evening1 when taken moderately4 ,gourmets and epicures eat the oyster in its natural state1 except that the beard is taken away4 ,in ,england it is eaten with pepper1 in ,holland with vinegar1 in ,germany frequently with lemon-juice2 but ,i am of the opinion1 and am convinced1 that when taken with the liquor they still contain1 they are more digestible and more tasty4 ,the opinion that this fluid is salt water1 is an error2 it is the white blood of the oyster itself1 which it emits when injured in having its upper shell broken off4 ,if it were sea-water1 it would have a disagreeable bitter taste1 and cause sickness2 but as this does not take place1 but on the contrary gives a fine taste to the oyster1 the error is evident4 ,the error appears to arise from the fact that unconscientious oyster dealers wash the oysters with salt and water in order to give them a better appearance1 as they say4 ,the oyster1 says a writer in ,no4 #hbd of the ,family ,herald--that most agreeable of all window-seat books--is a species of food combining the most precious alimentary qualities4 ,its meat is soft1 firm1 and delicate4 ,it has sufficient flavour to please the taste1 but not enough to excite to surfeit4 ,through a quality peculiar to itself1 it favours the intestinal and gastric absorption1 mixing easily with other food2 and1 assimilating with the juices of the stomach1 it aids and favours the digestive functions4 ,there is no other alimentary substance1 not even excepting bread1 which does not produce indigestion under certain given circumstances1 but oysters never4 ,this is a homage due to them4 ,they may be eaten to-day1 to-morrow1 for ever1 in profusion2 indigestion is not to be feared1 and we may be certain that no doctor was ever called in through their fault4 ,of course we except cooked oysters4 ,besides their valuable digestive qualities1 oysters supply a recipe not to be despised in the liquor they contain4 ,it is produced by the sea-water they have swallowed1 but which1 having been digested1 has lost the peculiar bitterness of salt water4 ,this oyster-water is limpid1 and slightly saline in taste4 ,far from being purgative1 like sea-water1 it promotes digestion4 ,it keeps the oysters themselves fresh1 prolongs their life for some time until it is destroyed in our stomachs1 or until the oyster has been transformed into a portion of ourselves4 ,the degree of importance which different persons attach to matters connected with the world in which we live1 depends1 of course1 in a great measure1 on the manner in which they view them4 ,one person considers a loving wife1 and four hundred a year1 wealth and happiness2 another would be miserable without four thousand1 and could dispense with the wife4 ,some consider a post with five thousand a year a tolerable means of existence2 others a commissionership with twelve hundred4 ,some seek a good consulship2 others1 till they have travelled from ,st4 ,petersburg and back in a telega1 or sledge1 half a dozen times during mid-winter1 use the interest1 which in other days would have secured a snug governorship1 even in the ,island of ,barataria1 to obtain a queen's messenger's place4 ,at least so it used to be4 ,whether competitive examinations will lead to our having the right man in the right place1 the round pegs in round holes1 and the square pegs in square ones1 still remains to be seen4 ,and so is it with most things in life1 whether personal or gastronomical4 ,different men are of different opinions2 some like apples1 and some like--onions2 but ,i have scarcely ever yet met with the man who has refused a thoroughly good oyster4 ,there is not a man1 however unobservant1 but knows that oysters are a great source of profit to some of that multitude which rises every morning without knowing exactly how1 when1 and where it shall dine4 ,billingsgate in the oyster season is a sight and a caution4 ,boats coming in loaded2 porters struggling with baskets and sacks2 early loungers looking on--it is so pleasant to see other people work--buyers and cheapeners1 the fish salesman in his rostrum1 the wealthy purchaser who can lay out his hundreds and buy his thousands--all to be met with1 together with that noise and bustle1 and1 far beyond it1 all that incredible earnestness which always distinguishes an ,english market4 ,oysters1 says ,dryasdust1 in his very useful commercial work--in which1 however1 he makes alarming mis-statements--oysters are consumed in ,london in incredible quantities1 and notwithstanding their high price1 are largely eaten by the middle and lower classes6 ,thanking ,dryasdust for his information1 and being one of the great middle class ourselves1 we can safely assert that oysters are not high in price4 ,fancy being able to purchase twelve succulent dainties for one six-pence at ,ling's or ,quin's1 at ,proctor's or ,pim's1 or any other celebrated shell-fish shop6 ,twelve lumps of delight1 as the ,mussulman--not mussel man--calls his sweetmeats6 and then fancy ,dryasdust saying that they are high in price6 ,oh shame1 where is thy blush6 ,a farm of four acres1 if well handled1 may give occupation1 and even bring pecuniary gain1 to the possessor4 ,a garden1 for those who thoroughly understand and enjoy it1 may secure untold pleasures1 and perhaps help to pay the rent of the cottage4 ,but an oyster-bed is a pleasure--an el dorado--a mine of wealth1 in fact1 which fills the owners' pockets with gold1 and affords to the million untold gastronomical enjoyment and healthy food4 ,on the money part of the question1 the ,scientific and ,useful column of ,number #hbe of the ,family ,herald furnishes the following information3 ,a very interesting report has been recently made to the ,french ,government on the results of experiments made for the improvement of oyster-beds4 ,the locality chosen was the ,bay of ,st4 ,brieux1 on the coast of ,brittany4 ,between ,march and ,may1 #ahei1 about #c1jjj1jjj oysters1 taken from different parts of the sea1 were distributed in ten longitudinal beds in the above bay4 ,the bottom was previously covered with old oyster shells and boughs of trees arranged like fascines4 ,to these the young oysters attach themselves1 and so fruitful are the results that one of the fascines was found at the end of six months to have no less than #bj1jjj young oysters on it4 ,the report further states that #ab1jjj hectares may be brought into full bearing in three years at an annual expense not exceeding #aj1jjj francs4 ,m4 ,laviciare1 ,commissary of the ,maritime ,inscription1 in his #ahfj report to ,m4 ,coste1 of the success of these operations in the ,bay of ,st4 ,brieux1 states that a recent examination has fully and satisfactorily proved the advantageous results obtained on the five banks which have been laid down1 and which have exceeded the most sanguine expectations4 ,three fascines1 which were taken up indiscriminately from one of the banks formed in ,june1 #ahei1 contained about #bj1jjj oysters each1 of from one inch to two inches in diameter4 ,the total expense for forming the above bank was #bba;f42 and if the #cjj fascines laid down on it be multiplied by #bj1jjj1 #fjj1jjj oysters will be obtained1 which1 if sold at #bj;f4 a thousand1 will produce #abj1jjj;f4 ,if1 however1 the number of oysters on each fascine were to be reckoned at only #aj1jjj1 the sum of #fj1jjj;f4 would be received1 which1 for an expenditure of only #bba;f4 would give a larger profit than any other known branch of industry4 ,but the breeding and fattening of the ,london oyster has long been a lucrative branch of trade1 of which ,cockaine may well be proud4 ,it is carried on contagious to ,london1 as ,mrs4 ,malaprop would say--principally in ,essex and ,kent4 ,the rivers ,crouch1 ,blackwater1 and ,colne are the chief breeding places in the former1 and the channel of the ,swale and the ,medway in the latter4 ,these are contiguous to ,milton2 hence ,dibdin's song1 and hence also the corruption of melting hoysters2 melting they are too4 ,the corruption is classical1 so let it stand4 ,exclusive of oysters bred in ,essex and ,kent1 vast numbers are brought from ,jersey1 ,poole1 and other places along the coast1 and are fattened in beds4 ,the export of oysters from ,jersey alone is very considerable1 having amounted on an average of the four years ending with #ahcbb to #bjh1jcb bushels a year4 ,the ,jersey fishing then employed1 during the season1 about #aejj men1 #ajjj women and children1 and #bej boats4 ,think of this1 ye oyster-eaters6 ,think that ye are doing--such is the wise ordination of an overruling ,providence--some good when you are swallowing your ante-prandial oyster1 and are giving employment to some portion of those #cjjj people who work for you at ,jersey1 besides helping to feed the cold-fingered fishmonger1 who1 with blue apron and skilful knife1 tempts you to ,hanother dazzen1 sir8 ,of the quantity of oysters consumed in ,london we cannot give even an approximate guess4 ,it must amount to millions of bushels4 ,fancy1 if you can1 also1 that curiously courteous exchange which goes on every ,christmas between our oyster-eating country cousins and our turkey and goose-loving ,londoners4 ,to the man ,who hath been long in city pent1 ',tis very sweet to gaze upon the fair ,and open brow of heaven2--to breathe a prayer ,full in the face of the blue firmament-- sings ,john ,keats4 ,oh1 if he had been but an oyster-eater1 that article from the ,quarterly1 savage and slaughterly1 would not have killed him2 but it is also very sweet to gaze upon a turkey1 a leash of birds1 a brace of pheasants1 and1 as ,mrs4 ,tibbetts hath it1 a real country hare4 ,such a present is promptly repaid by a fine cod packed in ice1 and two barrels of oysters4 ,how sweet are these when eaten at a country home1 and opened by yourselves1 the barrel being paraded on the table with its top knocked out1 and with the whitest of napkins round it1 as we shall presently have occasion to show4 ,how sweet it is1 too1 to open some of the dear natives for your pretty cousin1 and to see her open her sweet little mouth about as wide as ,lesbia's sparrow did for his lump of--not sugar1 it was not then invented--but lump of honey6 ,how sweet it is1 after the young lady has swallowed her half dozen1 to help yourself6 ,the oyster never tastes sweeter than when thus operated on by yourself1 so that you do not job the knife into your hand6 ,true labour has a dignity about it4 ,the only time when ,i1 who have seen most people1 from ,tom ,thumb to the ,benicia ,boy1 from ,madame ,doche to the ,empress ,eugenie1 and from manly1 sea-going ,prince ,alfred to the ,staleybridge ,infant and ,jemmy ,shaw's ,spider--the only time1 ,i say1 that ,i have ever seen a nobleman look like a nobleman1 was when a noble duke1 a peer not only of ,england and ,scotland1 but of la belle ,france also1 owned that he could do two things better than most people1 and that was1 open oysters and polish his own boots4 ,i1 like ,othello1 when he upbraided ,iago for the last time1 looked down to his feet1 but found that it was no fable4 ,so important is our illustrious bivalve as an article of trade1 that it is protected by law4 ,it is said that the only two things that ,george the ,fourth ever did--the great ,georgius1 whom ,mr4 ,thackeray envies and satirises--were to invent a shoe-buckle and an exquisite hair-dye4 ,the brains of the black ,brunswicker could do no more4 ,but there is one act also--an ,act of ,parliament#c--which was passed in his reign1 for which he is to be thanked4 ,the man who was at once the ,lucullus and ,apicius of his times must have had some hand in the framing of that ,act4 ----- ,footnote #a3 ,the common ,colchester and ,faversham oysters are brought to market on the #eth of ,august4 ,they are called ,common oysters1 and are picked up on the ,french coast1 and then transferred to those beds2 the ,milton1 or1 as they are commonly called1 the melting ,natives1 the true ,rutupians1 do not come in till the beginning of ,october1 continue in season till the #abth of ,may1 and approach the meridian of their perfection about ,christmas4 ,the denizens from ,france are not to be compared to ,british ,native oysters1 which are so called because they are born1 bred1 and fed in this country4 ,these do not come to perfection till they are four years old4 ,footnote #b3 ,the exportation has by this time nearly doubled1 but these are the latest statistics we can arrive at4 ,footnote #c3 ,see page #be4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,ancient ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,oyster4 ,the ,ancients2 ,oysters a ,greek and ,roman ,luxury2 ,sergius ,orata and the ,oyster-beds of ,baia2 ,immense ,consumption at ,rome2 ,failure of the ,circean and ,lucrinian ,oyster-beds under ,domitian1 and ,introduction of ,rutupians from ,britain2 ,agricola1 ,constantine1 and ,helena2 ,athenian ,oysters and ,aristides4 ,horace1 ,martial1 and ,juvenal1 ,cicero and ,seneca1 ,pliny1 tius1 and the old ,greek doctor ,oribasius1 whom ,julian the ,apostate delighted to honour1 and other men of taste amongst the ancients1 have enlarged upon the various qualities of the oyster2 and was it not to ,sergius ,orata that we owe our present oyster-beds2 for he it was who introduced layers or stews for oysters at ,baia1 the ,brighton of ancient ,rome1 as we have them at present4 ,that was in the days when luxury was rampant1 and when men of great wealth1 like ,licinius ,crassus1 the leviathan slave merchant1 rose to the highest honours2 for this dealer in human flesh in the boasted land of liberty1 served the office of consul along with ,pompey the ,great1 and on one occasion required no less than #aj1jjj tables to accommodate all his guests4 ,how many barrels of oysters were eaten at that celebrated dinner1 the ,ephemerides--as ,plutarch calls ,the ,times and ,morning ,post of that day--have omitted to state2 but as oysters then took the place that turtle-soup now does at our great ,city feeds1 imagination may busy itself if it likes with the calculation4 ,all we know is1 that oysters then fetched very long prices at ,rome1 as the author of the ,tabella ,cibaria has not failed to tell us2 and then1 as now1 the high price of any luxury of the table was sure to make a liberal supply of it necessary1 when a man like ,crassus entertained half the city as his guests1 to rivet his popularity4 ,but the ,romans had a weakness for the breedy creatures1 as our dear old friend ,christopher ,north calls them in his inimitable ,noctes4 ,in the time of ,nero1 some sixty years later1 the consumption of oysters in the ,imperial ,city was nearly as great as it now is in the ,world's ,metropolis2 and there is a statement1 which ,i recollect to have read somewhere1 that during the reign of ,domitian1 the last of the twelve ,csars1 a greater number of millions of bushels were annually consumed at ,rome than ,i should care to swear to4 ,these oysters1 however1 were but ,mediterranean produce--the small fry of ,circe1 and the smaller ,lucrinians2 and this unreasonable demand upon them quite exhausted the beds in that great fly-catcher's reign2 and it was not till under the wise administration of ,agricola in ,britain1 when the ,romans got their far-famed ,rutupians from the shores of ,kent1 from ,richborough and the ,reculvers--the ,rutupi ,portus of the ,itinerary1 of which the latter1 the ,regulbium1 near ,whitstable1 in the mouth of the ,thames1 was the northern boundary--that ,juvenal praised them as he does2 and he was right3 for in the whole world there are no oysters like them2 and of all the breedy creatures that glide1 or have ever glided down the throats of the human race1 our ,natives are probably the most delectable4 ,can we wonder1 then1 when ,macrobius tells us that the ,roman pontiffs in the fourth century never failed to have these ,rutupians at table1 particularly1 feeling sure that ,constantine the ,great1 and his mother1 the pious ,helena1 must have carried their ,british tastes with them to ,rome at that period4 ,the ,greeks have not said much in praise of oysters2 but then they knew nothing of ,britain beyond its name1 and looked upon it very much in the same light as we now regard the regions of the ,esquimaux2 and as to the little dabs of watery pulps found in the ,mediterranean1 what are they but oysters in name8 ,indeed1 the best use the ,athenians could make of them was to use their shells to ostracise any good citizen who1 like ,aristides1 was too virtuous for a ,greek4 ,however1 on the plea that oysters are oysters1 we presume--for it could not be on account of their flavour--oysters1 says the author of the ,tabella ,cibaria1 were held in great esteem by the ,athenians4 ,no doubt when ,constantine moved the seat of the ,empire from ,rome to ,constantinople1 he did not forget to have his ,rutupians regularly forwarded2 so1 perhaps1 after all it was our ,natives1 which thus found their way into ,greece1 that they delighted in2 and if so1 the good taste of the ,athenians need not be called into question2 but1 as in literature and the arts1 in oyster-eating too1 it deserves to be held up to commendation4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,modern ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,oyster4 ,fall of the ,rutupian ,supremacy2 ,louis ,,iv4 and ,william of ,normandy2 ,conquest of ,england1 and ,revival of ,oyster-eating in ,england2 ,the ,oyster under ,legal ,protection2 ,american ,oysters4 ,with the fall of the ,empire came also the fall of the ,rutupian supremacy2 and even the ,roman ,britons1 driven into ,brittany and the mountains of ,wales by their truculent ,saxon persecutors1 had to forego these luxuries of the table1 unless1 perhaps1 ,prince ,arthur and his knights may now and then have opened a bushel when they were seated over their wine in that free and easy circle1 which has become so celebrated as to have formed a literature of its own4 ,from the fourth century1 to which ,macrobius brought us1 to the reign of ,louis ,,iv4 of ,france1 the history of the oyster is a blank2 but that king revived the taste for our favourite1 and during his captivity in ,normandy brought it again into request with his conqueror1 ,duke ,william2 so1 when the ,normans invaded ,england under ,william the ,conqueror--the descendant of that ,duke ,william1 little more than a century later--they were not long in finding out how much ,kentish and ,essex oysters were preferable to those of ,france4 ,since then the ,oyster has held its own against all comers1 as one of the most welcome accessories to the table of rich and poor1 and has been protected in his rights and immunities by various ,acts of ,parliament4 ,in the month of ,may oysters cast their spawn1 says an old writer in the ,transactions of the ,royal ,society1 which the dredgers call spat1 and this spawn cleaves to stones1 old oyster-shells1 pieces of wood1 and other substances at the bottom of the sea1 which is called cultch4 ,during that month1 by the law of the ,admiralty ,court1 the dredgers have liberty to take every kind of oyster1 whatsoever be its size4 ,when they have taken them they gently raise with a knife the small brood from the cultch1 and then they throw the cultch in again1 to preserve the ground for the future1 unless they are so newly spat1 that they cannot be safely severed from the cultch1 in which case they are permitted to take the stone or shell1 which the spat is upon1 one shell having often twenty spats4 ,after the month of ,may1 it is felony to carry away the cultch1 and punishable to take any other oysters except those of the size of a half-crown piece1 or such as when the two shells are shut will admit of a shilling to rattle between them4 ,these brood and other oysters are carried to creeks of the sea1 and thrown into the channel1 which are called their beds or layers1 where they grow and fatten1 and in two or three years oysters of the smallest brood reach the standard size4 ,the property in oyster beds is defined by the #g #h ,george ,,iv41 c4 #bi1 s4 #cf1 which makes it larceny for any person to steal any oyster or oyster brood from any oyster bed belonging to another person1 if such bed is sufficiently marked out and known as such2 and even the attempt to take either oysters or oyster brood from such an oyster bed1 though none be actually disturbed1 is a misdemeanor1 punishable by fine or imprisonment1 or both1 though nothing is to prevent the fishing for floating fish within the limits of any oyster fishery4 ,the ,admiralty ,court also imposes great penalties upon those who do not destroy a fish1 which they call ,fivefingers 7the crossfish1 or common starfish of our coasts71 because it is supposed that that fish gets into the oysters when they gape1 and sucks them out4 ,that it is injurious to oyster beds may be true2 for its food1 in part1 consists of mollusks4 ,it does not1 however1 walk into the oyster bodily1 as the ,admiralty ,court suggests1 but rather appears to overpower its prey by applying some poisonous secretion1 and pouting out the lobes of the stomach1 so as to convert them into a kind of proboscis1 and thus suck the mollusks from their shells4 ,the reason of the penalty for destroying the cultch is that the ouse then will increase1 and mussels and cockles will breed there and destroy the oysters1 because they have no convenience for depositing their spat4 ,hence1 mud and sea-weeds are extremely injurious to the breedy creatures' propagation and increase2 for no less than starfish1 cockles1 and mussels1 other enemies amongst shellfish and crustaceous animals1 particularly crabs and scollops1 eagerly devour the oyster1 when they can capture it4 ,in ,america1 where the quality of the native oyster1 though little inferior to the larger species of ,britain1 is greatly over-rated1 the legislature is now called upon to make a similar provision for its protection against its greatest enemy1 man4 ,it has been estimated1 says a correspondent in ,no4 #gfi of the ,family ,herald1 that the ,state of ,virginia possesses an area of about #a1fhj1jjj acres of oyster beds1 containing about #ghd1jjj1jjj bushels of oysters4 ,it is also stated that the mother oyster spawns annually at least #c1jjj1jjj2 yet1 notwithstanding this enormous productive power1 and the vast extent of oyster beds1 there is danger of the oyster being exterminated unless measures are adopted to prevent fishermen from taking them at improper seasons of the year4 ,it is therefore proposed to have either a flotilla of four steamboats employed to protect the oyster beds from piratical intruders1 or to farm out the oyster beds to private contractors to do with them as they please4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,at ,,home4 ,its ,nature1 ,colour1 and ,structure2 ,natural ,food2 ,perception of the changes of ,light2 ,uses of the ,cilia2 ,fecundity and ,means of ,propagation2 ,age2 ,fossil ,oysters in ,berkshire and in the ,pacific2 ,power of ,locomotion4 ,the ,oyster belongs to those ,mollusks which are headless1 having their gills in the form of membranous plates1 and are named ,lamellibranchiata1 from the ,latin word ,lamella1 a plate2 or ,conch1 the ,latin name for the whole family of oyster1 scollop1 cockle1 mussel1 and other well-known bivalves4 ,properly speaking1 only six kinds are fit to take part in the gastromal treat1 to say nothing of the sanitary advantages the family are good enough to provide for the world at large4 ,these six peculiar and most agreeable aristocrats all belong to the family of the common oyster1 ,ostrea edulis1 by far the most important tribe1 and in fact1 that in behalf of whose meritorious qualities ,i have more particularly taken up my pen4 ,the oyster bears different names in accordance to the localities in which it is found1 whether on rocky ground1 mud1 or sand1 and has different colours in different places4 ,in ,spain1 oysters are found of a red and russet colour2 in ,illyria they are brown1 but the fish is black1 and in the ,red ,sea1 of the colours of the rainbow4 ,the green oyster1 the ,parisian delicacy1 is brought from ,brittany2 but the same flavour and colour can be produced by putting oysters into pits where the water is about three feet deep in the salt marshes1 and where the sun has great power4 ,in these they become green in three or four days2 for these colours are derived from the elementary substance on which they feed2 not1 however1 that it produces any peculiar difference as to flavour4 ,i may1 however1 as well decide at once that the green oyster is1 to my taste1 the oyster par excellence1 in which decision ,i shall doubtless be borne out by most gourmets whose knowledge extends to a choice of the good things of this life4 ,i know1 in this1 some of my friends north of the ,tweed may differ1 and1 if still living1 amongst them ,i should have had to include ,professor ,wilson1 so long the very life and soul of oyster-suppers and whisky-toddy4 ,but nobody can judge of the true flavour of an oyster without well masticating his delicious food2 and1 by his own showing1 both he and the ,shepherd bolted their ,pandores4 ,these same ,pandores1 by the way1 are large fat oysters1 much relished in modern ,athens1 which are said to owe their superior excellence to the brackish contents of the pans of the adjacent salt-works of ,prestonpans flowing out upon the beds4 ,taken away young and transferred to the ,ostend beds1 these ,pandores furnish the very best oysters to be met with on the ,continent1 surpassing even the far-famed ones of ,flensburg1 in ,holstein4 ,had ,christopher ,north tickled the fish first to death with his incisors before he swallowed it1 ,i might have submitted my judgment to his2 but how can a man who bolted his food be quoted as an authority in matters of taste8 ,at best1 his must have been but an after-taste1 a mere bilious reminder of what the repast had been1 in which the whisky played as prominent a part as the breedy creatures themselves4 ,illustration ,but let us return4 ,the lower shell 7997 of the oyster is concave1 the upper flat4 ,these shells are opened and closed by the medium of a strong muscle acting upon a hinge 771 far more complete in its structure than ever locksmith could produce1 even at the forthcoming ,exhibition of all ,nations4 ,on the outside of the shell1 when placed in a dark place1 we may often observe a shining matter of blueish light1 like a flame of brimstone1 which sticks to the fingers when touched1 and continues shining and giving light for a considerable time1 though without any sensible heat4 ,this light is produced by three varieties of minute animalcules1 most interesting when examined under the microscope4 ,the oyster possesses an organ of respiration similar to that of a fish--branchi or gills1 in fact 7br71 which are fringed by a mantle or beard divided into two lobes 7m71 filled up by small membranous fibres which terminate in the mouth 7b71 in the form of rays1 serving the animal also with power to catch and eat4 ,unlike other shelled mussels the oyster has no feet2 thus it is unable to make any other voluntary movement1 save that of opening and closing its shell1 as already named1 in order to receive its food1 which consists principally of small microscopical spores and young shoots of marine plants1 made soft and thin by the action of the waves2 whence arise the green beards or mantles4 ,with some difficulty ,i have been enabled to separate a small portion of this vegetation from the mantle of an oyster1 and having placed it under a strong microscope1 discovered sea weed1 of precisely the same species as that in which oysters are packed4 ,they also feed on an infusion of sea worms called oyster animalcules4 ,these are very accurately described in the ,journal des ,savans1 by ,m4 ,auzout4 ,some are irridescent1 but others are not1 and good specimens of all may be secured immediately the oyster has been taken from the sea4 ,by means of the beard or mantle described 7m71 the oyster secures his food1 bringing it gradually1 by means of little hooks bent inwards1 to its mouth 7b71 wherein it is crushed and slowly consumed4 ,the stomach 7i7 is situated near the mouth1 and all the organs are very simple4 ,the mantle 7m and m'7 above-named replaces the lungs4 ,the liver 7f7 is small2 the gall1 comparatively speaking1 large2 the larger blood vessels little rarefied4 ,the heart 7h7 consists of two cameras at a tolerable distance from one another1 resembling small round bladders4 ,the pulse beats rather slowly 7caused by1 perhaps1 the want of food and sea water74 ,from the stomach the rectum 7a7 leads directly to the anus4 ,how digestion is effected in this short and simple way1 ,i can scarce venture to assert4 ,but it is a fact well known1 that1 after the spawning season1 the oyster becomes thin1 but a very short time enables it to recover its fat and succulence4 ,on examining the oyster the mantle 7m71 divided into two lobes 7m and m'71 the edges of which are fringed1 will be perceived filling the greater part of the shell2 also four membranous leaves crossed with stripes1 which at their hinder extremities have as many capillary tubes4 ,these leaves1 or veins1 unequally divided around the edges of the body perform the functions of the lungs1 and separate from the water the necessary air for the maintenance of the animal4 ,the mouth 7b7 is a kind of trunk1 or long aperture surrounded by four lips nearly resembling those of a gill1 but far shorter4 ,behind the muscles is to be seen a large fleshy white and cylindrical substance moving on a central muscle1 and containing the stomach and intestines 7i74 ,this part resembles the trunk of other conch1 but it has no power of opening or contracting4 ,the canal of the intestines is situated on the top of the muscle 7a74 ,the oyster has circular vessels1 on the bottom of which are to be seen deep muscular cavities1 occupying the place of the heart 7h71 and sending their moisture to the small skin through which they come in contact with the water or the air4 ,in his ,outline of the ,animal ,kingdom1 ,professor ,rymer ,jones most happily describes all these peculiarities4 ,wonderful indeed is the elaborate mechanism1 are his words1 employed to effect the double purpose of renewing the respired fluid and feeding the helpless inhabitants of these shells6 ,every filament of the branchial fringe1 examined under a powerful microscope1 is found to be covered with countless cilia in constant vibration1 causing1 by their united efforts1 powerful and rapid currents1 which1 sweeping over the surface of the gills1 hurry towards the mouth whatever floating animalcules1 or nutritious particles1 may be brought within the limits of their action1 and thus bring streams of nutritive molecules to the very aperture through which they are conveyed to the stomach1 the lips and labial fringes acting as sentinels to admit or refuse entrance1 as the matter may be of a wholesome or pernicious character4 ,nature1 too1 has given the oyster a sensitive perception of the changes of light as the means of its protection from the many enemies it has to contend with2 for if the shadow of an approaching boat is thrown forward so as to cover it1 it closes the valves of its shell before any undulation of the water can have reached it4 ,this sensitiveness is easily studied in the marine vivary1 where the oyster1 with its beautiful cilia1 more beautiful by far than the richest lace of a bride's wedding dress1 is always an object of great interest4 ,the oyster is an hermaphrodite animal1 and hence its propagation is effected by self-produced eggs1 which it bears within in the form of a greenish milky juice which it casts as spat in ,may1 and which1 as has already been stated1 in this country is protected by wise and prudent acts of the ,legislature4 ,the liquor in the lower shell of the oyster1 says a writer in ,no4 #ehg of the ,family ,herald1 if viewed through a microscope1 will be found to contain multitudes of small oysters1 covered with shells and swimming nimbly about--#abj of which extend about an inch6 ,besides these young oysters1 the liquor contains a variety of animalcules4 ,indeed1 with the aid of a microscope one million of young have been discovered in a single oyster4 ,guarded by their two tender shells1 these swim freely in the sea when ejected by the parent oyster1 until1 by means of a glutinous substance1 they fix themselves so fast to some object that they can be separated only by force4 ,these young are very soon able to produce others1 many say at four months after their birth4 ,when the oyster attains the size of a crown the shell is still very tender and thin2 it is only after the second1 third1 or fourth year that it becomes fit for human food4 ,if we cannot answer the ,fool's question in ,lear1 and tell how an oyster makes his shell1 we can1 nevertheless1 tell by his shell what is his age4 ,a ,london oysterman1 says a correspondent of ,no4 #fbc of the ,family ,herald1 can tell the ages of his flock to a nicety4 ,the age of an oyster is not to be found out by looking into its mouth4 ,it bears its years upon its back4 ,everybody who has handled an oyster-shell must have observed that it seemed as if composed of successive layers or plates overlapping each other4 ,these are technically termed 'shoots' and each of them marks a year's growth2 so that1 by counting them1 we can determine at a glance the year when the creature came into the world4 ,up to the time of its maturity1 the shoots are regular and successive2 but after that time they become irregular1 and are piled one over the other1 so that the shell becomes more and more thickened and bulky4 ,judging from the great thickness to which some oyster-shells have attained1 this mollusk is capable1 if left to its natural changes unmolested1 of attaining a great age4 ,indeed1 fossil oysters have been seen1 of which each shell was nine inches thick1 whence they may be concluded to have been more than #ajj years old4 ,for the most part the offspring remains near the mother1 which accounts for the large oyster banks or beds which are found in almost all the seas of the temperate and torrid zones1 and which in some places have been known to attain such magnitude as to cause ships to be wrecked upon them4 ,the lower stratum is necessarily lifeless1 being pressed upon by the upper one1 so that the oysters beneath are unable to open themselves1 and are consequently deprived of food4 ,the immense propagation of the oyster may be understood from the fossil oyster bed near ,reading1 in ,berkshire4 ,these fossils have the entire shape1 figure1 and are of the same substance as our recent oyster-shells1 and yet must have lain there from time immemorial4 ,this bed occupies about six acres1 forming a stratum of about two feet in thickness4 ,but the largest fossil oyster banks are those raised by earth-quakes along the western shores of ,south ,america1 which measure from sixty to eighty feet in depth1 are often forty miles in length1 and in many places stretch above two miles into the interior4 ,the ,abb ,dicquemare1 fond of trying experiments in the spread of gastronomy1 even to the stewing a mess of ,gemmace1 the ,gems of our water-vivaries1 till they had something of the flavour of oysters1 asserts that1 when in a state of liberty1 oysters can move from one place to another by suddenly admitting sea water into the shell1 which they are able to open and shut with extraordinary power and rapidity1 whereby they produce a strange sound2 and this observation has been confirmed by other naturalists1 and is recorded as an ascertained fact in several books of natural science4 ,in like manner they defend themselves against smaller animals1 especially against the spider crab1 which constantly tries to penetrate into their half open shells4 ,much natural instinct or foresight is also attributed to the oyster2 in proof of which ,i may name that1 when in a position which is exposed to the variations of the tide1 oysters seem to be aware that they remain for some hours without water1 and consequently provide it within their shells4 ,this makes such oysters far more fit to be conveyed to a distance1 than those taken nearer to the shore1 which evacuate the water1 thus exposing themselves to the heat of the sun1 the cold1 or an attack from their enemies2 and this1 too1 is the reason why ,colchester or ,pyfleet oysters1 packed at the beds1 are in such request4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,in ,,its ,,new ,,settlement4 ,dredging for ,oysters2 ,oyster-beds and their formation2 ,sergius ,orata2 ,pliny the ,elder2 ,baia and the ,lucrine ,sea2 ,roman ,epicurism and ,gluttony2 ,martial and ,horace1 ,cicero and ,seneca2 ,masticate ,oysters1 and do not bolt them whole2 ,mediterranean and ,atlantic ,oysters2 ,agricola and the ,rutupians2 ,apicius ,clius1 ,trajan1 ,pliny1 and the ,vivarium4 ,the ,oyster does not leave his home like the duckling1 upon the call of come here and be killed4 ,if he is wanted1 like ,mrs4 ,glasse's hare1 we must first catch him4 ,this is done by dredging1 and this dredging for oysters is performed by means of rakes and scrapers1 on which is fastened a bag of sail-cloth1 leather1 or net-work4 ,these are lowered into the sea by means of ropes and chains1 and are dragged along its bottom by boats in full sail1 or by rowing-boats4 ,when the net or scraper is drawn to the surface1 the oysters are immediately separated from all else which may be swept up4 ,these oysters are then stowed away and sent up to market in due course4 ,but it is not of these that are formed the new settlements or oyster-beds1 which ,i am about to describe4 ,these oyster-beds are cavities or reservoirs which communicate with the sea by means of canals1 and are placed in such manner that the level beds remain dry when the tide is high4 ,these beds are made with sand-stones or other hewn stones2 and the water is kept in or let out at low tide by means of locks1 or traps1 as may be most readily effected4 ,at some periods1 however1 the water is kept in for many days1 or even weeks together4 ,in the latter case the oyster becomes1 for the most part1 very tender1 and green and fat1 because the stagnant water promotes the germination of those microscopical spores of marine plants1 which always abound in natural sea-water1 and upon which it delights to feed4 ,these reservoirs1 therefore1 are not only the means of preserving them for sale1 but of purifying them from the muddy odour which they have imbibed at sea1 and which indicates them to be hard and devoid of that luscious and somewhat gastronomic quality so much prized by the world at large4 ,the bottom and sides of these caves or reservoirs are paved with stones and thick layers of sand1 to keep them free from all mud1 which is not only very injurious to the animal1 but sure to harbour its enemies2 and great care is also observed not to admit too great a flow of water at one time1 as that might drive particles of sand into the shells4 ,when the reservoir is properly prepared1 the oysters are placed in their natural position--the flat side being upwards1 in a sloping or horizontal direction4 ,the more care that is taken in keeping their beds clean and free from mud1 by washing the sides of the reservoirs1 pouring water over the oysters1 especially those which are dry1 and removing the dead ones1 which can be recognised by their shells being open1 the better2 for the more valuable will they be as human food1 both as to profit and condition1 and the more appreciated by the gastronomic million1 who hail the oyster season as does a sportsman the advent of grouse and partridges1 hares and pheasants4 ,the oysters1 which are thus preserved1 cleaned1 nursed1 and fattened are taken from their beds at the low tide when the water is out4 ,there are doubts1 various and conflicting1 as to whether oysters contained in reservoirs1 where the water is changed each successive tide1 are not on that account preferable to those which exist in the same water for two weeks at a time4 ,i give a decided preference to the latter1 though the water must be kept very clean by constant care and attention to the removal of the dead1 the decomposition of which would otherwise1 but for the frequent change of water1 seriously affect the health of the whole settlement1 by an accumulation of sulphuretted hydrogen1 with a smell like that emitted by the ,thames and other drainage rivers in the dog-days4 ,these oysters slip down the human throat divine with a tenderness and sublime relish which no words can describe4 ,let me pass over1 for the nonce1 the mode of packing and sending them to the interior4 ,thanks to the railways1 the gastronomical delight of oyster eating is now secured to many who for years scarcely knew what an oyster meant in its entire freshness and best qualities4 ,sergius ,orata1 as ,pliny the ,elder tells us in the eighty-ninth book of his invaluable ,natural ,history1 and1 as we have already stated1 first conceived the idea of planting oysters in beds4 ,this epicure had large reservoirs made at ,baia1 where he gathered thousands of these mollusks4 ,not far from these oyster-beds rose a palace in which the wealthy ,roman used to assemble his choicest friends and feast with them the whole day and night4 ,oysters occupied the place of honour on the table of ,sergius ,orata2 at every feast thousands of them were consumed4 ,satiated1 but not yet satisfied1 these gourmets were in the habit of adjourning into an adjoining room1 where they relieved the stomach of its load by artificial means1 and then returned to indulge again their appetite with a fresh supply of oysters4 ,strange as it may appear to us in the nineteenth century1 this custom was universal amongst the wealthy of ,imperial ,rome1 ,csar himself often indulging in it1 when the repast was to his taste2 and ladies1 the cream of the cream of that luxurious period1 carried about with them peacocks' feathers and other dainty throat ticklers for the purpose1 when they anticipated a more luxurious feed than usual4 ,who amongst us cares to eat white-bait in the crowded city8 ,when the mood seizes us1 do not we take boat and proceed up or down the river1 as the whim dictates8 ,the old ,roman had no white-bait2 and the oyster to him was therefore doubly welcome4 ,to him the journey to his marine villa1 by water or land1 as with us1 added but a zest to the anticipated treat4 ,in the ,bay of ,naples is a smaller bay close to its most north-western point1 bounded on the west by the pretty town of ,baia and its hot wells1 and on the north-east by the no less charming town of ,pozzuoli4 ,these little bays on the ,italian coasts are dignified by the name of seas by the writers of classical antiquity1 and round the headland of ,baia1 to the north1 in the open ,mediterranean--the ,tyrrhenian ,sea--just such another bay1 the present ,lago di ,fusaro1 was called the ,lucrine ,sea1 with its far-famed oyster-beds1 easy of access from ,baia and ,pozzuoli1 both situated in a charming country4 ,here1 close to the ,lucrine1 under a clear sky1 surrounded by a delightful atmosphere1 were situated the country houses of the more wealthy ,romans1 where1 far away from business and the noise and turmoil of the forum1 these accomplished disciples of ,epicurus1 without fear or care1 used to give themselves up to the delights of the table4 ,here they tasted the little-shelled oysters which ,martial liked so much1 and which1 but a few hours previously to being served up1 had been gathered on the sea-shore4 ,gastronomic annals mention the names of some of these dainty persons who daily swallowed several hundreds of oysters2 but ,vitellius in this respect beat them all4 ,that emperor1 it is said1 ate oysters four times a day1 and at each meal swallowed neither more nor less than #abjj of them4 ,seneca himself1 who so admirably praises the charms of poverty1 yet left prodigious wealth behind him2 ,seneca the wise and moderate1 ate several hundreds of them every week4 ,oyster1 so dear to people of taste6 he exclaims2 thou dost but excite instead of satisfying the appetite1 never causing indisposition1 not even when eaten to excess2 for thou art easy of digestion1 and the stomach yields thee back with facility4 ,cicero did not hesitate to confess that he had a special predilection for oysters2 but he adds1 that he could renounce them without any difficulty2 which1 by the way1 he might as well have told to the ,marines1 if they were in existence in his day1 for all the credence this remark of his has gained from posterity4 ,we prefer ,horace1 who in every passage honestly makes known his love for oysters1 and eats them himself with as much gusto as he extols them to others4 ,carefully1 too1 does he note down from whom he procured them1 and the name of the famous gourmet who at the first bite was able to tell whether an oyster came from ,circe or the ,lucrine ,sea1 or from any part of ,natolia4 ,the ancients1 our teachers in all arts1 but especially in sthetics1 did not bolt the oyster1 but masticated it4 ,with true ,epicurean tact1 they always extracted the full enjoyment out of the good things set before them4 ,not so we2 most of us now bolt them2 but this is a mistake1 for the oyster has a much finer flavour1 and is far more nourishing1 when well masticated4 ,those who wish to enjoy this delicious restorative in its utmost perfection1 says ,dr4 ,kitchener1 must eat it the moment it is opened1 with its own gravy in the under shell2 if not eaten absolutely alive1 its flavour and spirit are lost4 ,the true lover of an oyster will have some regard for the feelings of his little favourite1 and contrive to detach the fish from the shell so dexterously that the oyster is hardly conscious he has been ejected from his lodging till he feels the teeth of the piscivorous gourmet tickling him to death4 ,the ,romans needed not even the use of their teeth to tell from whence the oyster came2 a mere look sufficed to distinguish it1 as may be seen in the following lines ascribed to ,lucilius4 ,when ,i but see the oyster's shell1 ,i look and recognize the river1 marsh or mud1 ,where it was raised4 ,nor was this so very difficult a matter1 for the shell1 no less than the animal itself1 as has already been shown1 exhibits the nature of the food upon which the oyster has fed4 ,in ,italy and ,gaul it was for a long time a matter of dispute1 which country produced the best oysters4 ,at that time the ,lucrine ,sea maintained the superiority2 but ,pliny preferred those from ,circe4 ,according to my opinion1 he says1 the most delicious and most tender oysters are those from ,circe4 ,at last1 however1 the preference was given to those of ,britain1 which under the wise administration of ,julius ,agricola had conformed to the manners and customs of her conquerors1 and there no longer was need of dispute as to whether the ,mediterranean oysters of ,italy or ,gaul should have the precedence4 ,the little watery pulpy dabs1 which had hitherto delighted the conquerors of the world1 were cast aside in disgust4 ,they had found a real oyster at last1 and the insignificant and flavourless bivalves of the coasts of ,italy ceased to be in demand4 ,from that time1 on the shores of the ,atlantic1 thousands of slaves were employed in procuring the oysters1 which in ,rome were paid for by their weight in gold4 ,the expenses were so great that the censors felt themselves obliged to interfere4 ,not content with getting their oysters from distant shores1 they had means by which to preserve them for some time in hot weather2 for which purpose1 as we see in the ,pompeian model-house at the ,crystal ,palace1 their domiciles were furnished with a receptacle for water2 for with those famous epicures the water-vivary was an essential necessary for the preservation of living fish1 and all that was necessary was to substitute sea-water for fresh4 ,probably by some such means1 ,apicius ,clius1 who must not be confounded with the writer of a book of cookery which bears his name1 sent ,trajan1 when that emperor was in the country of the ,parthians1 oysters1 which when received were as fresh as they ever could be eaten when just taken from their beds2 and ,pliny even believed that the journey had proved beneficial to their flavour4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,on ,,its ,,travels4 ,the ,isle of ,sheppey1 the ,medway1 and ,whitstable2 ,milton1 ,queenborough1 ,rochester1 and ,faversham ,oysters2 ,colchester and ,essex ,beds2 ,edinburgh ,pandores and ,aberdours2 ,dublin ,carlingfords and ,powldoodies2 ,poole and its ,oyster-bank2 ,cornish ,oysters and the ,helford ,beds2 ,poor ,tyacke1 and ,how he was ,done2 ,dredgers and their ,boats2 ,auld ,reekie's ,civic ,ceremonials2 ,song of the ,oyster2 its ,voyage to ,market1 and ,journey by ,coach and ,rail4 ,who that has travelled by water from ,london ,bridge to ,herne ,bay--and who among us who live within the sound of ,bow bells has not8--should the trip have been made in the beginning of ,august1 but must have noticed1 after having passed the ,isle of ,sheppey1 a little fishing-town to his right1 in ,east ,swale ,bay1 raising its head out of the river like a joyous child dressed in its gayest attire1 anticipating a long-looked-for holiday8 ,it is the #dth of ,august1 and its holiday is at hand1 for to-morrow the oyster season begins2 and the town is ,whitstable1 in ,kent1 standing out gaily with its bright flags and pennons in beautiful relief from the low marshy soil by which it is surrounded4 ,then1 too1 the dredgers1 in their picturesque costume1 add greatly to the gay appearance of the place1 whilst some seventy or eighty vessels lying in the offing bespeak the importance of the oyster traffic between it and the ,great ,metropolis4 ,what the ,lucrine was to the citizen of ,rome is the estuary of the ,medway with the ,swale to the citizen of ,london4 ,the ,natives obtained at ,milton are in the highest repute1 and consumed in every part of ,england2 nor are the ,faversham1 ,queenborough1 and ,rochester denizens less so2 nor1 indeed1 any of the breedy creatures which are raised in the other beds of the ,swale or the ,medway4 ,the trade in oysters1 as we have seen1 has been an object of consideration in ,england for many ages1 and now ranks in importance with the herring1 pilchard1 and other fisheries4 ,the excellence of our oysters made the formation of artificial beds an object of attention soon after the ,roman conquest2 and the ,kentish and ,essex beds show a pedigree in consequence much older than that of the noble descendant of any ,norman adventurer who came over with the ,conqueror1 claiming1 on this head alone1 precedence for our ,natives amongst all the oysters of the known world4 ,but ,britain is the boasted land of liberty1 and the ,natives of one part of her coast boldly assert their equality with the ,natives of any other4 ,if ,london delights in ,milton and ,colchester oysters1 ,edinburgh has her whispered ,pandores and ,aberdours1 and ,dublin her ,carlingfords#d and ,powldoodies of ,burran2 whilst all round our shores each locality boasts of its own ,natives as the best oysters in the land4 ,poole points proudly to her oyster-bank1 and tells miraculous tales of her fishery1 and of the number of oysters she sends to the ,london market1 besides those which are pickled at sea for the export trade to lands where a fresh oyster is still a luxury unknown4 ,the ,poole fishermen who open oysters in their boats for pickling are compelled1 by an ,act of the ,legislature1 to throw the shells on the strand1 and these1 in the course of time1 have formed a strong barrier against the waves of the sea at the flow of the tide1 having the appearance of an island at high-water2 and1 simple as it is1 such is the sole construction of this celebrated breakwater4 ,i cannot be expected to take the reader on a voyage of discovery all round the coast1 nor to the ,channel ,islands1 to taste the oysters which ,providence has spread out for our enjoyment with such a lavish hand4 ,but there is one little spot on the shores of ,cornwall which ,i cannot pass over1 because from it came one of the colonies on the banks of the ,thames1 from which the ,whitstable boats still draw their annual supply4 ,into ,mount's ,bay the ,helford ,river1 upon which stands the little town of ,helstone1 empties itself1 opposite ,mount ,st4 ,michael's1 into the sea1 and in the estuary of that little river1 a person of the name of ,tyacke1 within the memory of the oldest inhabitant1 rented certain oyster-beds1 famous amongst ,cornish gourmets for a breed of oysters1 which1 it is said1 the ,phnicians1 a long time ago1 had discovered to be infinitely preferable to the watery things they got at home4 ,these ,helford oysters are regularly brought to ,london2 but when ,tyacke rented the beds they were unknown to the good citizens who frequented the oyster taverns1 of which the ,cock in ,fleet ,street is but a last lingering type4 ,determined to make his venture1 ,tyacke loaded a fishing smack with the best produce of his beds1 and coasted along the southern shores1 till passing round the ,isle of ,thanet he found himself in the ,mouth of the ,thames4 ,little did the elated oyster dredger think that that ,mouth would swallow up the whole of his cargo2 but so it came to pass4 ,it had long been evident to those on board that oysters that travel1 no less than men1 must have rations allowed on the voyage1 if they are to do credit to the land of their birth4 ,now the voyage had been long and tedious1 and the oysters had not been fed1 so ,tyacke got into his boat1 and obtained an interview with the owner of the spot at which it touched land4 ,he asked permission to lay down his oysters1 and feed them4 ,this was granted1 and after a few days the spores of ulva latissima and enteromorpha1 and of the host of delicate fibrous plants which there abound1 and all of which are the oyster's great delight1 made the whole green and fat1 and in the finest condition for reshipment4 ,four days1 it is said1 will suffice to make a lean oyster1 on such a diet1 both green and plump2 and ,tyacke1 joyful at the improvement which he daily witnessed1 let his stock feed on for a week4 ,it was towards evening that he bethought himself1 as the tide was out1 that if he meant to reach ,billingsgate by the next morning1 it would be wise to reship his oysters before turning in for the night4 ,the boat was lowered2 but1 as he attempted to land1 he was warned off by the owner of the soil1 who stood there with several fierce looking fellows1 armed with cutlasses and fowling-pieces1 evidently anticipating the ,cornishman's intention1 and determined to frustrate it at all hazards4 ,what do you want here8 he asked of ,tyacke4 ,the oysters ,i put down to feed1 was the reply4 ,they were placed there by your permission1 and now ,i am anxious to reship them1 to be in time for to-morrow's market4 ,true1 replied the ,kentishman1 ,i gave you leave to lay down the oysters and feed them1 but not a word was said about reshipping them4 ,where they are1 there they stay2 and if you persist in trespassing1 ,i shall know what to do4 ,poor ,tyacke found himself much in the predicament of many a flat who has been picked up by a sharp4 ,a century ago law was not justice1 nor justice law4 ,perhaps it may not even be so now2 and the story of the lawyer who ate the oyster in dispute1 and gave each of the disputants a shell1 may hold as good in our day as it did in that when the author of the ,beggar's ,opera put it into verse4 ,the demand for oysters1 wherever it exists along our coasts1 creates a profitable source of employment to a class of men who necessarily become experienced seamen2 and dredging for oysters is carried on in fleets1 as the beds mostly lie within a comparatively small space4 ,the boats1 which are about fifteen feet long1 usually carry a man and a boy1 or two men4 ,the dredge is about eighteen pounds weight1 and is required to be heavier on a hard than on a soft bottom1 and each boat is usually provided with two dredges4 ,in former days the commencement of the dredging season was held sufficiently important to entitle it to a civic ceremonial1 at least such was the wont of the municipal authorities of ,auld ,reekie1 who also paid a particular regard both as to the supply and the price of thebreedy creatures furnished to the good citizens of ,edinburgh4 ,the ,feast of ,shells was ushered in by the municipality of the ancient city making1 for provosts and bailiffs1 a somewhat perilous voyage to the oyster-beds in the ,frith of ,forth2 and though the solemnity of wedding the ,frith formed no part of the chief magistrate's office1 as wedding the ,adriatic with a gold ring did that of the ,doge of ,venice1 the welkin was made to ring1 as three cheers from all present uprose and announced the lifting of the first dredge upon the deck of the civic barge4 ,there is something poetical and pretty in the idea1 which once prevailed1 that the oyster was a lover of music1 and as the fishermen trolled their dredging nets they sang1 ,to charm the spirits of the deep4 ,the old ballad in use is still found in the mouth of many a hardy seaman as he pursues his toil to the melodious words-- ,the herring loves the merry moonlight1 ,the mackerel loves the wind1 ,but the oyster loves the dredger's song1 ,for he comes of a gentle kind4 ,raised out of his native waters1 the oyster makes the voyage to the first station in his destined travels in the company of those to whom long and kindred ties have bound him1 on board the smack upon the deck of which they were jointly landed from the deep2 and during the whole voyage1 if it prove a long one1 he is attentively supplied with refreshing water1 so that when the smack lays alongside the wharf at which he is to part company with his captors1 he is still as lively as when they first took him as a passenger on board4 ,arrived in port1 the oyster first truly becomes sensible of the miseries of slavery4 ,shovelled into sacks1 or cast anyhow into carts and handbarrows1 he may consider himself fortunate if a kindly hand but extends to him1 in his great necessity1 a drink of water impregnated with salt1 instead of his own delicious beverage from the sea4 ,yet this is a cruelty which should be avoided wherever sea-water can be obtained1 because it is neither the salt nor the water which sustains the oyster's life1 but the spores of vegetation which abound in the sea1 and by mixing salt with fresh water we destroy even the life of the incipient fresh-water plants which the latter contains4 ,it is as great a mockery as when ,grumio proposes to give the famished ,katherine the mustard without the brawn1 and need no longer exist if oyster dealers1 who cannot obtain sea-water1 would provide themselves with the prepared salts for the instantaneous production of artificial sea-water1 the recipe for the preparation of which is thus given in ,no4 #gce of the ,family ,herald3-- ,for ten gallons it requires1 sulphate of magnesia1 #g-a_/b ounces2 sulphate of lime1 #b-c_/d ounces2 chloride of sodium1 #dc-a_/d ounces2 chloride of magnesia1 #f ounces2 chloride of potassium1 #a-a_/d ounce2 bromide of magnesium1 #ba grains2 carbonate of lime1 #ba grains4 ,this should be allowed to stand exposed to the air in a strong sunlight for a fortnight before it is used1 during which time a few growing plants of enteromorpha1 or ulva should be introduced to throw off spores4 ,these plants cost about one shilling each in ,london4 ,the water then1 when under the microscope1 will be found to contain a confervoid vegetable growth1 which forms as nourishing a food for the oyster as the spores of sea-weed in its ocean bed4 ,oysters laid down in a large trough and covered with this water will continue to live and thrive for months2 and it was to some such method as this that the ,romans were indebted for the preservation of their oysters in inland stews4 ,on no account should oatmeal1 flour1 or any such dead stuff1 be added1 which only serves to make the water foul and the oyster sick4 ,when oysters are to travel by coach or rail1 they are usually dispatched in barrels4 ,where the barrels are packed at the beds1 as the ,colchester or ,pyfleet barrelled oysters are1 they should not be disturbed till wanted for the table1 as they will keep good as they are for a week or ten days2 for being carefully packed so as not to spill the water each carries in a reservoir of ,nature's providing1 they need no other viaticum for the journey4 ,the moment an oyster in the barrel opens its mouth it dies1 because there is nothing in the barrel to sustain its life4 ,it is therefore as well1 on the receipt of the little cask1 to open it at once by removing the top and the first hoop1 and then to place the top on the upper-most layer of oysters1 keeping it in position by the addition of some heavy weight1 which causes the staves to spread and stand erect2 and as the layers of oysters are required for the table1 it is only necessary each time to replace the top and the weight to a similar position to keep the remainder fresh for a few days4 ,but the true lover of an oyster will have some regard for his little favourite4 ,sea-water may be had in ,london and other large towns for sixpence per gallon1 and when that cannot be procured the pound packet of salts1 according to the recipe we have given1 will not cost more than eighteen-pence at any chemist's1 and that quantity will produce three gallons of artificial sea-water4 ,thus provided1 unpack the barrel1 and spread out the oysters in a large flat earthenware dish1 just covering them with water1 and you may keep them for many weeks as fresh as when they first left their beds4 ----- ,footnote #d3 ,the ,carlingford oyster is the best in ,ireland2 a black-bearded fellow1 delicate and of fine flavour1 to be eaten in ,dublin alternately with the ,redbank oyster1 at a magnificent establishment in ,sackville ,street1 and to be washed down with alternate draughts of brown stout4 ,the ,hibernian will tell you that even our ,natives are inferior to these4 ,he is right in his patriotism1 but wrong in his assertion4 ,how often do our prejudices trip up our judgment6 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,at ,,its ,,journey',s ,,end4 ,oyster ,stalls2 ,how to ,open the ,oyster2 an ,oyster ,supper2 ,beer1 ,wines1 and ,spirits2 ,roasted1 ,fried1 ,stewed1 and ,scolloped ,oysters2 ,oyster ,soup1 and ,oyster ,sauce2 ,broiled ,oysters2 ,oyster ,pie2 ,oyster ,toast2 ,oyster ,patties2 ,oyster ,powder2 ,pickled ,oysters2 ,oyster ,loaves2 ,oyster ,omelet2 ,cabbage1 ,larks1 and ,oysters2 and ,frogs and ,oysters4 ,if where ,fleet ,ditch with muddy current flows ,you chance to roam1 where oyster-tubs in rows ,are ranged beside the posts1 there stay thy haste1 ,and with the savoury fish indulge thy taste4--,,gay4 ,i am writing for the ,million1 and the least the ,million can do in return is every one to buy a copy of my book1 and bid everybody to recommend everybody to do the same4 ,the ,fleet ,ditch1 which was once in the centre of the old ,fleet ,market1 has disappeared since ,gay wrote the lines ,i have just quoted1 and now forms the great sewer of ,farringdon ,street2 but with the ,ditch have not disappeared the oyster-stalls2 they have only changed their locality1 and1 like the ,wandering ,jew1 have turned up in the most out-of-the-way places1 where nobody would expect to find them4 ,i know what stall-oysters are2 for when ,i was a school-boy many and oft is the time ,i spent my pennies1 on the sly1 at a stall behind the old cathedral that just abutted the ancient ,market ,cross4 ,the maiden that opened them had clean white hands--for1 boy as ,i was1 ,i could not have endured a baronet's hand to open oysters for me2 for-- ,the damsel's knife the gaping shell commands1 ,while the salt liquor streams between her hands4 ,never have ,i eaten finer oysters than those1 fresh almost within a few hours from the placid ,solent1 upon which now the palace of ,osborne looks down1 and calls forth the heartfelt prayer of ,god bless the ,queen1 as we pass beneath the grass-covered slopes1 reminding every ,wykehamist of the founder's motto1 ,manners maketh ,men2 for ,her ,majesty is the tenant of ,wykeham's ,college1 and his arms and motto are carved upon the gates of the ,queen's royal residence of ,osborne4 ,yes1 ,manners maketh ,men no less than ,honores mutant ,mores1 as the punster told the great ,sir ,thomas ,more1 when he stood so high in favour with ,henry ,,viii41 and was just appointed ,treasurer of the ,exchequer4 ,it is not riches that make man1 any more than they need change him2 and if there is any good gift of ,providence more than another which teaches equality1 it will not be far from the mark to say it is the ,oyster4 ,you cannot eat the oyster in greater perfection than at a street-stall1 because1 as the capital of the owner is small1 so1 too1 is the stock2 and1 to be sure of a rapid sale1 it must also be well and carefully selected1 and therefore does not need the announcement we read in many a by-way one passes along1 where the tale of a tub would seem to contradict it3 ,oysters fresh every day4 ,the poor man has no need to bid his cook1 like his wealthy neighbour1 buy real sea-water1 or salts for the preparation of artificial sea-water1 for the preservation of his oysters4 ,there are thousands of hands outstretched to receive his nimble penny1 and to give him in return oysters as fine as any which can grace the table of the wealthiest in the land4 ,to me it is a treat to stand by and see how rapidly oyster after oyster disappears down the capacious throat of some stalwart son of toil1 and to think that my favourite health-giving mollusk1 in every one that is swallowed1 is adding strength and muscle to those upon whom we so greatly depend for the nation's wealth and prosperity4 ,people generally1 however1 are somewhat indifferent about the manner of opening oysters1 and the time of eating them after they are opened2 yet nothing deserves more consideration at the hands of your true oyster-eater4 ,the oyster should be eaten the moment it is opened1 if eaten raw1 with its own liquor in the under shell1 as we have already stated on the very highest of all gastronomical authorities4 ,it is well worth a little practice to learn to open the oyster oneself1 for a bungling operator injures our little favourite1 and baulks the expectant appetite by his unsightly incisions4 ,i learnt the art years ago in one of the ,midland counties1 where ,christmas-eve would scarce be ,christmas-eve1 without an oyster supper4 ,let me sketch the scene4 ,in the centre of the table1 covered with a clean white cloth up to the top hoop1 stands the barrel of oysters1 a kindly remembrance from a friend1 and the more kind because oysters are not found in fresh-water streams4 ,each gentleman at table finds an oyster-knife and a clean coarse towel by the side of his plate1 and he is expected to open oysters for himself and the lady seated by his side1 unless she is wise enough to open them for herself4 ,by the side of every plate is the panis ostrearius1 the oyster-loaf made and baked purposely for the occasion1 and all down the centre of the table1 interspersed with vases of bright holly and evergreens1 are plates filled with pats of butter1 or lemons cut in half1 and as many vinegar and pepper castors as the establishment can furnish4 ,as the attendance of servants at such gatherings is usually dispensed with1 bottled ,bass or ,guinness1 or any equally unsophisticated pale ale or porter1 is liberally provided2 and where the means allow1 light continental wines1 such as ,chablis1 ,sauterne1 ,mousseux1 ,marsault or ,medoc1 still ,champagne1 ,moselle1 or any light ,rhenish wine1 and failing any of these1 ,madeira or ,sherry1 are placed upon the table4 ,in this list is contained the names of such wines only as are best suited to enhance the taste of the oyster1 and to assist digestion4 ,of spirits1 only good ,english gin1 genuine ,schiedam1 or ,irish or ,scotch whisky1 are admissible1 as rum and brandy1 taken upon oysters1 will almost always be sure to make them indigestible2 and liqueurs are quite out of place4 ,at some of these oyster suppers1 oysters roasted in the shell are brought in hot and hot1 and dishes of fried1 stewed1 and scolloped oysters follow each other in quick succession1 and even oyster patties are sometimes introduced2 but ,i hold up both hands against an ,american innovation which is creeping in1 and introducing crabs and lobsters1 and mixed pickles1 and other foreigners into the carte on such an occasion4 ,the mention of these various dishes of dressed oysters1 reminds me of my promise at starting1 to give some directions as to the proper mode of cooking them4 ,so to begin3-- #a4 ,the ,fried ,oyster4--,it is the most common one1 and is fried in its own shell2 but as it frequently takes the taste of lime when just fried1 it is better to make use of another shell1 or a porcelain one4 ,the beard is taken off1 the oyster loosened from its shell1 and with the liquor it still contains is put into the vessel prepared for it1 with some good butter1 some ,parmesan cheese1 and pepper1 and thus it is put into the oven1 or on the gridiron1 and when it has turned a little brown some lemon-juice is poured on it1 after which it may be served up4 ,having no ,parmesan1 good dry ,cheshire1 or even bread crumbs1 are desirable4 ,the largest and finest oysters should be chosen for this purpose2 and many persons fry oysters by simply allowing them to simmer in their own shells for a couple of minutes1 when they take them out and lay them on a cloth to drain1 beard them1 and then flour them1 put them into boiling fat1 and fry them to a delicate brown4 #b4 ,the ,oyster roasted in its own shell4--,open the oyster carefully1 so as not to lose any of its own liquor1 add a little butter and pepper1 according to taste1 place it upon a gridiron over a fierce clear fire1 and serve up hot and hot in quick succession4 ,bachelors may manage to dress oysters in this way by placing them between the bars of the grate till done1 and adding the butter and pepper as they eat them4 #c4 ,stewed ,oysters4--,open the oysters1 and put their liquor in a stew-pan with a little beaten mace2 thicken it with flour and butter2 boil it three or four minutes2 put in a spoonful of cream2 put in the oysters1 and shake them round in the pan1 but do not let them boil4 ,serve them in a small deep dish1 or if for one person only in a soup-plate4 #d4 ,scolloped ,oysters4--,open the oysters1 put them in a basin1 with their own liquor2 put them into a small deep dish1 or some of them1 if preferred1 into scollop shells2 strew over them a few crumbs of bread1 and lay a slice of butter on them2 then more oysters1 bread crumbs1 and a slice of butter on the top2 put them into a ,dutch-oven to brown1 and serve them up4 #e4 ,oyster ,soups4--7,each of the following is calculated for one person74 7a74 ,the ,english ,soup4--,take one pound of good lean beef1 half a pound of raw lean ham1 much parsley1 and carrot roots1 and a few onions2 cut all in very small pieces1 and burnish it into a dark-brownish colour with spices1 bay-leaves1 whole pepper and butter3 after having boiled this with water for five hours1 pour it through a hair sieve1 and then put to it a little brown flour1 and two ounces of ,sherry or ,madeira1 and after having boiled again for an hour1 take all the fat clean off1 and put into it the oysters with their beards and liquor1 and with cayenne pepper2 all this is to be boiled up again1 and then served4 ,this soup is to be recommended1 especially in winter when it is very cold4 ,for invalids1 the wine1 spices1 and pepper are omitted4 ,this soup is valuable for convalescents1 being very strengthening and nourishing4 7b74 ,the ,american ,soup4--,take half a pint of good fresh milk1 or cream if possible2 three ounces of good butter2 boil this together1 beat it up with the yolks of three eggs1 and put into it six or twelve oysters with their beards and liquor2 boil this up again1 and in serving it up put into it a little cayenne pepper and a few drops of lemon juice4 ,this soup is delicate2 but no prejudice6 ,everybody must try it first4 ,for invalids1 butter1 eggs1 and pepper are omitted4 7c74 ,the ,holstein ,soup4--,take good beef-stock1 one-eighth of a pound of ,sherry or ,madeira1 burnt flour1 and proceed as with 7a72 and then beat it up with the yolks of two or three eggs4 7,the beard and the liquor must always be made use of1 as they impart the strongest flavour of the oyster47 #f4 ,oyster ,sauce4--,i cannot do better than copy ,dr4 ,kitchener's valuable recipe for making oyster sauce1 which was one of the great luxuries at the table of that celebrated gastronome3--,choose plump and juicy natives for this purpose2 do not take them out of their shells till you put them into the stew-pan4 ,to make good oyster sauce for half a dozen hearty fish-eaters1 you cannot have less than three or four dozen oysters2 save their liquor1 strain it1 and put it and them into a stew-pan2 as soon as they boil1 and the fish plump1 take them off the fire1 and pour the contents of the stew-pan into a sieve over a clean basin2 wash the stew-pan out with hot water1 and put into it the strained liquor1 with about an equal quantity of milk1 and about two and a half ounces of butter1 with which you have well rubbed a large table-spoonful of flour2 give it a boil up1 and pour it through a sieve into a basin1 that the sauce may be quite smooth1 and then back again into the saucepan2 now shave the oysters1 and 7if you have the honour of making sauce for a ,committee of ,taste1 take away the gristly part also7 put in only the soft part of the oysters2 if they are very large1 cut them in half1 and set them by the fire to keep hot2 'if they boil after1 they will become hard4' ,if you have not liquor enough1 add a little melted butter1 or cream1 or milk beat up with the yolk of an egg 7this must not be put in till the sauce is done74 ,some barbarous cooks add pepper1 or mace1 the juice or peel of a lemon1 horse-radish essence of anchovy1 cayenne1 etc42 plain sauces are only to taste of the ingredients from which they derive their name4 ,it will very much heighten the flavour of this sauce to pound the soft part of half a dozen unboiled oysters2 rub it through a hair sieve1 and then stir it into the sauce4 ,this essence of oyster1 and for some palates a few grains of cayenne1 is the only addition we recommend4 ,notwithstanding ,dr4 ,kitchener's objection to the introduction of extraneous substances by barbarous cooks1 because de ,gustibus1 as the adage of the apple and the onion has already reminded me1 is always a matter not to be disputed1 ,i shall add ,alexis ,soyer's barbarous method of preparing oyster sauce1 which was introduced by him at the ,reform ,club in #aheb3-- ,mix three ounces of butter in a stewpan with two ounces of flour1 then blanch and beard three dozen oysters1 put the oysters into another stewpan1 add beards and liquor to the flour and butter1 with a pint and a half of milk1 a teaspoonful of salt1 half a salt-spoonful of cayenne1 two cloves1 half a blade of mace1 and six peppercorns2 place it over the fire1 keep stirring1 and boil it ten minutes1 then add a tablespoonful of essence of anchovies1 and one of ,harvey sauce2 pass it through a hair-sieve over the oysters2 make the whole very hot without boiling1 and serve4 ,a less quantity may be made1 using less proportions4 ,he also gives the following3-- ,put a pint of white sauce into a stew-pan1 with the liquor and beards of three dozen oysters 7as above71 six peppercorns1 two cloves1 and half a blade of mace2 boil it ten minutes1 then add a spoonful of essence of anchovies1 a little cayenne and salt if required2 pass it through a tammy1 or hair-sieve1 over the oysters1 as in the last4 ,this is somewhat similar to that given in that most useful pennyworth ,the ,family ,herald ,economical ,cookery1 which is also preferred by many1 and is as follows3-- ,simmer the oysters in their own liquor till they are plump3 strain off the liquor through a sieve1 wash the oysters clean1 and beard them2 put them into a saucepan1 and pour the liquor over them1 taking care you do not pour in any of the sediment2 add a blade of mace1 a quarter of a lemon1 a spoonful of anchovy liquor1 and a bit of horseradish2 boil it up gently1 then take out the horseradish1 the mace1 and the lemon1 the juice of which must be squeezed into the sauce4 ,now add some thick melted butter1 toss it together1 and boil it up4 ,i am bound to admit that my own opinion coincides with that of ,dr4 ,kitchener1 and would only add that no trouble is too great to render the sauce perfectly smooth1 and that no niggard hand should have the supplying it for the table4 #f4 ,large ,oysters ,broiled4--,take the largest and finest oysters you can get1 such as you find in the ,west of ,england and in ,america2 clean the gridiron as if a fairy had done the work for ,cinderella in her sleep2 rub the bars with fresh butter1 and set it over a clear fire1 quite free from smoke2 then place the oysters upon it1 being careful not to let them burn1 and when done on one side1 turn them quickly on the other with a fork4 ,put some fresh butter in the bottom of a hot dish1 and lay the oysters upon it1 sprinkling them slightly with pepper4 ,they must be served quite hot with fried parsley4 #g4 ,oyster ,pie4--,having buttered the inside of a deep dish1 spread a rich paste over the sides and round the edge1 but not at the bottom4 ,the oysters should be as large and fine as possible1 and when opened drain off part of the liquor from them4 ,put them into a pan1 and season them with pepper1 salt1 and spice1 and stir them well with the seasoning4 ,pour the oysters with their liquor into the dish1 and strew over them the yolks of eggs chopped fine and grated bread4 ,roll out the lid of the pie1 and put it on1 crimping the edges handsomely4 ,take a small sheet of paste1 cut it into a square1 and roll it up4 ,cut it with a sharp knife into the form of a double tulip4 ,make a slit in the centre of the upper crust1 and stick the tulip in it4 ,cut out some large leaves of paste1 and lay them on the lid1 and bake the pie in a quick oven4 ,another way of preparing this favourite ,french dish is this1 communicated to me by a lady of some experience in matters gastronomical3-- ,having buttered the inside of a deep dish1 line it with puff-paste rolled out rather thick1 and prepare another sheet of paste for the lid4 ,put a clean towel into the dish 7folded so as to support the lid7 and then put on the lid2 set it into the oven1 and bake the paste well4 ,when done1 remove the lid1 and take out the folded towel4 ,while the paste is baking1 prepare the oysters4 ,having picked off carefully any bits of shell that may be found about them1 lay them in a sieve and drain off the liquor into a pan4 ,put the oysters into a skillet or stew-pan1 with barely enough of the liquor to keep them from burning4 ,season them with whole pepper1 blades of mace1 some grated nutmeg1 and some grated lemon-peel1 7the yellow rind only17 and a little finely minced celery4 ,then add a large portion of fresh butter1 divided into bits1 and very slightly dredged with flour4 ,let the oysters simmer over the fire1 but do not allow them to come to a boil1 as that will shrivel them4 ,next beat the yolks only1 of three1 four1 or five eggs1 7in proportion to the size of the pie17 and stir the beaten egg into the stew a few minutes before you take it from the fire4 ,keep it warm till the paste is baked4 ,then carefully remove the lid of the pie2 and replace it1 after you have filled the dish with the oysters and gravy4 ,the lid of the pie may be ornamented with a wreath of leaves cut out of paste1 and put on before baking4 ,in the centre1 place a paste-knot or flower4 ,oyster pies are generally eaten warm2 but they are very good cold4 #h4 ,oyster ,toast4--,cut four slices of bread1 pare off the crusts1 and toast them4 ,butter the toast on both sides4 ,then select a dozen of fine fat and plump oysters1 and mince them2 place them thickly between the slices of toast1 seasoning them with cayenne pepper4 ,beat the yolks of four eggs1 and mix them with half-a-pint of cream1 adding1 if thought necessary1 a few blades of mace4 ,put the whole into a saucepan1 and set it over the fire to simmer till thick2 but do not allow it to boil1 and stir it well1 lest it should curdle4 ,when it is near boiling heat1 take it off and pour it over the toast4 #i4 ,oyster ,patties4--,roll out puff-paste a quarter of an inch thick1 says ,dr4 ,kitchener1 cut it into squares with a knife1 sheet eight or ten patty pans1 put upon each a bit of bread the size of half a walnut2 roll out another layer of paste of the same thickness1 cut it as above1 wet the edge of the bottom paste1 and put on the top1 pare them round to the pan1 and notch them about a dozen times with the back of the knife1 rub them lightly with yolk of egg1 bake them in a hot oven about a quarter of an hour3 when done1 take a thin slice off the top1 then1 with a small knife or spoon1 take out the bread and the inside paste1 leaving the outside quite entire3 then parboil two dozen of large oysters1 strain them from their liquor1 wash1 beard1 and cut them into four1 put them into a stew-pan with an ounce of butter rolled in flour1 half a gill of good cream1 a little grated lemon-peel1 the oyster liquor free from sediment1 reduced by boiling to one half1 some cayenne pepper1 salt1 and a tea-spoonful of lemon-juice2 stir it over a fire five minutes1 and fill the patties4 #aj4 ,oyster ,powder4--,open the oysters carefully1 so as not to cut them1 except in dividing the gristle which attaches the shells2 put them into a mortar1 and when you have got as many as you can conveniently pound at once1 add about two drachms of salt to a dozen oysters2 pound them and rub them through the back of a hair sieve1 and put them into the mortar again1 with as much flour 7which has been previously thoroughly dried7 as will make them into a paste2 roll the paste out several times1 and lastly1 flour it1 and roll it out the thickness of a half-crown1 and divide it into pieces about one inch square2 lay them in a ,dutch oven1 where they will dry so gently as not to get burned2 turn them every half hour1 and when they begin to dry1 crumble them4 ,they will take about four hours to dry2 then pound them fine1 sift them1 and put them into dry bottles and seal them4 ,three dozens of natives require seven ounces and a half of flour to make them into a paste weighing eleven ounces1 or when dried and powdered1 six and a half ounces4 ,to make half a pint of sauce1 put one ounce of butter into a stew-pan with three drachms of oyster powder1 and six table-spoonfuls of milk2 set it on a slow fire1 stir it till it boils1 and season it with salt4 ,this makes an excellent sauce for fish1 fowls1 or rump steaks4 ,sprinkled on bread and butter1 it makes a good sandwich4 ,but only use plump juicy natives in the preparation4 #aa4 ,pickled ,oysters are mostly used for salads when no fresh oysters can be got4 ,take good wine1 or ,tarragon vinegar1 some onions cut in pieces1 some slices of lemon1 some spices1 whole pepper1 bay leaves1 and salt4 ,boil this together1 and whilst boiling put the oysters into it1 and let the whole boil up once more4 ,put the result into bottles with a little good oil1 and1 tied over with bladder1 it will keep for a long time4 ,however1 pickled oysters also appear as a supper dish1 when they are thus prepared3-- ,take two dozen oysters2 strain the liquor2 add three blades of mace1 six peppercorns1 a little grated lemon peel1 and one or two bay leaves2 boil the liquor1 and1 when boiling1 add the oysters for two minutes4 ,when cold1 strain off the liquor2 place the oysters in a small dish1 and garnish with parsley4 ,according to this rate of ingredients the dish may be made to suit the number of guests likely to partake of it4 #ab4 ,oyster ,loaves4--,make an oval hole in the top of some rasped ,french rolls1 and scrape out all the crumb3 then put the oysters into a stew-pan1 with their liquor1 and the crumbs that came out of the rolls1 and a good lump of butter2 stew them together five or six minutes3 then put in a spoonful of good cream2 fill the skeleton rolls with the compound1 and lay the bit of crust carefully on the top again1 setting them in the oven to crisp4 ,three form a side dish4 #ac4 ,oyster ,omelet4--,having strained the liquor from three dozen plump native oysters1 mince them small2 omitting the hard part1 or gristle4 ,if you cannot get large oysters1 you should have forty or fifty small ones4 ,break into a shallow pan six1 seven1 or eight eggs1 according to the quantity of minced oysters4 ,omit half the whites1 and 7having beaten the eggs till very light1 thick1 and smooth17 mix the oysters gradually into them1 adding a little cayenne pepper1 and some powdered nutmeg4 ,put three ounces or more of the best fresh butter into a small frying-pan1 if you have no pan especially for omelets4 ,place it over a clear fire1 and when the butter 7which should be previously cut up7 has come to a boil1 put in the omelet-mixture2 stir it till it begins to set2 and fry it a light brown1 lifting the edge several times by slipping a knife under it1 and taking care not to cook it too much or it will shrivel and become tough4 ,when done1 clap a large hot plate or dish on the top of the omelet1 and turn it quickly and carefully out of the pan4 ,fold it over1 and serve it up immediately4 ,this quantity will make one large or two small omelets4 ,the omelet pan should be smaller than a common frying-pan1 and lined with tin4 ,in a large pan the omelet will spread too much1 and become thin like a pancake4 ,never turn an omelet while frying1 as that will make it heavy and tough4 ,when done1 brown it by holding a red-hot salamander close above the top4 ,having given a baker's dozen of the most approved receipts for dressing oysters1 ,i have only to add that the oyster1 as an accessory1 enters into many dishes1 particularly into fricassees1 is served with sweetbreads1 fowl1 and veal1 and1 as we all know from ,tom and ,jerry1 gentlemen eat oysters as sauce to rump steak2 which1 by the way1 ,i1 for one1 regard as the ruin of both oyster and steak4 ,i cannot refrain from adding the following1 both little known in this country1 yet both equally good3-- #ad4 ,cabbage with ,oysters and ,fried ,larks4--,when the cabbage has been cooked with a little ,rhenish wine1 ,chablis1 or ,champagne1 some good butter is melted1 in which the oysters are put with their beards and liquor1 and having been fried a little with the butter1 they are put with the cabbage and cooked again together1 and then served up with the larks4 #ae4--;,fried ,hind ,legs of ,frogs with ,oysters4--,the hind legs of frogs are fried in the usual manner2 when they are nearly done1 some oysters with ,parmesan cheese and a little pepper are added to them1 and when done they are served up4 ,this dish is undeniable1 and is as much relished abroad as whitebait with us4 ,in closing this chapter1 let me remind all cooks that the success in preparing the above-mentioned dishes depends on the goodness and freshness of the oysters used for this purpose4 ,very erroneous is the opinion that oysters which are not fresh are yet good enough to be fried and to be used for sauces4 ,the greatest delicacy is a fresh oyster1 but a stale one is a source of the greatest disgust1 and only fit to regale the ghost of that ,royal ,george who1 when living1 never relished a raw oyster unless the shell was self-opened on the dish4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,and ,,the ,,doctor4 ,oyster-eating in ,prussia2 ,disgusting ,wagers2 ,oysters better than ,pills2 ,a ,universal ,remedy2 ,professional ,opinions2 ,when ,ladies should eat them2 ,repugnance overcome2 ,oysters as an external application2 ,chemical ,analysis2 ,how to tell if dead before opening4 ,when in ,prussia1 ,i once asked a person who did a large retail business in oysters1 what class of persons he found to be his best customers1 and what was the number of oysters daily consumed by each individual8 ,the morning scarcely begins to dawn1 he replied1 ere ladies and gentlemen1 boys and girls1 and servants1 both male and female1 make their appearance1 not only from my immediate neighbourhood1 but also from the most remote parts of the city1 when1 on an average1 every one buys from half a dozen up to a dozen1 in addition to their purchases for the several families1 and in accordance with their requirements4 ,and those who do likewise in ,great ,britain and ,ireland will soon find out the benefit of this nutritive food taken thus early on an empty stomach4 ,i once heard of an individual who made a bet that he would eat twelve dozen oysters1 washed down by twelve glasses of ,champagne1 while the cathedral clock of the city which he inhabited was striking twelve4 ,he won his bet by placing a dozen fresh oysters in twelve wine glasses1 and having swallowed the oysters1 he washed down each dozen with a glass of ,champagne4 ,i should not have mentioned this disgusting feat1 but to add that he felt no evil effects from the oysters1 proving incontestably the digestive and sanitary properties of this mollusk4 ,there is a similar tale showing equally the effects of oysters on the human digestion4 ,four persons met one ,saturday night at an hotel1 and made the following bet3 each person was to call for whatever he might fancy1 either to eat or to drink1 and he who kept longest awake was to have no share in the liquidation of the bill4 ,this settled1 one of the party made a private arrangement with one of the waiters1 promising him a reward if1 in case of his evincing the slightest drowsiness1 he would bring him forthwith twenty-five oysters4 ,this was accordingly done2 but the waiters had to be constantly relieved until #aa o'clock on the following ,monday morning1 when1 observing his three companions quietly asleep1 our oyster-eating friend called for the landlord1 and declared himself triumphantly the winner1 attributing his good fortune entirely to the oyster4 ,wise people eat oysters and eschew pills2 take lumps of delight1 instead of lumps of nausea2 uphold the ,sweetings1 ,pims1 and ,lynns1 and have nothing to do with the ,holloways1 ,morisons1 and ,old ,parrs4 ,when suffering from almost incurable indigestion1 by taking oysters daily1 they very soon find the most agreeable effects on the human kitchen and laboratory2 its functions become regular1 without the use of strong medicines1 always dangerous4 ,depression of spirits and other disagreeable feelings consequent on impaired digestion soon cease to affect them2 they become cheerful and happy1 and are enabled again to see clearly through the misty atmosphere which has hitherto enclosed them in a kind of living shroud2 physical powers return1 headaches disappear1 and the heretofore dyspeptic1 sour1 unhappy tempered man becomes a pleasant and joyous companion1 full of life himself1 and inspiriting to those around him4 ,i have lived a good deal abroad1 and am induced to ascribe much of the vivacity of the ,french to their intense love of oysters4 ,during a long residence in ,france1 ,i never met with a ,frenchman or ,frenchwoman who said nay to a dish of good fresh oysters2 in fact1 they have a craving for the breedy creatures1 which in many persons almost amounts to gluttony1 and then1 and then only1 does this craving lead to mischief4 ,physicians of old recommended the oyster as a general remedy1 and employed it on all occasions with success4 ,it has been proved beyond dispute that it possesses a remarkable vivifying influence in all cases where the nervous organs are affected1 more than any other food4 ,oysters taken before mid-day with a glass of wine produce a most salutary effect4 ,the nerves and muscles regain their strength1 and the body its mental and physical powers1 bringing cheerfulness and energy to compete with the duties of the day4 ,if not a cure1 at all events1 an oyster diet1 under medical supervision1 brings unquestionable relief to those who are suffering from pulmonary complaints1 indigestion1 or nervous affections4 ,dr4 ,leroy was in the habit of swallowing1 every morning before breakfast1 two dozen oysters1 and used always to say to his friends1 presenting them with the shells3 ,there1 behold the fountain of my youthful strength6 ,percy relates having seen a large number of wounded persons1 exhausted by the loss of blood and bad treatment1 who were entirely kept up by eating oysters2 and ,dr4 ,lenac considered them the most nourishing food in existence4 ,oysters are strongly recommended to all persons suffering from weak digestion2 and ,dr4 ,pasquier adds1 that they may be given with great advantage to persons of intemperate habits1 who1 by inefficacious medical treatment have fallen into debility and lowness of spirits4 ,he also recommends oysters to all who are suffering from the gout4 ,i myself knew a person last winter1 who was suffering from influenza1 which1 from his being an aged man1 threatened the most serious consequences1 who was entirely cured by eating oysters4 ,oysters increase the blood without heating the system1 and hence when a wound has caused much loss of blood1 the eating of oysters not only prevents fever1 but replaces the loss which no other remedy can effect4 ,the great ,boerhaave affirms to have known a tall1 strong man1 who had fallen into a decline1 and who1 after all other remedies had proved useless1 by the use of oysters rapidly recovered1 became strong1 and died ninety-three years old4 ,but to ladies1 particularly1 do ,i recommend oysters as the best of all light meals between breakfast and dinner4 ,at the period of a lady's married life1 when nausea is prevalent1 a few fresh oysters1 taken raw in their own liquor1 with no addition but a little pepper1 and a fairy slice of ,french roll or other light bread1 stops the feeling of sickness1 and keeps up the stamina unimpaired4 ,during the time1 too1 when a young child most requires maternal care and attention1 the mother's diet of oysters will impart strength to the infant1 and tend much to alleviate the pains of its first teething4 ,i am well aware that some persons have a repugnance to the eating of oysters1 and that it may be difficult to overcome the dislike4 ,however1 as a proof that oysters in general are nice to the taste1 let me mention that children under two years of age eat them with great appetite2 and it is only after having discontinued eating any for some time that they take a dislike to them4 ,i have often had the opportunity of overcoming this dislike1 and the result was always satisfactory4 ,the method is very simple4 ,take a ,french roll 7or a piece of milk-bread7 thinly buttered1 and put on it the oyster deprived of its beard1 squeezing a few drops of lemon and peppering it4 ,well1 after all1 the taste of the oyster is really fine6 is the usual exclamation1 and after that the person has eaten them in their natural state with gusto4 ,when eaten for health1 an oyster is best swallowed in its own liquor the moment the shell is opened2 or if too cold for the stomach1 a sprinkling of pepper will remedy the evil4 ,vinegar counteracts the effect of the oyster enriching the blood2 so when the oyster is eaten medicinally it must be excluded4 ,dr4 ,evans1 in ,no4 #hcd of the ,family ,herald says1 that when too many oysters or other shell-fish has been taken1 the unpleasant sensation excited by such excess may be removed by drinking half a pint of hot milk4 ,persons of delicate constitutions will do well always to take hot milk after oysters4 ,but the oyster was also formerly used externally as a remedy no less than taken internally for its medicinal properties4 ,its very abundance is a clear proof of the bounty and goodness of ,providence1 furnishing us1 at one and the same time1 with such delicious food1 and so universal a remedy for the ills which man is heir to4 ,ambrois ,par1 physician to ,charles ,,ix41 and the only ,protestant whom the king sought to save from the terrible massacre of ,st4 ,bartholomew1 by shutting him up in his own closet1 recommends oysters smashed in their shells as an excellent poultice4 ,this animal1 so used1 says he1 diminishes pain1 and removes all heat and inflammation in a remarkable manner4 ,as the opinion of one1 of whom the king himself declared that a man so useful to all the world ought not to perish like a dog1 it may be admitted to a place in my little book1 more particularly as it is borne out by ,paul ,egona1 who also recommends oysters being smashed and saturated with their own liquor as the very best of all poultices for sores or boils4 ,let me1 as a close to this chapter1 add a few words on the chemical analysis of the oyster4 ,the animal itself contains a great proportion of phosphate of iron and lime1 a considerable quantity of osmozone1 and a certain amount of gluten and isinglass1 being of a peculiar nature1 which phosphorus penetrates like an element4 ,it also contains a great quantity of particles of salt1 the same as that of the sea-water in which it lives4 ,the oyster-liquor1 or1 as ,i have said1 more properly speaking1 its life's blood1 contains a great amount of hydroidum1 kali1 sulphur of lime1 sulphur of magnesia1 some organic matter1 osmazone1 and a very little salt4 ,the shell is composed of a very intimate mixture of salt1 carbonic lime1 and animal mucus4 ,it exhibits1 also1 phosphate of lime and magnesia in small quantities1 as also sulphuretted hydrogen4 ,at the moment in which natural death ensues1 all animal matter begins to show its chemical affinities by separating again into the elements of which it consists2 and as at such times it is always more or less of a poisonous nature1 it is well to study the method by which it may be known whether an oyster was living or dead when its shell is opened4 ,this can be seen at a glance4 ,if the muscle appears sunk1 it is a proof that the animal was living2 but if it appears higher and above the oyster1 it was dead before it was opened1 and the animal is1 consequently1 unwholesome and unfit for food4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,oyster ,,abroad4 ,british ,oysters in ,ostend ,quarters2 the ,whitstable in a ,slow ,coach2 ,holstein1 ,schleswig1 and ,heligoland ,natives2 ,norwegian and ,bremer ,oysters2 ,american ,oysters2 ,french ,oysters2 ,dutch ,oysters2 ,mediterranean ,oysters1 and ,classical ,judges4 ,i am not writing a book for the man of science4 ,i could not if ,i would4 ,it is for those who love oysters for the eating that ,i have turned author2 and all the facts which are strung together in the last chapters were put there for their delectation1 and not for the sake of raising the smile which ,i saw just now pass over the face of my friend ,sawbones when ,i mentioned oyster-poultices4 ,just because ,i am not scientific1 but only practical1 ,i shall not trouble myself to notice any of the many species of oysters1 both at home and abroad1 which1 though pretty in themselves1 never find their way to the table1 which is the sole field of my discoveries4 ,i shall therefore begin my list of foreign oysters with the best of them all1 the next of kin to our ,native1 and next to it the best oyster in the world4 #a4 ,the ,ostend ,oyster is nothing more than the real ,british oyster1 cleaned and fattened in the ,ostend oyster-beds4 ,it has a fine1 thin1 transparent but deep shell1 the upper shell being quite flat2 it is very full1 white1 and fat1 has a very small beard1 and is very digestible4 ,during a south-west wind1 which brings to these beds the microscopic spores of sea vegetation and animalcules upon which it delights to feed1 from the channel1 its beard is of a green colour4 ,the ,ostend oyster is much prized in ,berlin1 which it reaches the quickest of any from the sea1 7in thirty-six to forty hours17 and consequently lives there several days1 remains the longest fresh1 and can be sent farthest4 ,last winter ,ostend oysters were sent to ,moscow and ,odessa1 where they arrived still good and tasty4 ,the former were seventeen days1 and the latter eleven days on their way4 ,scarcely any other kind of oysters could be sent to such a distance4 ,in the autumn of #ahdg1 after the opening of the ,cologne-,minden ,railway1 the first trial was made of sending these oysters to ,berlin1 via ,cologne4 ,the result was most satisfactory2 they sold for #a-a_/b thalers the hundred4 ,this caused no little sensation1 especially among the old oyster dealers1 who were accustomed to receive from five to six1 even from eight to nine thalers per hundred4 ,the good folks of ,berlin are now supplied with abundant fresh and fine oysters4 ,the ,ostend natives may be obtained from the owner of the oyster beds in ,ostend4 ,i speak of ,berlin1 as the ,germans are great oyster-eaters1 and the ,north1 in a great measure1 is supplied from thence4 ,in ,brussels1 ,antwerp1 ,ghent1 ,bruges1 and ,lille1 ,ostend oysters are eaten with slices of home-baked bread1 and butter4 ,they are served up in their shells1 open1 and not broken apart4 ,they have a tender1 fragrant1 and melting flesh1 and are only half the size of ordinary oysters2 but they gain in thickness what they lose in size4 ,in ,flanders and the ,netherlands they are known under the name of ,english oysters1 but are called in ,paris after the name of the beds where they are reared4 ,they are in reality ,edinburgh ,natives1 cleaned and fattened in the ,ostend oyster-beds1 and hence called ,belgian or ,ostend oysters4 ,the oyster of ,ostend cannot be too much recommended to gourmets4 ,it is to the common oyster what a chicken is to an old hen4 ,it is a draught of bitter ale to a thirsty palate4 ,it is a known fact1 that after having abstained from food for a long time1 the first oyster one eats produces a kind of unusual rictus 7or opening of the mouth71 the reason of which physiologists have never been able to explain4 ,this same sensation is produced in eating an ,ostend oyster1 but it is much sweeter1 more lasting1 and much more delightful4 ,if the ,romans had ever known them they would have sung their praises both in verse and prose1 and would by far have preferred them to their sadly over-praised oysters from the ,lucrine ,sea4 ,the only oysters which can be brought into competition with those of ,ostend in the same markets are the ,whitstable oysters1 which have only recently become an article of trade on the ,continent4 ,these are also natives from the ,channel1 generally larger than the former1 but unequal1 not being sorted1 very fat and full1 but much more tender1 and do not keep fresh so long4 ,the cause of this may be that they are first taken from ,whitstable to ,london1 where they are packed up and sent by sea and rail to ,hamburgh and ,berlin1 which takes always from six to seven days4 ,they have a fine flavour1 and are by some people preferred to the ,ostend oysters3 although the latter1 generally speaking1 occupy the first rank4 ,these two species1 and that of ,holstein1 are the best oysters to be met with in the north of ,europe4 #b4 ,channel ,oysters4--,the oysters which1 more particularly in the north of ,germany1 are an article of trade1 come from the ,bay of ,st4 ,brieux and the ,rock of ,cancale1 on the ,british ,channel1 between the castle of that name1 ,mount ,st4 ,michael1 and ,st4 ,malo1 and from the ,channel between ,calais and its extreme point near ,falmouth4 ,the bottom of this sea is flat and firm1 and its stream near the bottom not very strong1 both favourable circumstances for the propagation of oysters4 ,this propagation must be very considerable1 and the banks where the oysters breed very extensive1 since1 in spite of the continual dredging1 they produce a sufficient quantity without any apparent decrease1 to guard against which1 the new beds of ,st4 ,brieux1 mentioned in the first chapter1 are carefully supplied4 ,the dredging lasts generally from the middle of ,september till the end of ,may2 during the other months the fishing should properly be discontinued1 because the spawning1 which then takes place1 would be disturbed1 and because during that time the oyster is generally not fit for food4 #c4 ,holstein ,oysters are very good and fine1 but the sea-banks do not afford enough for the present consumption1 so that it is necessary to have good connexions in order to obtain real and good ,holstein oysters4 ,they are easily distinguished from all the other oysters by their size1 the thin1 greenish-blue shells1 especially the lower shell4 ,the upper shell is always concave1 by which they are the more easily distinguished from the ,heligolanders1 which have always a strong convex upper shell4 ,as to the little animal itself1 it is very fat1 white1 thick1 and tender1 and therefore very digestible4 ,it has only a small beard1 by which it is distinguished from the ,norwegian and ,scottish oyster1 which1 by the appearance of the shell1 might be mistaken for the ,holstein oyster by novices in gastronomy4 ,these delicate favourites are to be obtained from the lessees of the ,royal ,oyster-banks on the western coast of ,holstein in ,flensburg1 in the kingdom of ,denmark4 #d4 ,the ,schleswick ,oyster of ,husum and ,silt is very like the former--almost undistinguishable4 ,it is very excellent1 but seldom exported1 and consumed for the most part in ,kiel4 ,the two last-named oysters are often taken to ,st4 ,petersburg by sailors1 when making the passage to and fro4 #e4 ,the ,heligolanders are very large2 have thick shells1 which renders the duty and carriage very high1 but are not at all fine1 and generally sold in all the innocence of ignorance by dealers as ,holstein oysters4 ,have nothing to do with ,norwegian oysters2 ,i only mention them here as things to be shunned4 ,bremer oysters1 the ,neuwerkers1 and the ,wangerogers1 however1 deserve a better fate4 #f4 ,the ,oyster of the ,bay of ,biscay is of the same size as that of ,holstein1 with a very large beard1 like those caught in the south of ,england4 ,the beard1 like the oyster itself1 is quite grass green--a quality which is to be found generally only with oysters from ,dieppe1 ,cancale1 and the ,marennes4 ,its flavour is very fine and good1 but great care must be taken1 in opening the shell and detaching the oyster1 not to break the double shell1 which they mostly possess1 for this contains sulphuretted hydrogen1 which gives a bad smell and flavour to the oyster1 and poisons the stomach of the consumer4 #g4 ,american ,oysters1 though1 to my taste1 by no means so delicate as others ,i have mentioned1 are nevertheless superior for cooking4 ,for my own part1 although ,i have stated that pepper1 vinegar1 lemon juice1 and other stimulating ingredients1 are commonly made use of when eating the oyster1 ,i offer1 in all courtesy1 the decided opinion1 that the taste must be vitiated that can swallow such in preference to the delicate1 fresh1 luscious1 charming little morsel1 saturated merely1 or perhaps the word ought to be merely bedewed1 like the rose on a summer morning1 by its own liquid life's blood4 ,americans1 themselves1 generally prefer their large oysters even to our ,british ,natives4 #h4 ,french ,oysters4--,the ,french oysters are chiefly taken from beds in the ,bays of ,cancale and ,st4 ,brieux1 from ,marennes1 from ,havre and ,dieppe1 from ,dunkirk1 and from the ,bay of ,biscay4 ,the three first are very fine1 but the distance to ,paris is too great2 they are therefore dear in that capital4 ,those from ,dunkirk are similar to those of ,ostend1 but not quite so fine2 and those from the ,bay of ,biscay are quite green1 and highly esteemed in the south of ,france1 especially at ,bordeaux4 #i4 ,dutch ,oysters are both good and dear4 ,the four sorts ,i recommend are ,seelanders1 ,vliessingers1 ,middleburgers1 and ,vieringers4 ,the latter are almost the finest and best1 but uncommonly dear1 and are mostly consumed in ,holland4 #aj4 ,mediterranean ,oysters4--,i have already referred to classical authorities for the character the ancients gave those of ,circe and the ,lucrine ,sea2 and the old rule1 de mortius nil1 forbids me to say in what rank ,i place ,horace the inimitable1 ,seneca the wise1 and ,pliny the naturalist1 as judges of what an oyster should be4 ,where ignorance is bliss1 people can be very happy4 ,till the ,turk1 by an accidental fire1 had become acquainted with the taste of roast pork1 there were many less fires in ,stamboul than now4 ,till the ,romans found the ,rutupians1 the ,lucrine flourished2 so did ,circe4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,the ,,treasure ,,of ,,an ,,oyster4 ,sweet names given to ,pearls2 ,barry ,cornwall ,proctor's lines2 ,component parts of ,pearls2 ,mother-of-pearl2 ,how ,pearls are formed1 ,sorrows into ,gems2 ,their nucleus2 ,sir ,everard ,home and ,sir ,david ,brewster2 ,curious shapes and fancy ,jewellery2 ,pearl ,fisheries3 ,bahrein ,island and ,bay of ,candalchy2 ,miseries of the ,divers2 ,pearls as ,physic2 ,immense value of recorded ,pearls4 ,of all beautiful things in the world the pearl is the rarest and most beautiful4 ,nothing can exceed it1 nothing can equal it1 although they try very hard in ,french and ,roman ways1 in glassy globules which continually crack1 or in round spots of wax1 which1 instead of adorning1 adhere to the neck of beauty1 and when old age comes upon it1 turn yellow and wrinkled like the skin of a dowager4 ,nay1 nothing can well imitate it1 although art has gone somewhat near it4 ,but to a knowing eye one might as well seek to imitate truth1 or palm away upon the unwary a copy of true virgin innocence as to imitate a pearl4 ,we know all the answers that the dowagers can make2 we know that the imitations are so cheap1 so pretty2 we know that certain dowagers--witness ,margaret1 ,duchess ,dowager of ,lancaster--sell their real pearls and wear cunning imitations2 we know that they in vain try to persuade themselves that the false are as good as the true ones2 but only look hard at the ornaments1 and the duchess is abashed4 ,to test false pearls1 one has only to put a true one by them1 and the difference1 as advertisers say1 will be at once perceived4 ,let us devote this last portion of our book to the history of the pearl4 ,its very names are pretty4 ,looloo1 ,mootoo1 ,mootie1 ,margarit1 ,perles1 ,perlii1 ,perlas1 ,pearls1 all sweet1 pretty1 mouth-rounding names1 but worthy to be applied to the lustrous and beautiful spheres which we call pearls4 ,principium culmenque omnium1 rerum pretii tenent3 ,of all things1 pearls1 said ,pliny1 two thousand years ago1 kept the very top1 highest1 best1 and first price4 ,what was true then is true now4 ,there are few things so immortal as good taste4 ,let us pay something on account of our debt to the oyster4 ,having regarded that placid creditor as an article of food1 ,i now propose to treat him as an assistant to the toilet4 ,and1 looking at him in that point of view1 here is not a bad instalment of the aforesaid debt1 contributed by ,barry ,cornwall4 ,within the midnight of her hair1 ,half-hidden in its deepest deeps1 ,a single peerless1 priceless pearl 7,all filmy-eyed7 for ever sleeps4 ,without the diamond's sparkling eyes1 ,the ruby's blushes--there it lies1 ,modest as the tender dawn1 ,when her purple veil's withdrawn-- ,the flower of gems1 a lily cold and pale4 ,yet1 what doth all avail8-- ,all its beauty1 all its grace8 ,all the honours of its place8 ,he who pluck'd it from its bed1 ,in the far blue ,indian ,ocean1 ,lieth1 without life or motion1 ,in his earthy dwelling--dead6 ,all his children1 one by one1 ,when they look up to the sun1 ,curse the toil by which he drew ,the treasure from its bed of blue4 ,costly as pearls are1 they are merely the calcareous production of ,mollusks4 ,diamonds have elsewhere been shown to be merely charcoal2 the pearl is little else but concentric layers of membrane and carbonate of lime4 ,all ,mollusks are instances of that beneficent law of nature1 that the hard parts accommodate themselves to the soft4 ,the common naked snail1 the mussel1 cockle1 oyster1 garden helix1 strombus1 and nautilus1 elegant or rough1 rare or common1 each illustrate this grand law4 ,the body of a soft consistence is enclosed in an elastic skin4 ,from this skin calcareous matter is continually exuded4 ,this protects the animal1 and forms the shell4 ,where the waves are rough1 and rocks superabundant1 then the shell is rough1 hard1 stony1 fit to weather anything2 where only smooth water and halcyon days are to be looked for1 ,nature1 which never works in vain1 provides but paper sides and an egg-shell boat1 such as the little nautilus navigates and tacks and steers in4 ,besides forming the rough outside1 the calcareous exuvium1 the mucus of the oyster1 and other mollusks1 form that beautiful substance1 so smooth and polished1 and dyed with rainbow tints and a glorious opalescence1 which1 be it as common as luxury has made it1 still charms the eye4 ,this is the lining of the shell1 the mother-of-pearl1 nacre4 ,the inside of the shell1 said old ,dampier--that old sailor with a poet's mind--is more glorious even than the pearl itself4 ,it is glorious2 it has the look of the morning1 and the tint of the evening sky2 the colours of the prism chastened1 softened1 retained1 and made perpetual in it3 this is mother-o'-pearl4 ,to render its bed always soft and cosy1 to lie warm1 packed as one might at ,malvern in wet sheets1 seems to be the oyster's pleasure4 ,this singular exuvium1 this mucus1 not only creates pleasure1 but alleviates pain4 ,some irritating substance1 some internal worry and annoyance1 it may be a dead embryo1 or a grain of sand insinuates itself1 and1 lo6 the creature covers it with this substance to ease off its unkind tooth1 and converts it into a pearl4 ,that is the way they are made1 these wondrous gems6 ,and very beautiful is the thought that the most highly prized of gems should be but the effect of a creature to ease off a sorrow4 ,every one knows ,shakspeare's wondrously fine reflection upon the uses of sorrow and adversity1 which1 ,like the toad1 ugly and venomous1 ,bears yet a precious jewel in its head4 ,the precious jewel of the toad1 which some critics and commentators have endeavoured to prove its glittering eye1 has long been exploded4 ,our old alchemists believed in the toadstone2 we do not4 ,the fable remains in its pristine beauty2 but here is one truth equally beautiful1 that the adversity of the oyster turns to a jewel so costly and glorious1 that monarchs reckon it amongst the records of their houses and conquered provinces4 ,may we ever turn our sorrows and troubles to as good an account2 may we ever continue to do so1 for assuredly some men do4 ,the best of men are those who are tried by affliction and trouble1 or those who have some deep and secret care1 which they hide in their hearts1 and which makes them wiser and better4 ,shelley has a theory that poets are made somewhat after the fashion of pearls1 or that1 at any rate1 their poetry is so produced4 ,he sings-- ,most wretched men ,are cradled into poetry by wrong2 ,they learn in suffering1 what they teach in song4 ,we have very little doubt but that the true poetry from which the world learns anything worth learning is so produced4 ,there have been other theories as to the production of the pearl1 some holding that the interior formation which we state to be a grain of sand1 is a dead ovum which the fish attempts to exude4 ,this theory1 too1 has its supporters4 ,if1 said ,sir ,everard ,home1 if ,i can prove that this1 the richest jewel in a monarch's crown1 which cannot be imitated by any art of man 7he is rather wrong there2 it can be imitated1 and wonderfully imitated too17 either in beauty of form or brilliancy of lustre1 is the abortive egg of an oyster enveloped in its own nacre1 who will not be struck with wonder and astonishment8 ,wonder and astonishment are words which scarcely exist now4 ,science has shown so many wonders that we are hardly astonished at anything2 but ,sir ,everard's assertion admits of proof4 ,a pearl cut in two exhibits the concentric layers like an onion1 as may be seen through a strong lens2 and in the centre is a round hole1 very minute it may be1 but wherein the ovum has been deposited4 ,sometimes the ovum1 or sand1 or enclosed substance has attached itself to the shell1 and has then been covered with mucus1 forming a pearl which cannot be separated from the shell4 ,there are several specimens of such pearls in the ,british ,museum4 ,the great beauty in pearls is their opalescence1 and a lustre which1 as we have before observed1 however clever the imitation1 has never yet been given to artificial pearls4 ,sir ,everard ,home supposes that this lustre arises from the highly polished coat of the centre shell1 the pearl itself being diaphanous4 ,sir ,david ,brewster accounts for it by the pearl and mother-of-pearl having a grooved substance on its surface resembling the minute corrugations often seen on substances covered with oil1 paint1 or varnish4 ,philosophers are sometimes not very explanatory4 ,sir ,david means to say that beneath the immediate polish of the pearl there are certain wavelets and dimples from which the light is reflected4 ,the direction of the grooves1 again to quote ,sir ,david1 is in every case at right angles to the line joining the coloured image2 hence1 in irregularly formed mother-of-pearl1 where the grooves are often circular1 and have every possible direction1 the coloured images appear irregularly scattered round the ordinary image4 ,in the regular pearl these are crowded1 from its spherical form1 into a small space2 hence its marvellous appearance of white unformed light1 and hence its beauty and value4 ,to prove the translucency of the pearl1 we have only to hold one which is split to a candle1 where1 by interposing coloured substance or light1 we shall have the colour transmitted through the pearl4 ,curious as is the formation of the pearl1 we have yet a cognate substance to it4 ,what we call bezoar1 and the ,hindoos faduj1 is a concretion of a deepish olive-green colour found in the stomach of goats1 dogs1 cows1 or other animals3 the hog bezoar1 the bovine bezoar1 and the camel bezoar2 this last the ,hindoos turn into a yellow paint2 but the harder substances the ,hindoo jewellers polish and thread and use as jewels2 so that from the stomach of the lower animals1 and from the secretions of a shell-fish1 the still grasping1 prying1 worrying1 proud1 vain-glorious1 busy man gets him an ornament for her whom he most loves1 for him whom he most honours4 ,the question of obtaining pearls and of slaying divers1 of feeding sharks with human limbs1 of the eye-balls starting and the tympanum of the ear bursting1 of the pains1 perils1 and penalties of the pearl divers1 must be touched incidentally in any true account of this precious gem4 ,vanity demands the aid of ,cruelty1 and for her gratification human sacrifices are still made4 ,in the ,persian ,gulf1 at ,ceylon1 and in the ,red ,sea1 the early sources of the ,greeks and ,romans1 we yet find our supply4 ,pearls are also found in the ,indian ,ocean along the ,coromandel coast and elsewhere2 as also in the ,gulf of ,california2 but the two grand headquarters are in ,bahrein ,island1 in the ,persian ,gulf1 and in the ,bay of ,condalchy1 in the ,gulf of ,manaar1 off the ,island of ,ceylon4 ,the fishery at ,ceylon is a monopoly of the ,british ,government1 but1 like many ,government monopolies1 it is said to cost a great deal more than it produces4 ,in #ahjd ,government leased it for #abj1jjj per annum2 in #ahbh it only yielded #bh1jjj4e ,it is a desert and barren spot2 no one can fall in love with it2 sands and coral reefs are not picturesque2 yet1 in its season1 it attracts more to its shores than one of our best watering-places4 ,divers1 merchants1 ,arab-hawkers1 drillers1 jewellers1 and talkers2 fish-sellers1 butchers1 boat-caulkers1 and ,hindoo ,robinsons and ,walkers are all found there4 ,the period is limited to six weeks1 or two months at most1 from ,february to ,april2 and whilst they are making money these people are rather eager1 look you4 ,but the fishers themselves1 victims of cruelty as they are1 are also victims to their own superstition and ignorance4 ,a ,hindoo or ,parsee blesses the water to drive away the sharks2 a diver may be frightened or ill1 and the holidays are so numerous1 that the actual work-days amount only to thirty in the season4 ,the boats assembled sail at ten at night1 a signal gun being then let off4 ,they then set sail1 reach the banks before daybreak1 and at sunrise the divers begin to take their headers4 ,they continue at this work till noon1 when a breeze starting up1 they return4 ,the cargoes are taken out before the night sets in1 and the divers are refreshed4 ,each boat carries twenty men--ten rowers and ten divers--besides a chief1 or pilot4 ,the divers work five at a time alternately1 leaving the others time to recruit4 ,to go down quickly they use a large stone of red granite1 which they catch hold of with their foot4 ,each diver holds a net-work bag in his right hand1 closes his nostrils with his left1 or with a piece of bent horn1 and descends to the bottom4 ,there he darts about him as quickly as he can1 picking up with toes and fingers1 and putting the oysters into his net-work bag4 ,when this is full1 or he is exhausted1 he pulls the rope1 and is drawn1 leaving the stone to be pulled up after him4 ,when the oysters are very plentiful1 the diver may bring up one hundred and fifty at a dip4 ,after this violent exertion1 blood flows from nose1 ears1 and eyes4 ,the divers cannot exceed generally one minute's immersion4 ,one and a half1 and even two1 have been reached by extraordinary efforts4 ,those who can endure four and five minutes are spoken of4 ,one also we are told of--an apocryphal fellow1 we should think--who coming in #agig from ,arjango1 stayed under water six minutes4 ,the divers live not to a great age4 ,heart diseases1 surfeits1 sores1 blood-shot eyes1 staggering limbs1 and bent backs--these are part of their wages4 ,sometimes they die on reaching the surface1 suddenly1 as if struck by a shot4 ,at ,bahrein1 the annual amount produced by the pearl fishery may be reckoned at from #bjj1jjj to #bdj1jjj2 add to this purchases made by the merchants of ,abootabee1 and we have #cfj1jjj to include the whole pearl trade of the ,gulf1 since1 through their agents at ,bahrein1 merchants from ,constantinople1 ,bagdad1 ,alexandria1 ,timbuctoo1 ,new ,york1 ,calcutta1 ,paris1 ,st4 ,petersburg1 ,holy ,moscowa1 or ,london1 make their purchases4 ,but1 says our credible informant1 ,i have not put down the sum at one-sixth of that told me by the native merchants4 ,but even then an enormous amount is that1 to be used in mere ornament1 and in one article only4 ,well1 not exactly ornament4 ,in ,eastern lands1 says ,mr4 ,thomas ,moore1 they talk in flowers4 ,very flowery certainly is their talk4 ,they also1 good easy people1 take pearls for physic--not for dentifrice--,easterns always having white teeth1 apparently1 so far as ,i have been able to judge1 without the trouble of cleaning them--but as a regular dose4 ,they call it majoon2 it is an electuary1 and myriads of small seed pearls are ground to impalpable powder to make it4 ,as for the adulteration in this article1 doubtless to be found1 ,i say nothing4 ,the simple lime from the inside of the shell would be just as white and just as good4 ,common magnesia would have the same effect2 but1 good sirs1 if an old ,emir1 or rich ,bonze1 wishes to pay an enormous price for something to swallow to comfort his good old inside1 why not8 ,do not let us brag too much3 from the time of old ,gower1 doctor of physic1 to ,dr4 ,cheyne1 we have1 sir1 swallowed everything1 from toads' brains to the filings of a murderer's irons1 as very proper physic4 ,the ,bahrein fishery-boats amount to #aejj1 and the trade is in the hands of merchants who possess much capital4 ,this they lend out at cent4 per cent42 they buy up1 and they beat down2 they juggle1 cheat1 rig the market1 rob in a legal way a whole boat's crew1 grow enormously rich1 and preach morality4 ,nor do they forget superstition4 ,in the chief boat1 when they fish1 sits a jolly old cheat1 a magician1 called the binder of sharks1 who waves about his skinny hands1 jumps1 howls1 incants1 and otherwise exerts his cabalistic powers1 and will not allow the divers1 nor are they willing1 to descend till he declares the moment propitious4 ,to add some weight to their devotions1 they debar themselves of food or drink during this ,mumbo-,jumbo play1 but afterwards a species of toddy makes them like ,roger the ,monk1--excessively drunk4 ,the true shape of the pearl should be a perfect sphere4 ,in ,india1 and elsewhere1 those of the largest size find the readiest sale1 and realize immense prices4 ,the very finest pearls are sent to ,europe1 and of these the very finest of the fine are sent to ,london and ,paris4 ,thence the great people of the land procure their choice specimens4 ,the late ,emperor of ,russia used to purchase for his wife--of whom he was exceedingly fond1 and who has lately joined him in that bourne from which neither traveller1 emperor1 king1 nor beggar ever returns--the very finest pearl he could procure3 a virgin pearl and a perfect sphere was what he sought1 for he would not have any that had been worn by others4 ,after five-and-twenty years' search1 he presented to the ,empress such a necklace as had never been seen before4 ,immense prices have been given and are still given for pearls4 ,julius ,csar1 in love with the mother of ,marcus ,brutus1 is said to have presented her with a pearl worth #dh1dag #ajs41 which we can believe or not1 according to our natures4 ,cleopatra1 as all the world has read1 drank1 dissolved in vinegar1 a pearl which cost #hj1gbi of our money1 and1 as we know from ,shakspeare1 ,marc ,antony sent to her a treasure of an oyster of wondrous beauty4 ,clodius1 the glutton 7surely a gourmet1 not a gourmand71 swallowed one worth #hjgb #ahs4 ,one of the modern pearls was bought by ,tavernier at ,catifa1 and sold by him to the ,shah of ,persia for #aaj1jjj2 another was obtained by ,philip ,,ii4 of ,spain1 off the ,columbian coast1 which weighed #bej carats1 and was valued at #ad1djj ducats1 which is equal to about #ac1iif4 ,pliny1 the naturalist1 tells us of a pearl which was valued at #hj1jjj sterling4 ,that which ,philip ,,ii4 had was nearly as large as a pigeon's egg4 ,pliny's was somewhat smaller4 ,but size is not alone the test of value4 ,shape and form must be taken into consideration4 ,some pearls are very curiously misshapen1 and of so large a size that it would seem a wonder how the fish could exist with them in the shell4 ,these misshapen pearls are generally of an uneven surface and lustre1 and are prized by the ,eastern jewellers very much1 and were also sought after by the fanciful goldsmiths and enamellers of the cinque-cento period1 when they were set into sword-hilts1 or formed into toys or gems1 just as the fancy and shape might suggest4 ,we have seen one large long pearl mounted by a ,spanish jeweller into the order of the golden fleece1 the legs and head of the sheep being of gold1 the body formed by the pearl4 ,amongst the loot taken at ,lucknow was a set of miniature animals and birds1 all formed of large but misshapen pearls1 the tails1 heads1 eyes1 c41 of the creatures being of gold set with diamonds4 ,any one who has seen much medival work in the precious metals1 or the illuminated pages of early printed books on vellum1 of ,italian execution1 will be able to recall many curious instances of this quaint kind of vertu4 ,the largest pearl of which we have heard was one spoken of by ,bethius1 the size of a muscadine pear4 ,it was named the ,incomparable1 and weighed thirty carats or five pennyweights4 ,tavernier's pearl would1 if engraved1 well illustrate the rocky1 eccentric1 and oft-times triangular shapes in which these gems are found4 ,they often adhere to the shell1 and cannot be removed without the saw4 ,after such an operation they would merely rank as half pearls1 which1 by the way1 are those generally mounted in jewellery and rings4 ,did our scope allow of a description of the manufacture from fish scales of the substitute for the real pearl1 the marvellously clever imitation which is worn1 wittingly1 by many a gracious lady1 and unwittingly by many another1 we should have another interesting story to tell4 ,but these imitations may be considered as frauds upon our placid creditor the oyster--or1 shall we say1 compositions with him1 and beneath the notice of1 debtors who are trying to behave honestly to a bivalve4 ,properly speaking1 however1 the ,pearl oyster 7,avicula margaritacea71 from which the greater number of pearls1 and the largest quantity of mother-of-pearl is obtained1 is not an oyster strictly so called1 but belongs to an allied genus4 ,the pearl oyster is an oval-pointed recurved-edged mussel2 the lower shell with a hood-shaped hollow point1 the upper one like a cover1 leafy and pearly1 of a rosy purple-white colour4 ,the common oyster 7,ostrea edulis71 on the contrary1 has a round-oval mussel-shell1 thin towards the edges1 with tiled leaves adhering to one another1 the upper shell quite flat4 ,some variety exists in these1 some having elongated edges1 owing to the difference of age4 99 99 99 99 99 ,gentle reader6 when ,queen ,mary1 whom men call ,bloody ,mary1 died1 and ,queen ,elizabeth1 ,protestant ,elizabeth1 came to the throne1 ,osorius1 the good ,bishop of ,arcoburge1 a staunch bishop of the ,church of ,rome1 sent her a sugared pill1 which he hoped would at once convert the queen1 and drive out the obnoxious heresy from the land4 ,that all might read it1 he himself wrote it in ,latin3 ,epistola ad ,clarissimam ,principam ,elizabetham2 had it translated into ,french1 which honest old ,strype says gave great offence1 as une bien longue et docte ,epistre ,madame ,elizabeth1 ,royne d' ,angleterre2 and to gild the nasty thing1 called it1 in ,english1 ,a ,perle for a ,prince2 but all the ingenuity of quackery could not disguise the drastic pill1 and neither the queen nor her lieges would swallow it4 ,i have seen all three books in the ,grenville ,library in the ,british ,museum1 and at once pronounce them nothing but mock pearls4 ,now1 ,i have extracted for your delectation a real pearl out of the ,oyster1 in the shape of this little book4 ,it is ,christmas-tide4 ,cherish it for those best of pearls1 kindly thoughts and loving remembrances1 which the ,oyster calls into being when the ,holly and the ,mistletoe deck our walls4 ----- ,footnote #e3 ,the pearl fishery at ,ceylon1 however1 has been very profitable during the present year1 the yield being sometimes worth from #aj1jjj dollars to #cj1jjj dollars per day4 ,an attempt is being made to re-establish the pearl fishery in the ,gulf of ,california4 ,some very fine pearls were found there nearly a century ago4 ,,london3 ,,william ,,stevens1 ,,printer1 ,,bell ,,yard1 ,,temple ,,bar4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,footnotes3 ,transcriber's ,note ,the original spelling and punctuation has been retained4 ,variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved4 ,italicized words and phrases in the text version are presented by surrounding the text with underscores4