TOUJOURS PERDRIX. 89 



■piece de resistance. Even in the more civilised parts they 

 are the most common dish, and, indeed, all over India they 

 form the staple food of the English sahib. Luckily they 

 are very cheap, costing only from threepence to fourpence 

 each. It is true that for some unexplained reason they 

 are about the size of a pigeon or else nearly as big as 

 a turkey. There is nothing between. In the latter case, 

 they are as tough as an ostrich. Even after continued 

 stewing, and with a good pair of teeth, it is difficult to 

 make any impression on them. 



We are told a story about them, attributed to Lord 

 Lytton, whose Viceroyalty commenced about the time 

 when the depreciation of the rupee was beginning to be 

 felt, and Anglo-Indians to economise and complain of 

 the shrinking of their incomes. 



His Excellency, fresh from home, noticed, it is said, 

 how lavishly the chicken was consumed by people of all 

 classes and incomes, and remarked that "times could not 

 be so bad, when what was usually considered an expensive 

 delicacy appeared so regularly at each meal." H. E. 

 evidently was not aware of the toughness and cheapness 

 of the Indian variety ! 



In spite of the risk of their becoming un peu faisande, 

 we gave a standing order to the cook to keep his fowls 

 three or four days before cooking them. At first this 

 effected no improvement. They were still as tough as 



