20^ SPOET IN NORTH AMEEICA. 



only deliglited tlie olfactories^ but excited the hopes 

 of both palate and stomach. 



At length he returned, dressed in a suit of white 

 linen, and the supper was served up forthwith ; Mia, 

 the negress, having dexterously laid the cloth, and 

 spread it with the proper complement of knives, 

 forks, plates, &c. Downing re-appeared with a 

 mighty tureen of turtle soup, of the excellence of 

 which he evidently did not entertain the slightest 

 doubt. This he proceeded to serve out with a 

 wooden ladle, duly apportioning the green fat, 

 forcemeat balls (of the size of a pigeon's egg), and 

 the yolks of eggs poached. The flavour and aroma 

 of the soup were delicious, and flattered alike the 

 palate and the nose. I had eaten turtle soup many 

 a time before at the tables d'hote of many a hotel, 

 but never anything so exquisite as this. Suffice it 

 to say that between us we finished the tureen. 



After the soup, came a turtle steak, flavoured 

 with lemon juice and pimento; a succulent and 

 savoury dish, Avhich met with my entire appreciation. 

 The next dish served by Mia was composed of the 

 eggs of the green turtle, and was of a flavour and 

 perfume which astonished me. During the discus- 

 sion of these dishes, some excellent red still Catawba 

 was served, a wine which is not unlike our Beaune 

 or Joigny.* For dessert we had pine-apples, ba- 



* The Catawba is a very sweet grape, and is capable of producing 

 an admirable wine. It is the best wine in the States, and the wine 



