Of Food. 465 



cheapest rate, I know not ; nor can I tell how far the 

 free importation of it might be detrimental to our 

 public finances. I cannot, however, help thinking that 

 it is so great an object to this country to keep down 

 the prices of provisions, or rather to check the alarm- 

 ing celerity with which they are rising, that means 

 ought to be found to facilitate the importation, and 

 introduction into common use, of an article of food of 

 such extensive utility. It might serve to correct, in 

 some measure, the baleful influence of another article 

 of foreign produce (tea), which is doing infinite harm 

 in this island. 



A point of great importance in preparing an Indian 

 pudding is to boil it properly and sufficiently. The 

 water must be actually boiling when the pudding is 

 put into it, and it never must be suffered to cease 

 boiling for a moment, till it is done ; and, if the pud- 

 ding is not boiled full six hours, it will not be suffi- 

 ciently cooked. Its hardness, when done, will depend 

 on the space left in the bag for its expansion. The 

 consistency of the pudding ought to be such that it 

 can be taken out of the bag without falling to pieces ; 

 but it is always better, on many accounts, to make it 

 too hard than too soft. The form of the pudding may 

 be that of a cylinder, or rather of a truncated cone, 

 the largest end being towards the mouth of the bag, 

 in order that it may be got out of the bag with greater 

 facility ; or it may be made of a globular form, by ty- 

 ing it up in a napkin. But, whatever is the form of 

 the pudding, the bag or napkin in which it is to be 

 boiled must be wet in boiling water before the pudding 

 (which is quite liquid before it is boiled) is poured 

 into it ; otherwise it will be apt to run through the cloth. 



VOL. IV. 30 



