40S PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO \6Qg. 



lander, which they call caskass, and this into ihe mouth of the pot, that so all 

 the steam arising from the meat is imbibed by the cuscusoo, which causes it to 

 Swell, and make it fit to be eaten : when it is well done, they put the cuscusoo 

 out in the dish, and heaping it up, they make a place for the meat to lie in, 

 putting also a good deal of spices, as ginger, pepper, saffron, &c. This dish is 

 set upon a mat on the ground, and four men may easily sit about it, though I 

 have seen six and more at one dish ; they sit with their buttocks on the calves 

 of their legs, with the soles of their feet on the ground. If there are many to 

 eat at this meal, there are more dishes. This dish they have in use sometimes 

 at breakfast, as well as dinner and supper; but it is commonly used for the last 

 two meals. They cover it with a thing made on purpose, and it will keep hot 

 enough two hours. At a stately entertainment, they will have a sheep roasted 

 whole, sometimes a half, or a quarter, on a wooden spit, or the most conveni- 

 ent thing they can find. They do not continually keep turning it as we do, but 

 leisurely let one side be almost roasted before they turn the other. The fire is 

 commonly of wood burnt to clear coal, and made so, that the heat ascends to 

 the meat. They baste it with oil, incorporated with a little salt and water. 

 They let it be thoroughly roasted ; then they say, Bismiillah, in the name of 

 God; after they have washed their right hands, they pull the meat in pieces, 

 and fall to eating. For they never use but their right hand in eating, and one 

 holds while the otiier pulls it asunder, distributing the pieces to the rest, as he 

 pulls them oft". They seldom use a knife, and a fork is a rare thing among them. 

 They are dexterous at this way of carving, and never flinch at the heat of the 

 meat, for that would look mean, and might occasion another more bold to take 

 the oflFice upon him. When they have done, they lick their fingers; and as 

 often as they have a hot dish, they wash their hands afresh. They then have 

 •alfdoush, or vermicelli, with some meat on it, stewed meat well spiced, with 

 savoury broth ; which, after they have eat the meat, they dip their bread in the 

 sauce, or broth, and eat it. They are cleanly in their cookery, and if a hair be 

 found, it is a capital crime, but a fly not, because it has wings, and may get in 

 after it passes from the cook's charge or management. Cubbob is small pieces 

 of mutton, wmpped in the cawl of a sheep. Some make good cubbob of the 

 liver, lights, and heart. They pepper and salt them, and put sweet herbs and 

 saffion into them, then roast them, and when they dish them up, squeeze an 

 orane;e or two on them. Thus they use commonly in their stewed meats 

 lemon, and orange for roast or fish. Eimorosia is pieces of beef, of cow or 

 camel, stewed with butter, honey, and water: some mix rob of wine in it; lliey 

 add saflmn, garlick, or onions, a little salt, and when it is enough serve it up. 

 Tliey will treat you with stewed hare and roasted hens and partridges : these 



