252 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



In tlie course of our travels we had called at 

 various homesteads tenanted by extensive and 

 scientific agriculturists, of whose good cheer we 

 occasionally availed ourselves in furtherance of our 

 object, " to get understanding/' as Solomon has it. 

 The style in which these men lived took us rather 

 by surprise at first, imagining in our innocence or 

 ignorance that good strong home-brewed ale for 

 dinner, and a glass of grog afterwards to top up 

 with, might be the ultima Thule of their desires. 

 Great, then, was our surprise at the appearance of 

 champagne and sherry during the dinner hour, 

 succeeded by really good port and claret, which 

 could do violence to no man's feelings. The table 

 also literally groaned under the viands placed upon it. 

 Being an inland district, fish was unattainable, but 

 soup really good ; and at one hospitable house, we 

 had a round of boiled beef, with two couples of 

 roasted fowls on one dish,, placed before half a dozen 

 down-sitters. Not being over particular as to eat- 

 able or drinkables, the pleasing task of ordering 

 dinner at the various inns on the road where we 

 halted for the night was assigned to our companion, 

 who, strange to say, selected the produce of the 

 farmyard in preference to that of the field. Having 

 treated us two (lays in succession to this dish, we 

 asked, on the third, what he intended should be set 

 before us that evening. " If you have no ob- 

 jection, sir," was his reply, " there is nothing nicer 

 than a pair of fowls and a piece of bacon." 



"Toujours pcrdrix!" we exclaimed in surprise; 



