420 THE COMPLETE ANGLER. [PART H. 



I am dry with talking. Here, boy ! give us here a bottle, 

 and a glass; and sir, my service to you, and to all our 

 friends in the South. 



Viat. Your servant, sir, and I'll pledge you as heartily ; 

 for the good powdered beef 1 I eat at dinner, or something 

 else, has made me thirsty. 



1 Powdered (or salt) beef seems to have been a favourite viand at this 

 period. Walton says (Ch. V. p. 140,) "we will make a brave breakfast 

 with a piece of powdered beef." Skinner explains this old English dish 

 to be " Bceuf Saulpoudre, i. e. Sale couditus, vel sale, tanquam pulvere, 

 conspersus" (Etym. Ling. AngL) : thus, in the vernacular, Salt Beef. 

 At the same time we read of the "Powdering tub," in which the prepa- 

 ration was carried on. 



The dish seems always to have been associated with the modern vege- 

 table accompaniments. According to Tom o'Bedlam (printed in Percy's 

 Jleliques), 



The man in the moone drinks clarret, 

 Eats powdered Beef, turnip and carret. 



Shakspere has referred to this custom in the person of Falstaff : "Nay, 

 if you embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powder me and eat me 

 to-morrow." 1 Hen. IV., act v., s. 4. K. C. 



The Hiding Caves. 



