Of Food. 445 



while the poor, who, one would think, ought to be con- 

 sidered as having almost an exclusive right to them 

 (as they were both invented by the poor of a neigh- 

 bouring nation), are kept in perfect ignorance of them. 

 But these two kinds of food are so palatable, whole- 

 some, and nourishing, and may be provided so easily 

 and at so very cheap a rate in all countries, and par- 

 ticularly in Great Britain, that I think I cannot do 

 better than to devote a few pages to the examination 

 of them ; and I shall begin with polenta, or Indian 

 corn, as it is called in this country. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Of Indian Corn. — It affords the cheapest and most 

 nourishing Food known. — Proofs that it is more 

 nourishing than Rice. — Different Ways of prepar- 

 ing or cooking it. — Computation of the Expense 

 of feeding a Person with it, founded on Experi- 

 ment. — Approved Receipt for m,aking an Indian 

 Pudding. 



I CANNOT help increasing the length of this Essay 

 much beyond the bounds I originally assigned to 

 it, in order to have an opportunity of recommending a 

 kind of food which I believe to be beyond comparison 

 the most nourishing, cheapest, and most wholesome 

 that can be procured for feeding the poor. This is 

 Indian corn, a most valuable production, and which 



