462 Of Food. 



the merchant, it certainly ought not to cost in London 

 more than \s. %d. the gallon,* and this would bring it 

 to 2d. per pound. 



If we take the prices of Indian meal and molasses 

 as they are here ascertained, and compute the expense 

 of the ingredients for the pudding before mentioned, 

 it will be as follows : — 



Pence 



3 lbs. of Indian meal, at \\d. ...... 3| 



•| lb. of molasses, at 2d. i^ 



I oz. salt, at 2d. per pound o^ 



Total .... sf 



Now, as the pudding weighed ioj-q lbs., this gives 

 two farthings, very nearly, for each pound of pudding; 

 which is certainly very cheap indeed, particularly when 

 the excellent qualities of the food are considered. 



This pudding, which ought to come out of the bag 

 sufiRciently hard to retain its form, and even to be cut 

 into slices, is so rich and palatable that it may very 

 well be eaten without any sauce ; but those who can 

 afford it commonly eat it with butter. A slice of the 

 pudding, about half an inch or three quarters of an 

 inch in thickness, being laid hot upon a plate, an 

 excavation is made in the middle of it with the point 

 of the knife, into which a small piece of butter, as large 

 perhaps as a nutmeg, is put, and where it soon melts. 

 To expedite the melting of the butter, the small piece 

 of pudding which is cut out of the middle of the slice 

 to form the excavation for receiving the butter is fre- 

 quently laid over the butter for a few moments, and is 

 taken away (and eaten) as soon as the butter is melted. 



* Molasses imported from the French West India Islands into the American 

 states is commonly sold there from \2d. to li^d. the gallon. 



