FISH -EATING MANKIND 269 



as the war prevented fishermen going far out to 

 sea, and their numbers were constantly being 

 depleted by impressment. Thus inland folk never 

 tasted salt-water fish unless some friend in town 

 sent some down by the mail-coach. 



This recalls the scene when Pickwick and his 

 friends paid a Christmas visit to Dingley Dell, 

 and the philanthropist personally superintended 

 the stowing away in the boot of a huge codfish 

 several sizes too large for it, and half a dozen 

 barrels of real native ojj'sters — all the property of 

 Mr. Pickwick. 



Even in the early Victorian days, when railways 

 had brought London within easy touch of the sea, 

 fish was not in constant use. The poor did not 

 care for it, declared there was no nourishment in 

 it, and classed it with foreign kickshaws and soup. 

 The well-to-do tolerated it, but relegated it to 

 grand occasions, when it was represented chiefly 

 by cod and turbot. I seldom remember, as a boy, 

 having fish for dinner. We had salt ling on Ash 

 Wednesday, I know, and I loathed it. Occa- 

 sionally, in summer, as a great treat, we had 

 salmon. For invalids during convalescence boiled 

 sole was generally prescribed, and plaice with 

 oysters ; in fact, I always associated oysters with 

 convalescence. They were brought ready for use 



