THE COOKERY OF THE RABBIT 225 



burrows. They tell us that he originally passed into 

 tawny Spain from more torrid Africa, though as to 

 whether he was introduced by the invading Arabs, 

 swam the Straits, or passed through the submarine 

 tunnel by which the monkeys came from Apes Hill to 

 the Rock of Gibraltar, the soundest historians are not 

 agreed. Be that as it may, it seems certain that 

 Spain is his European Stammland, whence he has 

 spread over all southern countries to the shores of the 

 ^.gean. 



The Spaniards have always had him in high con- 

 sideration. He is engraved on their ancient coins and 

 medals, and we are told by Strabo that they used to con- 

 sign him by shiploads to the Roman markets. ' Lord, 

 what a draught London has ! ' exclaimed Scott in his 

 diary, when he saw a fleet of Thames smacks fishing 

 off Cape Wrath. But that was nothing to the draught 

 of Republican or Imperial Rome, when a Lucullus 

 or a Vitellius was ransacking the Roman world for 

 luxuries. As there were no refrigerating chambers 

 in those days, we can only suppose that live rabbits 

 were stowed away in hutches. Considering the 

 length and chances of the voyage, the freights could 

 not have been low, and the rabbits must have been 

 intended for the tables of the wealthy. And they must 

 have been consigned very much out of condition, as the 



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