240 
OBITUARY. 
FOOD OF THE CHINESE. 
“The Chinese have no prejudice whatever as regards 
food ; they eat anything and everything from which they 
can derive nutrition. Dogs, especially puppies, are habitually 
sold for food ; and I have seen in the butchers’ shops large 
dogs skinned, and hanging with their viscera, by the side of 
pigs and goats. Even to rats and mice the Chinese have no 
objection — neither to the flesh of monkeys and snakes ; the 
sea slug is an aristocratical and costly delicacy, which is 
never wanting, any more than the edible birds’ nests, at a 
feast where honour is intended to be done to the guests. 
Unhatched ducks and chickens are a favorite dish. Nor do 
the early stages of putrefaction create any disgust; rotten 
eggs are by no means condemned to perdition ; fish is the 
more acceptable when it has a strong fragrance and flavour 
to give more gusto to the rice. 
“As the food the Chinese eat is for the most part hard, 
coarse, and of little cost, so their beverages are singularly 
economical. Drunkenness is a rare vice in China, and 
fermented spirits or strong drinks are seldom used. Tea 
may be said to be the national, the universal beverage ; and 
though that employed by the multitude does not cost more 
than from 3d. to 6d. per lb., an infusion of less costly leaves 
is commonly employed, especially in localities remote from 
the tea districts. Both in eating and drinking the Chinese 
are temperate, and are satisfied with two daily meals — the 
morning rice’ at about 10 a.m., and the 6 evening rice’ at 
5 p.m. The only repugnance I have observed in China is 
to the use of milk — an extraordinary prejudice, especially 
considering the Tartar influences which have been long 
dominant in the land; but I never saw or heard of butter, 
cream, milk, or whey, being introduced at any native Chinese 
table . — Sir J. Bowring . 
OBITUARY. 
Died, on January 23d, at Kirkaldy, Robert Dods, M.R.C. 
V.S. Mr. Dods’s diploma bears the date of May 12th, 1826. 
ERRATA IN NO. 351. 
Page 180, 4th line from the bottom, for J. Brown read J. Burr ; and in 
the last line, for “permitted to resign his command,” read commission. 
