126 
piaced it in a bafket near the fire. The 
young <at heard it chirp, and attempted 
to take 1: eutof the bafket, which the fer- 
vant, fuppofiag fhe wanted to killand eat 
it, prevesied. Soon afterwards, however, 
the creature accomplifhed her purpofe ; 
but, initead of hurting it, fhe carried it to 
her own bed, where the cherifhed it as if 
it had beenakitten. -Quickly after, ano- 
ther chicken was brought into the houfe; 
and placed as the former had been. The 
cat prefently took that alio to her neft, 
and treated them both as if they were her 
own offspring. Her attachment to them 
was fo ftrong, that fhe would not leave 
them, even when the bafket was repeat- 
edly removed into a diftant room, to ex- 
hibit this great curiofity te perfons wha 
wifhed tofeeit. Upon the removal of the 
chickens, the poor animal appeared dif- 
anoles and in a fhort time fhe actually 
ied. . 
Now I have my pen in my hand, I beg 
leave to mention another fact, in proof of 
what one of your Correfpondents fome 
months ago denied, but others afrmed, 
refpecting earevigs. I knew a fervant- 
maid, who was {uppofed to have one of 
thefe infects in her ear... The fenfation 
was painful in the extreme, and long con- 
tinued. At length the caufe was plainly 
difcovered, by the appearance of young 
earwigs, which had bred in the ear. Of 
the particulars I could produce many cre- 
ditable witneffles, 
Sl ED a SRK) 
Fan. 7, 180%. Wour’s, G0. Pt. 
= 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
NDIAN corn, or MalizE, is confider- 
ed by the aboriginal inhabitants of 
North America as fuperior to all other 
grain for the ufe of man: nor do the Eu- 
Fopeans on the eaftern coafts of that exten- 
five continent hold this fpecies of grain 
in much lefs eftimation. By the for- 
mer, notwithftanding their knowledge of 
wheat and other grain, it continues to be 
ufed almoft exclufively : and in thofe 
States, the foil of which is beft adapted to 
its cultivation, it is very generally ufed by 
the latter as the principal bread-corn of 
the yeomanry and peafantry, and contri- 
butes very largely to the: fuftenance and 
comfort of their inhabitants of all ranks, 
in the great variety of preparations of 
which it is peculiarly fufceptible ; and in- 
deed its nutritious and wholefome qualities 
entitle it to a preference with many im 
whom the confideration of price (heing 
2 
Preparations of Muize. 
" [March a} 
generally lefs than half that of wheat) is 
no object. But inthe compofition of fer- 
mented bread, it is difficult to make it fo 
light as that compofed wholly of wheaten 
flour, and therefore in this fora it is not 
much ufed in the Middie States ; but it is 
very common in thofe, where the latter is 
ever fo abundant, to add one-fourth part 
of Indian corn flour, in order to give 
moifture to the bread. For this purpofe, 
the Indian weal (as it is commonly called) 
is feparately prepared, by gradually throw- 
ing it into boiling water with one hand, 
the other being employed in ftirring it 
brifkly with a flatted fiick, until the mafs 
is reduced to a regular confiftence; it is 
then fuffered to boil or fimmer about half 
an hour, and, when cool, itis kneaded into 
the proper proportion ef wheaten flour, 
with yea/?, &c. as in the common way of 
making bread; which is alfo’ adopted 
when the Indian meal is ufed by itfelf. 
In this unmixed fate, it is alfo much ufed 
ewithout yeaft, being kneaded only with 
falt and water ; and when baked on a hoe, 
griddle, or in a common iron-pot, forms 
thofe called Aae-cakes, &e. which are often 
made and eaten within a very fhort times 
In making suf) or famp, the meal is ma- 
naged in the fame way as when intended 
to be mixed with wheaten flour for bread, 
excepting that, inftead of half an hour, it 
is continued over the fire fimmering for 
one, two, or even three hours—the time 
being determined by its confiftence or flu- 
idity ; as, if very thin, the pot often is 
fuffered to remain over the fire much longer. 
This preparation is eaten with milk, 
treacle, or butter. Another of the luxuries 
furnifhed by this. noble grain, is called 
hominy, which is the term applied to vari- 
ous modes of preparing the grain when 
not reduced to flour or meal; when whole, 
it is beaten about in a large mortar, in 
order to detach the bard thin fhin which 
envelopes the grain; when this is fifted 
off, the remainder is reduced, by gradual 
and long boiling, to a foft pulp: in this 
ftate it is referyed in earthen vefiels, and 
prepared for the table, either by re-boiling 
if with milk, frying, &c. The affluent 
are curious in the fele&tion of Indian corn 
for this and other domeltic purpofes ; but 
a very common practice is to foak a quan- 
tity, fay half a bufhel, of the grain about 
an hour in water, and then, inclofed in a 
large fack, to beat it until the this /hin 
falls off, when, being fifted, it is run 
through a mill fo coarfely fet as only to 
break tbe grain, and prepare it for the 
gradual boiling to a pulp before men-_ 
tioned—that being called great, and this 
—  fmall, 
9 
f 
4 
