PEUSSIÄN BEEF.
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meat, milk, butter, cheese, honey, fruit, berries, and nuts.Some things one eats raw—what?" Whereupon the childhas to answer, " Ham, sausages, herrings," &c. &c.
Now the eating of flesh, even to those who are not of theVegetarian persuasion, is at all times no very angelic Opera-tion, and \ve have known English surgeons who could not beprevailed upon to carve the roasted and boiled meats at dinner.But a Preusse is not afflicted with any such sensibility, for, tohis coarse raind, there appears to be no smack of cannibalismin eating the flesh of geese,— that once breathed and feit, ay,and perhaps thought like himself,—in its pure State of meredried animal tissue.
We will, however, proceed to deal seriatim with the severalsubjects which stand at the head of the present section.
The Prussian meat consists principally of "Rindfleisch,"literally bullocks'-flesh, and Anglich, beef, and this is sold at fivegroschens (about sixpence of our money) per pound, for whatwe call the "prime parts." The reader, however, must notfancy that the Rhenish bullock is like our own—bredandfedfor the sole purpose of the table; for in Rhineland the wretchedcreature, instead of Irving a life of luxury and ease, as with us,is used as a draught animal, and does almost as much work asan omnibus horse previous to being slaughtered,—nearly allthe " wagons " being drawn by the future beef of the country.
Now this custom has a double inconvenience: first, theUtility of the animal as a beast of bürden tends to prolong itslife far into the years of touglmess; and secondly, the hardlabour which the poor brüte has undergone not only wearsevery ounce of fat off its bones, but gives a sinewiness andgristly character, as well as coarse grain to its flesh, that makeit eat about as tender and toothsome as would a Joint of theEgyptian Sphynx when boiled.
vol. n. e
WM