FRUITS AJND ROOTS.

29

pas« a pastiy-shop, without treating lier darJing boy with someof the dainties, and then wonders how he got the cough, or colic.

I have known a man seemingly in perfect health, who, by eatinga pennyworth of pastry, as tie passed along the street, was seizedwith such an asthmatic-fit, that he was obliged to be carried home,and had nearly lost his life. This occurred whenever he inadver-tently ate any thing baked with butter.

Every thing that proves very injurious to health, ought, as faras possible, to be prohibited, by laying a high duty upon it. Aduty on pastry would be serving the public in more respects thanone. It would save many lives, and lessen some tax on neces-saries.

Cheese, as a diet, is likewise injurious to health. It shouldnever be eatea but as a dessert. It occasions constipation, firesthe blood, and excites a constant craving for drink. It is veryimproper for the sedentary, and hardly to be digested even by theathletic.

If men will live on dry bread, poor cheese, salt butter, broiledbacon, and such like parching food, they will find their way to theale-house, the bane of the lower orders, and the source of half thebeggary in the nation.

FRUITS AND ROOTS.

Fruits and roots form a large class ¿f the substit ites for bread.The latter, being produced under-ground, are less liai 'e to sufferfrom the inclemency of the seasons than grain. Men who wish toinflame the minds of the multitude may inveigh against the substi-tutes for bread ; but reason and sound sense say, the n ore substi-tutes for bread, the better. When one fails, recourse can be hadto another.

In warm climates the inhabitants have many substitutes forbread : and as their seasons are more uniform than ours, they cangenerally depend on the plant, or whatever it is, proving product-ive. The plantain-tree, commonly called the Indian fig, whichhas from time immemorial been cultivated in South America, bearsfruit of a sweetish taste, which will dissolve in the mouth withoutchewing. It is eaten either raw, fried, or roasted. When intendedto supply the place of bread, it is gathered before it is ripe, andeaten either boiled or roasted. The banana is nearly of the samenature, but its fruit is greatly superior both in taste and flavour.

The inhabitants of the South Sea, or Ladrone islands, are sup-plied with bread from a tree, which has been lately imported intoour West India islands, and will, it is hoped, be found to answerthe same purpose there. It has a slight degree of sweetness, butnot much flavour. It resembles new bread, and requires to -beroasted before it is eaten. Those who have tasted it, say, that itis in no respect superior to the potato.

In some of the West India islands the inhabitants supply theplace of grain by making bread from the root of a shrub, called,the cassada, or cassava. Though, to my taste, this bread is veryinsipid, yet the natives are fond of it, to such a degree, that I haveknown some of thorn eat it, during their residence in England, inpreference to the finest London bread.