The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

To the Printer of the Whitehall Evening Post.

I send you a hint, that will conduce more to the lowering the price of provisions, than all the laws that can be devised against forestallers, regrators, &c. viz. Put an embargo upon the spit for one six months, and let not his sides be greased with any beef or mutton, and take the old friend the porridge pot into favour again, provisions will soon become plenty; for half the provisions that are now consumed by roasting, and baking, would serve, were they to be boiled, and the broth might serve instead of tea: how many noblemen's houses are there in the kingdom, that even the broth that is thrown away by their cooks every day, would be sufficient for all the poor in the parish; and what if all the beef and mutton that is roasted in those great families, for a parcel of lazy, idle fellows, and trumpets were to be boiled into broth, it would be a great saving. I hope some of our great and good men will take this hint, and not suffer any shambles meat to be roasted for their servants, but give them more work, and they will soon be glad to eat boiled meat. I dined at a gentleman's house lately, and he told me, that he could not make his servants eat pease, and good bacon, and that they were even tired with beef, and without he would give them mutton, would leave his service; I advised him to send them to the house of correction for one month, which would soon bring them to eat pease. I have often with two pounds of mutton cut into small pieces, and boiled it with turnips, cabbages, &c. cut up in the same manner as the Dutch do, made it sufficient to serve six people for a meal, and hath been more than they were able to eat; when if it had been roasted two would eat it. I have heard that his late Majesty (of blessed memory) had always this dish at his table, which was always placed near him, can we follow a better example? The French allowed their sailors only half a pound of beef a man, which is made into soup. I have lived myself upon it for months, and found it was sufficient, and our sailors are allowed two pounds, but there is no oeconomy on board our merchant ships, they always look out for some worthless fellow for a cook, when the French, Dutch, and Danes make choice of the very best man for that service. Yours, &c. P.