about it. The meat, which, without having been beaten, is put over the fire in cold water, and ought to boil at least during from one and a half to two hours to become tender, is taken off the fire after half or three-quarters of an hour, while it is yet quite tough and not half cooked, and is eaten in that state. It is neither of good taste nor easily chewed, and not very digestible, but healthy, strong men may overwhelm it (indeed, English soldiers object to tender beef, as I was informed by Captain Voyle) ; of these some fail occasionally to do so, and if they can afford it have to buy better fare at the sutler’s waggon. In case vegetables, other than potatoes, be served out, or cereals like rice, barley, or grits, they generally catch in the kettles, acquire a disagreeable taste, and are thrown away. It has been calculated that more than half the nutritive value of the victuals distributed to soldiers during manoeuvres is lost by such negligence in the cooking. But in the field this practice becomes much worse, on account of the much greater fatigue of the men, and the loss is con- sequently much greater. If now there be no sutler from whom to buy supper for the evening and breakfast for the next morning, or there be no money, the soldiers will arrive starved and weak at the next bivouac, and if by chance they have to march further that night, will soon be in a state of complete exhaustion and inefficiency. The principal cause of the failure of all attempts to produce tolerable food in a vessel over an open fire is the endeavour to produce boiled meat, soup, and vegetables all in one and the same vessel. That the soup becomes too concentrated by long boiling would be remediable, or might be accepted as advantageous to its quality ; the meat also might be eaten underdone, or time given to it to become cooked ; but the vegetables or cereals placed in the kettle nearly always catch, adhere to the bottom, become burnt in part, and then spoil the rest. For these reasons the 654 THE SPIRIT OF COOKER) cooking for each gro^ip surrounding afire should he effected in four difi'erent kettles : in one the meat should he hoiled, in a second one the souj) should he made, in a third kettle the 'vegetables should he hoiled, and in a fourth water should he heated, to fill up the other vessels with, and rinse them after use. It follows from this that, as each man carries a cooking kettle, four men ought always to unite their cooking rations, and cook them together over one fire. If each attends to his kettle under the leadership of one, or of the sergeant, an excellent result can be attained ; when vegetables and icereals are boiled by themselves, they can be stirred, and their catching can be almost entirely prevented. A kettle in which meat and vegetables boil simultaneously cannot be stirred ; on the other hand, preparations of cereals, rice, grits, barley, or leguminous seeds, umst be stirred to prevent adhesion to the bottom and burning. If soup be made independently of the meat, the latter need not be boiled any longer for the production of soup, but may be grilled or roasted. Grilling small pieces of meat, or roasting larger ones, yields a tasty and digestible meal in a much shorter time than boiling, and enables the soldiers to obtain variety.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

about it. The meat, which, without having been beaten, is put over the fire in cold water, and ought to boil at least during from one and a half to two hours to become tender, is taken off the fire after half or three-quarters of an hour, while it is yet quite tough and not half cooked, and is eaten in that state. It is neither of good taste nor easily chewed, and not very digestible, but healthy, strong men may overwhelm it (indeed, English soldiers object to tender beef, as I was informed by Captain Voyle) ; of these some fail occasionally to do so, and if they can afford it have to buy better fare at the sutler’s waggon. In case vegetables, other than potatoes, be served out, or cereals like rice, barley, or grits, they generally catch in the kettles, acquire a disagreeable taste, and are thrown away. It has been calculated that more than half the nutritive value of the victuals distributed to soldiers during manoeuvres is lost by such negligence in the cooking. But in the field this practice becomes much worse, on account of the much greater fatigue of the men, and the loss is consequently much greater. If now there be no sutler from whom to buy supper for the evening and breakfast for the next morning, or there be no money, the soldiers will arrive starved and weak at the next bivouac, and if by chance they have to march further that night, will soon be in a state of complete exhaustion and inefficiency. The principal cause of the failure of all attempts to produce tolerable food in a vessel over an open fire is the endeavour to produce boiled meat, soup, and vegetables all in one and the same vessel. That the soup becomes too concentrated by long boiling would be remediable, or might be accepted as advantageous to its quality ; the meat also might be eaten underdone, or time given to it to become cooked ; but the vegetables or cereals placed in the kettle nearly always catch, adhere to the bottom, become burnt in part, and then spoil the rest. For these reasons the cooking for each group surrounding a fire should be effected in four different kettles : in one the meat should be boiled, in a second one the soup should be made, in a third kettle the vegetables should be boiled, and in a fourth water should he heated, to fill up the other vessels with, and rinse them after use. It follows from this that, as each man carries a cooking kettle, four men ought always to unite their cooking rations, and cook them together over one fire. If each attends to his kettle under the leadership of one, or of the sergeant, an excellent result can be attained ; when vegetables and cereals are boiled by themselves, they can be stirred, and their catching can be almost entirely prevented. A kettle in which meat and vegetables boil simultaneously cannot be stirred ; on the other hand, preparations of cereals, rice, grits, barley, or leguminous seeds, must be stirred to prevent adhesion to the bottom and burning. If soup be made independently of the meat, the latter need not be boiled any longer for the production of soup, but may be grilled or roasted. Grilling small pieces of meat, or roasting larger ones, yields a tasty and digestible meal in a much shorter time than boiling, and enables the soldiers to obtain variety.

The spirit of cookery