common necessities of our condition, viz., food, '53 154 The Complete Indian rest, sleep. The secret of successful economical work, says an article in tlie Civil and Militanj Gasellc, should be to work within the limits of repair, as indicated by sound sleep and healthy appetite ; and it has been rightly said that food and sleep are as essential to the work of the brain, as fire and water to the progress of the locomotive. Both also are inti- mately connected ; simple, well-cooked food will produce a clear brain and good general health, and, consequently, sound sleep. Again, any exertion on an empty stomach has an ex- hausting effect, and predisposes to fever. Some day you return from your work tired, and perhaps saddened and disheartened ; had you started after a simple, comfortable meal, and, after three or four hours’ work, returned to find another such awaiting you, the whole aspect of affairs would have been changed. You have been living on the jnincipal rather than on the interest of your constitution. And so food comes first and foremost as essential in keeping brain and body in working order. And the food must be good and nourishing, not a crowd of dishes, sloppy weak soup and tea, hashes and stews Wcarmed up perhaps three or four times, producing biliousness, irritability, and a clogged brain ; but a nicely cooked small meal of country produce, which even a missionary', having to live with care as to expense, can procure. For instance, take the case of a person living alone. A native servant cooks the whole fowl or joint at once, and eases his conscience by serving them up again and again. Instead of which a fowl should be halved, one portion used as a stew, the other half will make cutlets or curry, &c., and there need be no warming up. A leg of mutton can be cut into three parts — a nice mock steak from the thick end served up with an onion fried and sliced and placed over it, the centre piece can be baked, the bone taken out and stuffing inserted, and the remaining knuckle end can either be boiled or stewed, whilst from the bone which has been removed sufficient marrow can be ob- tained to make an appetising snack in the form of marrow toast. When fish is procurable, instead of always frying it, a nice change can be obtained by placing it in a pie-dish with a batter of flour, eggs, and milky seasoning, and then baking it. Fggs are abundant in villages, and very nourishing; Housekeeper and Cook 155 but for milk a cow should be purchased ; it thrives on the niarchj gives no trouble^ and repays its food by supplying good milk and butter, so necessary to the enjoyment of a cup of tea, a good pudding, a soda-scone, or a slice of cake. Rice flour, wheat, Indian corn, dal (lentils), turnips, and onions are to be found in most villages ; fowls, eggs, lambs, kids in many. In the cold season meat, if taken out after the march and hung from the pole of the kitchen tent, quickly dries, and will keep fourteen days. If, therefore, a small sheep or lamb be killed, the head, feet, and bones will make soup for some time ; one leg can be corned to imitate salt beef, the suet should be collected for pies and puddings and frying, and the brains, liver, and kidneys uti- lised to furnish breakfast dishes. Salt beef, if carried in a small wooden tub of pickle with a lid, will keep for weeks.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

common necessities of our condition, viz., food, '53 154 The Complete Indian rest, sleep. The secret of successful economical work, says an article in the Civil and Military Gazette, should be to work within the limits of repair, as indicated by sound sleep and healthy appetite ; and it has been rightly said that food and sleep are as essential to the work of the brain, as fire and water to the progress of the locomotive. Both also are intimately connected ; simple, well-cooked food will produce a clear brain and good general health, and, consequently, sound sleep. Again, any exertion on an empty stomach has an exhausting effect, and predisposes to fever. Some day you return from your work tired, and perhaps saddened and disheartened ; had you started after a simple, comfortable meal, and, after three or four hours’ work, returned to find another such awaiting you, the whole aspect of affairs would have been changed. You have been living on the principal rather than on the interest of your constitution. And so food comes first and foremost as essential in keeping brain and body in working order. And the food must be good and nourishing, not a crowd of dishes, sloppy weak soup and tea, hashes and stews warmed up perhaps three or four times, producing biliousness, irritability, and a clogged brain ; but a nicely cooked small meal of country produce, which even a missionary', having to live with care as to expense, can procure. For instance, take the case of a person living alone. A native servant cooks the whole fowl or joint at once, and eases his conscience by serving them up again and again. Instead of which a fowl should be halved, one portion used as a stew, the other half will make cutlets or curry, &c., and there need be no warming up. A leg of mutton can be cut into three parts — a nice mock steak from the thick end served up with an onion fried and sliced and placed over it, the centre piece can be baked, the bone taken out and stuffing inserted, and the remaining knuckle end can either be boiled or stewed, whilst from the bone which has been removed sufficient marrow can be obtained to make an appetising snack in the form of marrow toast. When fish is procurable, instead of always frying it, a nice change can be obtained by placing it in a pie-dish with a batter of flour, eggs, and milky seasoning, and then baking it. Fggs are abundant in villages, and very nourishing; Housekeeper and Cook 155 but for milk a cow should be purchased ; it thrives on the march, gives no trouble, and repays its food by supplying good milk and butter, so necessary to the enjoyment of a cup of tea, a good pudding, a soda-scone, or a slice of cake. Rice flour, wheat, Indian corn, dal (lentils), turnips, and onions are to be found in most villages ; fowls, eggs, lambs, kids in many. In the cold season meat, if taken out after the march and hung from the pole of the kitchen tent, quickly dries, and will keep fourteen days. If, therefore, a small sheep or lamb be killed, the head, feet, and bones will make soup for some time ; one leg can be corned to imitate salt beef, the suet should be collected for pies and puddings and frying, and the brains, liver, and kidneys utilised to furnish breakfast dishes. Salt beef, if carried in a small wooden tub of pickle with a lid, will keep for weeks.

The complete Indian housekeeper & cook