At Ten O'clock We
Had A Meal Consisting Of Bread And Butter And Cheese, With Cold Beef
Or Pork, All
Excellent dishes for those in health; the second course
of this morning meal was "tea-water." In Scandinavia, by the
Way,
they never say, "I drink TEA," the word "water" is always added: "I
drink TEA-WATER." Our "tea-water" was, if possible, worse than its
predecessor, the incomparable coffee. Thus I was beaten at all
points; the eatables were too strong for me, the drinkables too -
too - I can find no appropriate epithet - probably too artificial. I
consoled myself with the prospect of dinner; but, alas, too soon
this sweet vision faded into thin air! On the sixth day I made my
first appearance at the covered table, and could not help at once
remarking the cloth which had been spread over it. At the
commencement of our journey it might perhaps have been white; now it
was most certainly no longer of that snowy hue. The continual
pitching and rolling of the ship had caused each dish to set its
peculiar stamp upon the cloth. A sort of wooden network was now
laid upon it, in the interstices of which the plates and glasses
were set, and thus secured from falling. But before placing it on
the table, our worthy cabin-boy took each plate and glass
separately, and polished it on a towel which hung near, and in
colour certainly rather resembling the dingy floor of the cabin than
the bight-hued rainbow. This could still have been endured, but the
article in question really did duty AS A TOWEL in the morning,
before extending its salutary influence over plates and glasses for
the remainder of the day.
On making discoveries such as these, I would merely turn away my
eyes, and try to think that perhaps MY GLASS and MY PLATE would be
more delicately manipulated, or probably escape altogether; and then
I would turn my whole attention to the expected dishes.
First came soup; but instead of gravy-soup, it was water-soup, with
rice and dried plums. This, when mingled with red wine and sugar,
formed a most exquisite dish for Danish appetites, but it certainly
did not suit mine. The second and concluding course consisted of a
large piece of beef, with which I had no fault to find, except that
it was too heavy for one in my weak state of health. At supper we
had the same dishes as at dinner, and each meal was followed by
"tea-water." At first I could not fancy this bill of fare at all;
but within a few days after my convalesence, I had accustomed myself
to it, and could bear the sea-diet very well. {20}
As the rich owner of the vessel was on board, there was no lack of
the best wines, and few evenings passed on which a bowl of punch was
not emptied. There was, however, a reason found why every bottle of
wine or bowl of punch should be drunk:
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