“Ah! what is the use of those divisions, or compartments?”[29]
“The Chinese, as I have been informed by several celebrated travellers, amongst which your great diplomatist, Sir Henry Pottinger (to whom I had lately the honour of being introduced, upon the occasion of his visit to the Club), in viewing the dish, certified what I had previously heard from several illustrious men—— By the by, he has honoured me by subscribing for a set of them—here is my album, and see, there is his autograph:
—for four pagodatique entrée dishes; this completes the service for the present, but in a short time a complete service for first and second course can be easily manufactured at a reasonable price. But to return to the subject. I was telling you that those gentlemen had informed me that the Chinese have, upon their tables at their banquets, a profusion of fowls, and birds of all kinds, served with sauce or gravy, a plate being placed before each guest, similar to the European fashion, surrounded by three or four small saucers, each containing different ingredients, spices, and pickles, suited to the dish they partake of; each person takes a wing or fillet, that being the only part they consider eatable. They then cut it in small pieces, on their plates, and dip them into the different sauces, until they produce a favorite seasoning to their taste. It might not be to either yours or mine, but for all that, I do not blame them.”
“‘Pon my word, it is very curious and clever; by this mode your plate is free from incumbrance, a fault with which I always reproach our nation.”