“British Islander.—Vegetarianism? No thank you; not here! All very nice in Africa and India, I dare say, where you can sit all day under a palm tree and eat dates.
“Vegetarian.—But I have not observed that when you visit Africa or India you practise vegetarianism. On the contrary, you take your flesh-pots with you everywhere—even to the very places where you admit you don’t need them, and where, as in India, they give the greatest offence to the inhabitants.
“British Islander.—Oh, well, it’s no affair of theirs, is it, if I take my roast beef?
“Vegetarian.—Yet you think it your affair to interfere with the cannibals when they take their roast man. And have you observed that it is in the tropical zone, not the temperate zone, that cannibalism is most rife?
“British Islander.—Why do you remind me of that?
“Vegetarian.—To show you that all this talk about vegetarianism being ‘a matter of climate’ is pure humbug. The use of flesh is a vicious habit everywhere, and nowhere a necessity, except where other food is not procurable.
“British Islander.—But do we not need more oil and fat in northern climates?
“Vegetarian.—Undoubtedly; but these can be obtained without recourse to flesh.
“British Islander.—Then how do you account for the fact that northern races have been, to so great an extent, carnivorous?