Having given you a just account, as neere as my memory will serve of the bread and drinke of this Iland: The next thing is the severall sortes of meat we have there; and because Hogges flesh is the most generall meat, and indeed the best the Iland affords, I will begin with that, which is (without question) as good, as any can be of that kind: for their feeding being as good, as can grow any where, the flesh must needs be answerable; fruit, the nuts of Locust, Pompians of a rare kind, almost as sweet as Milons, the bodies of the Plantines, and Bonanoes, Sugar-canes, and Mayes, being their dayly food.
When we came first upon the Iland, I perceiv’d the sties they made to hold them, were trees, with the ends lying crosse upon one another, and the inclosure they made, was not large enough to hold the numbers of Hogges were in them, with convenient distance to play and stirre themselves for their health, and pleasure; so that they were in a manner pesterd, and choakt up, with their own stinke, which is sure the most noysome of any other beast, and by reason of the Suns heat much worse; I have smelt the stinke of one of those sties downe the wind, neer a mile, through all the wood: and the crouding and thrusting them so close together, was certainly the cause of their want of health, which much hindred their growth; So that they were neither so large, nor their flesh so sweet, as when they were wild, and at their own liberty, and choyce of feeding.
For I have heard Major Hilliard say: that at their first comming there, they found Hogges, that one of them weighed (the intrals being taken out, and the head off) 400 weight. And now at the time of my being there, the most sort of those, that were in ours and our neighbours styes, were hardly so big as the ordinary swine in England. So finding this decay in their grouth, by stowing them too close together, I advised Collonell Modiford to make a larger stye, and to wall it about with stone; which he did, and made it a mile about, so that it was rather a Park than a Stye; and set it on the side of a drie Hill, the greatest part Rock, with a competent Pond of water in the bottom; and plac’d it between his two Plantations, that from either, food might be brought, and cast over to them, with great convenience: And made several divisions in the Park, for the Sowes with Pigg, with little houses standing shelving, that their foulnesse by gutters might fall away, and they lie drie; Other divisions for the Barrow-Hoggs, and some for Boars.
This good ordering caused them to grow so large and fat, as they wanted very little of their largnesse when they were wilde. They are the sweetest flesh of that kinde, that ever I tasted, and the lovliest to look on in a dish, either boyl’d, roasted, or bak’d: With a little help of art. I will deceive a very good palate, with a shoulder of it for Mutton, or a leg for Veal, taking off the skin, with which they were wont to make minc’t Pies, seasoning it with salt, cloves, and mace, and some sweet herbs minc’t. And being bak’d, and taken out of the Oven, opening the lid, put in a dramme-cup of kill-devill; and being stirr’d together, set it on the Table; and that they call’d a Calvesfoot pie; and, till I knew what it was made of, I thought it very good meat. When I came first upon the Iland, I found the Pork drest the plain waies of boyling, roasting, and sometimes baking: But I gave them some tastes of my Cookery, in hashing, and fricaseing this flesh; and they all were much taken with it; and in a week, every one was practising the art of Cookery. And indeed, no flesh tasts so well in Collops, Hashes, or Fricases, as this, And when I bak’d it, I alwaies laid a Side of a young Goat underneath, and a side of a Shot (which is a young Hog of a quarter old) a top. And this, well seasoned, and well bak’d, is as good meat, as the best Pasty of Fallow-Deer, that ever I tasted.
In the coolest time of the year, I have made an essay to powder it, and hang it up for Bacon: But there is such losse in’t, as ’tis very ill husbandry to practise it; for, it must be cut through in so many places, to let the salt in, as when ’tis to be drest, much goes to waste. And therefore I made no more attempts that way. But a little corning with salt, makes this flesh very savoury, either boyled or roasted.
About Christmas, we kill a Boar, and of the sides of it, make three or four collers of Brawne; for then the weather is so cool, as, with some art, it may be kept sweet a week: and to make the souc’t drink give it the speedier and quicker seasoning, we make it of Mobbie, with store of Salt, Limons, and Lymes, sliced in it, with some Nutmeg, which gives it an excellent flaver.
Beef, we have very seldome any, that feeds upon the soyle of this place, except it be of Gods killing, (as they tearme it); for very few are kill’d there by mens hands; it were too ill husbandry, for they cost too dear, and they cannot be spared from their work, which they must advance by all the means they can. Such a Planter as Collonell James Drax (who lives like a Prince) may kill now and then one; but very few in the Iland did so when I was there.
The next to Swines-flesh in goodnesse, are Turkies, large, fat, and full of gravie. Next to them, Pullen or Dunghill-foule: and last of all, Muscovia-Ducks, which being larded with the fat of this Porke, (being seasoned with pepper and salt) are an excellent bak’d-meat. All these, with their Eggs and Chickens, we eat.
Turtle-Doves they have of two sorts, and both very good meat; but there is a sort of Pidgeons, which come from the leeward Ilands at one time of the year, and it is in September; and stay till Christmas be past, and then return again: But very many of them nere make returnes, to tell newes of the good fruit they found there: For, they are so fat, and of such excellent tastes, as many foulers kill them with guns, upon the trees; and some of them are so fat, as their weight with the fall, causes them to burst in pieces. They are good roasted, boyl’d, or bak’d, but best cut in halves, and stewed; to which Cookery, there needs no liquor, for their own gravie will abundantly serve to stew them.
Rabbets we have, but tame ones, and they have but faint tastes, more like a Chicken then a Rabbet.