The Food of London: A Sketch of the Chief Varieties, Sources of Supply, Probable Quantities, Modes of Arrival, Processes of Manufacture, Suspected Adulteration, and Machinery of Distribution, of the Food for a Community of Two Millions and a Half |
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acre adulteration animals annually average bakers barley barrels beef beer beverages Billingsgate bread brewers brought bushels butchers butter calves casks cattle century cheese cheroots chicory cocoa coffee commercial commodities companies concerning consumed consumption containing corn costermongers country-killed meat Covent Garden Covent Garden market cows curious dealers drovers duty Eastern Counties railway Edition eggs England English estimate fattened fish fishmongers flour foreign fruit gallons granaries hops important Ireland kinds Leadenhall Leadenhall markets loaves London malt merchants metropolis milk million lbs mode mutton nearly Newgate offal penny pigs port Porter Post 8vo poultry pounds present produce purchase quantity quarter railway retail sacks salesmen salt Scotland sell sheep shillings ships shops Smithfield sold Street sugar supply Thames tion tobacco tons trade United Kingdom veal vegetables vessels vols weight wheat Whitechapel wholesale wine Woodcuts
Popular passages
Page 4 - Yet this object is accomplished far better than it could be by any effort of human wisdom, through the agency of men, who think each of nothing beyond his own immediate interest — who, with that object in view, perform their respective parts with cheerful zeal — and combine unconsciously to employ the wisest means for effecting an object, the vastness of which it would bewilder them even to contemplate.
Page 92 - London ; and it was the most pleasing scene imaginable to see the cheerfulness with which those industrious people plied their way to a certain sale of their goods. The banks on each side are as well peopled, and beautified with as agreeable plantations, as any spot on the earth ; but the Thames itself, loaded with the product of each shore, added very much to the landscape. It was very easy to observe by their sailing, and the countenances of the ruddy virgins, who were supercargoes, the part of...
Page 78 - Tis greater glory to reform the age. OF TEA, COMMENDED BY HER MAJESTY. VENUS her myrtle, Phoebus has his bays ; Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise. The best of Queens, and best of herbs, we owe To that bold nation which the way did show To the fair region where the sun does rise, Whose rich productions we so justly prize.
Page 63 - It was their undoubted prerogative to regulate coin, weights, and measures, and to appoint fairs, markets, and ports. The line which bounded their authority over trade had, as usual, been but loosely drawn. They therefore, as usual, encroached on the province which rightfully belonged to the Legislature. The encroachment was, as usual, patiently borne, till it became serious. But at length the queen took upon herself to grant patents of monopoly by scores. There was scarcely a family in the realm...
Page 18 - ... that looks light, cut with a knife ; if a thing looks like fish, you may take your oath it is flesh ; and if it seems rael flesh, it's only disguised, for it's sure to be fish ; nothin' must be nateral, natur is out of fashion here.
Page 7 - OF all things, an indiscreet tampering with the trade of provisions is the most dangerous, and it is always worst in the time when men are most disposed to it: that is in the time of scarcity.
Page 3 - Some, indeed, of the articles consumed admit of being reserved in public or private stores, for a considerable time ; but many, including most articles of animal food, and many of vegetable, are of the most perishable nature. As a deficient supply of these, even for a few days, would occasion great inconvenience, so a redundancy of them would produce a corresponding waste. Moreover, in a district of such vast extent, as this 'province' (as it has been aptly called)
Page 400 - That Excellent, and by all Physicians approved China Drink, called by the Chineans, Tcha, by other Nations Tay, alias Tee, is sold at the Sultaness" Head Cophee House, in Sweeting's Rents, by the Royal Exchange, London.
Page 176 - ... they in reality perform. They are merely occupied in gaining a fair livelihood. And in the pursuit of this object, without any comprehensive wisdom, or any need of it, they cooperate, unknowingly, in conducting a system which, we may safely say, no human wisdom directed to that end could have conducted so well : — the system by which this enormous population is fed from day to day.
Page 93 - Garden ; where I strolled from one fruit-shop to another, with crowds of agreeable young women around me, who were purchasing fruit for their respective families. It was almost eight of the clock before I could leave that variety of objects.