Brydone, Patrick; Beckford, William: A Tour Through Sicily And Malta: in a series of letters to William Beckford ; in 2 vol. (Band 2) (1775)

SICILY AND MALTA. 39
is so often mentioned by their authors: it
is a species of eel, found only in this part
of the Mediterranean, and sent from hence
to several of the courts of Europe. It is
not so fat and luscious as other eels, so that
you can eat a good deal more of it: its flesh
is as white as snow, and is indeed a very
great delicacy. But a modern refinement
in luxury has, I think, flill produced a
greater: By a particular kind of manage-
ment they make the livers of their fowls
grow to a large size, and at the same time
acquire a high and rich slavour. It is in-
deed a moil incomparable dim; but the
means of procuring it is so cruel, that I
will not even trust it with you. Perhaps,
without any bad intention, you might
mention it to some of your friends, they to
others, till at last it might come into the
hands of those that would be glad to try
the experiment; and the whole race of
poultry might ever have reason to curse me:
let it sussice to say, that it occasions a pain-
D 4 ful