rolina,
Florida and the Bahama Islands, London, 1781, describes
briefly under the name of _arum maximum Aegypticum_ a
plant which was doubtless one of the tanyahs or taros.
He says: "This was a welcome improvement among the
negroes and was esteemed a blessing; they being
delighted with all their African food, particularly
this, which a great part of Africa subsists much on."

Torinus, groping for the right name, calls it variously
_colosium_, _coledium_, _coloesium_, till he finally
gets it right, _colocasium_.

[3] The root or tubers of this plant was used by the
ancients as a vegetable. They probably boiled and then
peeled and sliced the tubers, seasoning the pieces with
the above ingredients, heated them in bouillon stock and
thickened the gravy in the usual way. Since the tuber is
very starchy, little roux is required for binding.

[4] Afterthought by Tor. printed in italics on the
margin of his book.

XVIII

SNAILS
_COCHLEAS_

[323] MILK-FED SNAILS
_COCHLEAS LACTE PASTAS_

TAKE SNAILS AND SPONGE THEM; PULL THEM OUT OF THE SHELLS BY THE
MEMBRANE AND PLACE THEM FOR A DAY IN A VESSEL WITH MILK AND SALT [1]
RENEW THE MILK DAILY. HOURLY [2] CLEAN THE SNAILS OF ALL REFUSE, AND
WHEN THEY ARE SO FAT THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER RETIRE [to their shells]
FRY THEM IN OIL AND SERVE THEM WITH WINE SAUCE. IN A SIMILAR WAY THEY
MAY BE FED ON A MILK PORRIDGE [3].

[1] Just enough so they do not drown.

[2] Wanting in Tor.

[3] The Romans raised snails for the table in special
places called _cochlearia_. Fluvius Hirpinus is credited
with having popularized the snail in Rome a little
before the civil wars between Caesar and Pompey. If we
could believe Varro, snails grew to enormous
proportions. A supper of the younger Pliny consisted of
a head of lettuce, three snails, two eggs, a barley
cake, sweet wine, refrigerated in snow.

Snails as a food are not sufficiently appreciated by the
Germanic races who do not hesitate to eat similar
animals and are very fond of such food as oysters,
clams, mussels, cocles, etc., much of which they even
eat in the raw state.

[324] ANOTHER WAY
_ALITER_

THE SNAILS ARE FRIED WITH PURE SALT AND OIL AND [a sauce of] LASER,
BROTH, PEPPER AND OIL IS UNDERLAID; OR THE FRIED SNAILS ARE FULLY
COVERED WITH BROTH, PEPPER AND CUMIN.

Tor.