Page:Tourist's Maritime Provinces.djvu/57

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HOTELS—CUISINE—SPORTS
35

which "being of a consistency between marrow and gristle is a great delicacy when properly dressed." An old diary (1759) speaks of baked beaver as very good, and of fat cow caribou as "better than porcupine, and equal to beaver." The porcupine is "the lost man's friend" in the woods. Turned on a spit, the waddling despoiler of trees yields a roast not to be despised. Little rabbits which browse on spruce roots are cheap and delicious. In the open season, partridge and plover are designated thus upon numerous bills of fare. Other times they may appear as "broiled chicken" or in a meat pie, and lose none of their flavour by the deception. The lamb of Cape Breton and of the region about Antigonish has especial fame.

"Fish" signifies cod to the Maritime dwellers, who eat surprisingly little of it. Until one has partaken of cod fresh from the hook and crisply fried by a deft Provincial hand, he knows nothing of its merits as a fish delicate, moist and of an excelling tastiness. Cod's tongues and sounds with cucumbers are voted a palatable dish. The boned fillet, slightly salted and smoked like finnan haddie, or haddock, is a specialty of Digby, which is also renowned for its plump dried herring. Margaree salmon is especially commended by gourmets. But newly-caught salmon is good everywhere in these northern waters, and rarely costs more than 5 to 9 cents a pound. The tunny-fish or horse mack-