OUR FROZEN MEAT IN THE OLD COUNTRY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3955, 24 March 1884, Page 4

OUR FROZEN MEAT IN THE OLD COUNTRY.

A correspondent sends the Dunedin Star the following copy of a letter received the last San Francisco mail from a relative in England, re frozen sheep sent as a present: "Frozen sheep safe to hand, for which I return, you my sincere thanke. 1 must say it was one of the greatest novelties that ever came into tho town. It came down from London on Saturday night, 29th December! My son heard of its arrival at the railway station, and went up to receive it. The station is somo distanco from the High street, and, he had to carry it down on lv's back. When ho got it home he at once took the. cloth off, when I was astonished to see such a beautiful sheep. This was about 8 o ? clock on the Saturday night, and I had it hung up in the--shop. Several of the townspeople saw it brought in, so the news soon spread that a sheep had come all the Way from New Zealand and could he seen at Mr i——'s shop. It had not been hanging up more than 10 minutes before wo were regularly rushed with sightseers from all parts of the town (Watford). I had told several that my sons in New Zealand intended sending me one, but neither myself nor they could believe it. It was impossible to sorvo our customers for tho continual flow of people in and out to see the sheep, and this lasted up to cloven o'clock. In fact, on Sunday they could not keep away, and on Monday it was the same. Soveral_ master butcher and their men came to see it. They could hardly believe their own eyes to see a sheep in such fine condition after coming so many thousands of miles. This was on (he third day i,t had hung in the shop. They advised mo to cut it up, as it would not keep much longer, so I got one of them to do so. I kept one leg myself, _ sold one leg at 10d per lb, shoulder and loins at 9d per lb, best end of tho neck 8d per lb. I had tho leg I kept roasted on the following Wednesday. This was on tho fifth duy, and it was then delicious. The meat looked as if it had only been killed three or four days. Myself and others have often remarked about your half-starved meat in New Zealand; but after this we must shut up. No ono can tell the difference between our meat and yours, when cooked. Several well-known gentlemen and ladies came after a joint, but too late. By-the-by, I kept a piece for boiling. This piece wo kept a week, and I can toll you with a few turnips it wasAl, the broth being magnificent. All those who had a taste of the meat pronounced it first-class. I think if your agents were to circulate tho meat more in the country towns they would make a a grand thing of it."