AN AUSTRALIAN DINNER ON THE ORIENT.

Evening Star, Issue 5589, 5 February 1881, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN AUSTRALIAN DINNER ON THE ORIENT.

On Thursday, December 16, at the Royal Albert Dock, the cargo of preserved fresh fish, mutton, beef, veal, fowl?, fruit, and vegetables brought by the Orient on her last voyage from Australia was inspected on that ve«ael. The Orient is fitted with, a refrigerator on the Bell-Colman principle, in which the fish, flesh, fo-wl, and some fruit were preserved. The company were in the first instance invited to a luncheon consisting of these viands. Everything on the table was stated to be Australian, even the bread being made of flour from that country. The menu included a soup from Sydney oysters and clear soup from Australian beef, a pudding of Australian oysters in the fish course, fresh " snapper," and Murray Bay cod. All these had been stored in the refrigerator of the vessel, and there was nothing in the flavor to denote that they had come so long a distance. Next came some good lamb cutlets; but the fillets of beef, while very tender and juicy, were of a darker color than prejudiced meateaters in this country would care for. Roast goose, haunch of muttOD, ham, tongue, and pork, all excellent in taste and appearance, followed. The vegetables included green peas, asparagus, artichokes, forced tomatoes, beans, and the fruits Queensland pineapples, Victorian strawberries, and Sydney oranges. It was stated by the chairman, Mr C. Green (Green and Sons), that Her Majesty had accepted a present of specimens of the food produce of Australia brought over by the Orient. Sir D. Cooper expressed the hope that the trade m these meats would be allowed to develop itself—that there should be no encouragement given to such attempts as were made in other exports of meat from Australia to force the sale but to let the demand bring supply. Sir A. Blyth said be never wished to have better be?f and mutton than he had just tasted. Mr J. G. S. Anderson also spoke. He said the results of the trial had convinced him that the work of bringing home fresh meat from Australia must be proceeded with very tentatively and carefully at present,, for, on the one hand, the beef was darker after freezing than the beefc eating persons were accustomed to seein this country; and, on the other, it was not to be disguised that ime machinery might break down whea the vessel was in the tropics. No death* freezing machinery would be perfected in time, but it was not perfected yet, and the risk whicb was run in adopting any system was that on the taoirow after its adoption, a more perfect system might be brough-t to notice.—'Mail.*