16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
he dries, smokes or salts easily; and he
can be carried for ever in this dry, dry
cold air – a cold air in which the native
potato too can be and alas is dried, frozen,
dried again and so packed up. I
have tried to make this dish a little more
palatable by adding mushrooms, our
ordinary European mushrooms, Agaricus
campestris, which to my perfect stupefaction
I found growing here in alpine
meadows: but my dear companion told
me I should certainly drop down dead,
his followers too assured me and one
another that I should swell, then drop
down dead; and it angered them so
when I survived a week that Eduardo
had to beg me to stop – I might bring
misfortune upon the whole company.
They look upon me as an unwholesome
being: and I must admit that I cannot