SC - Children's homework weirdness

[harper at idt.net]

And it came to pass on 5 Nov 00, , that Philip & Susan Troy wrote:

> What leaped at my eyes from the page was the assertion that the Pilgrims
 [snip]
> ate no vegetables to speak of. It was further stated
> that these people would often use vegetables to ornament their tables,
> but did not actually make a habit of eating them.
> 
> Now, I don't believe this at all;

And your disbelief is well-founded.  The following link will lead you 
to the text of a letter written in 1621 by Edward Winslow of the 
Plymouth Colony, to a friend in England.
http://members.aol.com/calebj/mourt6.html

For the sake of those who are webless, here are some of the 
highlights:

"We set the last spring some twenty acres of Indian corn, and 
sowed some six acres of barley and peas... all the spring-time the 
earth sendeth forth naturally very good sallet herbs..."  He advises 
his friend to bring "sallet oil" among his supplies when he 
emigrates.

The letter also goes into detail about the game, fish, and fruit  
available in the region.  "here are grapes, white and red, and very 
sweet and strong also.  Strawberries, gooseberries, raspas, etc.  
Plums of three sorts, with black and red, being almost as good as 
a damson..."


Brighid, already annoyed by the Trivial Pursuit card she drew last 
night, which promulgated that old myth about Marco Polo and 
spaghetti, and another which attributed "The Little Mermaid" to the 
Brothers Grimm...


Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net