About three months after we were married, as we called it, Youwarkee told me she believed she was breeding, and I was mightily pleased with it, for though I had had two children before by Patty, yet I had never seen either of them, so that I longed to be a father. I sometimes amused myself with whimsical conjectures, as, whether the child would have a graundee or not; which of us it would be most like; how we should do without a midwife; and what must become of the infant, as we had not milk, in case Youwarkee could not suckle it. Indeed, I had leisure enough for indulging such reveries; for, having laid in our winter stores, my wife and I had nothing to do but enjoy ourselves over a good fire, prattling and toying together, making as good cheer as we could; and truly that was none of the worst, for we had as fine bread as need to be eaten; we had pears preserved; all sorts of dried fish; and once a fortnight, for two or three days together, had fresh fish; we had vinegar, and a biting herb which I had found, for pepper; and several sorts of nuts; so there was no want. It was at this time, after my return from watering one day, where Youwarkee had been with me, that, having taken several fish, and amongst them some I had not before seen, I asked her, as we were preparing and salting some of them, how they managed fish in her country, and what variety they had of them there. She told me she neither ever saw nor heard of a fish in her life till she came to me. "How!" says I, "no fish amongst you? Why, you want one of the greatest dainties that can be set upon a table. Do you wholly eat flesh," says I, "at Doorpt Swangeanti?"--"Flesh," says she laughingly, "of what?"--"Nay," says I, "you know best what the beasts of your own country are. We have in England, where I was born and bred, oxen, very large hogs, sheep, lambs, and calves; these make our ordinary dishes: then we have deer, hares, rabbits, and these are reckoned dainties; besides numberless kinds of poultry, and fish without stint"--"I never heard of any of these things in my life," says Youwarkee, "nor did I ever eat anything but fruits and herbs, and what is made from them, at Normnbdsgrsutt."--"You will speak that crabbed word," says I, "again."--"I beg your pardon, my dear," says she; "at Doorpt Swangeanti, I say; nor I, nor any one else, to my knowledge, ever ate any such thing; but seeing you eat fish, as you call them, I made no scruple of doing so too, and like them very well, especially the salted ones, for I never tasted what you call salt neither till I came here."--"I cannot think," says I, "what sort of a country yours is, or how you all live there."--"Oh," says she, "there is no want; I wish you and I were there." I was afraid I had talked too much of her country already, so we called a new cause.