the fish are boiled no condiment but salt is used. Broiled fish is not often met with, but in the wealthier families it is served with a dressing of melted butter. By far the commonest way of preparing fish is first to dry it, and then to boil it with a little salt. Dried fish is served, either with or without boiling, over rice. A bowl of this grain and a handful of fish is considered an ample meal for the coolie who is called upon to perform ten or twelve hours of hard manual toil in a day.
Vegetables and fruits form a most important part in the diet of the Japanese. While rice comes first of all in their estimate of nourishing properties, vegetables play a second part, with fish a good third, and fruit fourth in the scale. With the exception of potatoes the Japanese have an abundance of all the vegetables that grow in the United States. They are fond of lettuce, and especially so at night, their claim being that these green leaves serve excellently as a sedative to the nerves. As nervous disorders are seldom encountered among these little people, their claim is entitled to some respect. Tomatoes and carrots are held in high
