The Roman Punch and the Canvas Back and Terrapin

Turtle soup had been a favorite on the english georgian tables at the end of the eighteenth century as sailors figured out how to transport these incredible creatures from the caribbean back to england. The taste continued on to american tables, and in the gilded age, it was the diamond backed terrapin which is a fresh water species native to the marshy wetlands. And not to be lightly undertaken, as missus archer remarked, the roman punch made all the difference, not in itself, but by its manifold implications, since it signified either canvas back or terrapin. Now i want to use this passage to explain two things. One, to address