a large scone of flour and waterbaked in hot ashes; the bread of the bush, which is alwaysunleavened. [The addition of water to the flour suggests amore likely origin than that given by Dr. Lang. See quotation,1847.]
1827. P. Cunningham, `Two Years in New South Wales,' vol. ii.p. 190
«The farm-men usually make their flour into flat cakes, whichthey call damper, and cook these in the ashes . . .»
1833. C. Sturt, `Southern Australia,'vol. ii. c. viii. p. 203:
«I watched the distorted countenances of my humble companionswhile drinking their tea and eating their damper.»
1845. J. O. Balfour, `Sketches of New South Wales,' p. 103:
«Damper (a coarse dark bread).»
1846. G. H. Haydon, `Five Years in Australia Felix,' p. 122:
«I must here enlighten my readers as to what `damper' is. Itis the bread of the bush, made with flour and water kneadedtogether and formed into dough, which is baked in the ashes,and after a few months keeping is a good substitute for bread.»
[The last clause contains a most extraordinary statement – – perhaps a joke. Damper is not kept for months, but isgenerally made fresh for each meal. See quotation, 1890,Lumholtz.]
1847. J. D. Lang, `Cooksland,' p. 122:
«A cake baked in the ashes, which in Australia is usuallystyled a damper.» [Footnote]: «This appellation is said tohave originated somehow with Dampier, the celebratednavigator.»
1867. F. Hochstetter, `New Zealand,' p. 284:
«`Damper' is a dough made from wheat-flour and water withoutyeast, which is simply pressed flat, and baked in the ashes;according to civilized notions, rather hard of digestion, butquite agreeable to hungry woodmen's stomachs.»
1872. C. H. Eden, `My Wife and I in Queensland,' p. 20:
«At first we had rather a horror of eating damper, imagining itto be somewhat like an uncooked crumpet. Experience, however,showed it to be really very good. Its construction is simple,and is as follows. Plain flour and water is mixed on a sheetof bark, and then kneaded into a disc some two or three inchesthick to about one or two feet in diameter, great care to avoidcracks being taken in the kneading. This is placed in a holescraped to its size in the hot ashes, covered over, and thereleft till small cracks caused by the steam appear on thesurface of its covering. This is a sign that it is nearlydone, and in a few minutes the skilful chef will sound it overwith his «Wedges of damper (or bread baked in hot ashes) werecut from time to time from great circular flat loaves of thatpalatable and wholesome but somewhat compressed-looking bread.»
1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 32:
«Damper is the name of a kind of bread made of wheat flour andwater. The dough is shaped into a flat round cake, which isbaked in red-hot ashes. This bread looks very inviting, andtastes very good as long as it is fresh, but it soon becomeshard and dry.»