Dear Mr Cornwall, it is some time since I wrote to you about the Sharpe books and the Saxon series. I wonder if there is any chance you can remember which Sharpe book it was (probably in the Peninsula), in which he appropriated some canned or bottled chicken from the French and enjoyed it greatly. This may seem weird but I have been researching my ancestors who immigrated to Australia in the 1850s and I found a contemporary newspaper reference to ‘preserved milk’. This puzzled me greatly, but thanks to my recollection of Sharpe’s experience (if it is in Bernard Cornwell’s book it MUST be true!) I explored this further and have found that due to the French and the British in the very early 19th century and the relevance of preserved food to the navy and army of both countries, canning, bottling and generally preserving food, was well underway by 1820. Is there any chance that you can remember which of Sharpe’s book this reference was in, and perhaps, how you came to include it? Many thanks for very enjoyable stories, insights into history and excellent replies on this site. Elizabeth