Having taken a cold bath on entering, I would be given for supper six ounces of bread and "three parts of skilly." "Three parts" means three-quarters of a pint, and "skilly" is a fluid concoction of three quarts of oatmeal stirred into three buckets and a half of hot water.
"Milk and sugar, I suppose, and a silver spoon ?" I queried.
"No fear.

Salt's what you'll get, an' I've seen some places where you'd not get any spoon.

'Old 'er up an' let 'er run down, that's 'ow they do it." "You do get good skilly at 'Ackney," said the Carter.
"Oh, wonderful skilly, that," praised the Carpenter, and each looked eloquently at the other.
"Flour an' water at St.George's in the East," said the Carter.
The Carpenter nodded.

He had tried them all.
"Then what ?" I demanded And I was informed that I was sent directly to bed.

"Call you at half after five in the mornin', an' you get up an' take a 'sluice'-- if there's any soap.