The last hour, spent in yawning and shivering in a wide circle round the fire, was dull enough, but the tray had admirable success. The widgeon and the preserved ginger were as delicious as one could wish. But as to our black butter, do not decoy anybody to Southampton by such a lure, for it is all gone. The first pot was opened when Frank and Mary were here, and proved not at all what it ought to be; it was neither solid nor entirely sweet, and on seeing it Eliza remembered that Miss Austen had said she did not think it had been boiled enough. It was made, you know, when we were absent. Such being the event of the first pot, I would not save the second, and we therefore ate it in unpretending privacy; and though not what it ought to be, part of it was very good.

You all might know what a widgeon was. I didn't. :-) So, I looked it up and have included a couple of recipes:

Wild Ducks No 74
For roasting a wild duck you must have a clear brisk fire for it must be browned upon the outside without being sodden within To have it well frothed and full of gravy is the nicety Prepare the fire by stirring and raking just before it is laid down and fifteen or twenty minutes will do it This is the fashionable way but if it is required a little more done allow it a few minutes more if it is too much it will lose all its fine high flavour For the sauce see No 338
Widgeons and Teal No 75 Are dressed exactly as the wild duck only thnt less time is requisite for a widgeon and still less for a teal.(The Cook's Oracle by William Kitchiner 1817)