Singe a young chicken and split it down the back. Take out the intestines. Wipe it with a damp towel. Lay the the chicken, with inside downwards, in a baking-pan, breaking the breast-bone to make it lie flat. Spread the breast with a quarter-pound of butter, dredge with pepper. Put a teaspoonful of salt and a half-cup of water in the bottom of the baking-pan, place it in a hot oven, cover with another pan, let it bake for half an hour, basting every ten minutes. Now remove the upper pan, turn the chicken, baste it well on the inside, cover again, and bake for another half-hour. When done, place it on a hot dish; put the pan in which the chicken was cooked on top of the fire to brown, add one tablespoonful of flour, and stir until smooth and brown, then add a half-pint of milk, and stir constantly until it boils. Taste to see if properly seasoned; if not, add salt and pepper. Serve in a boat.