Chapter III (1)

Pepys and Tea—First English Poem on Tea—Price of Tea temp.
Queen Anne—Scandal over the Tea Cup—Jonas Hanway and Dr.
Johnson on Tea—Love of the latter for this Beverage—How to make
Good Tea.

By Garway’s Advertisement we get at one fact, that the use of tea had not been brought into popular use before 1657: a fact which is borne out by that old _quid nunc_ Pepys, who would surely have noticed it, as, indeed, he did as soon as it was brought under his ken. He mentions it in his diary under date 25th Sept., 1661, as being then a novelty, at all events to him. “I did send for a Cup of Tee, a China Drink of which I never drank before.” And again, 28th June, 1667, “Home, and there find my wife making of Tee, a drink which Mr. Pelling the Potticary tells her is good for her cold and defluxions.” So that even then it was not a common drink with people well to do, as we know Pepys was. The old English custom of drinking beer at breakfast died very hard—nay, it is not yet dead—surviving in farm houses in many places in the country, notably in Somersetshire; and when tea became cheap enough to be drank by the middle classes, those beneath them in the social scale indulged in sage tea, and infusions of other home grown herbs.

As it increased in popularity, the poets got hold of it, and numerous were the laudatory verses in Latin respecting its virtues. But, as far as can be found, the earliest English poem about it was by Waller, as under:—

“OF TEA.

COMMENDED BY HER MAJESTY.[129]

“Venus her Myrtle, Phœbus has his bays;
Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise.
The best of queens,[130] and best of herbs, we owe
To that bold nation[130] which the way did shew
To the fair region where the Sun does rise,
Whose rich productions we so justly prize.
The Muses’ friend, Tea does our fancy aid,
Repress those vapours which the head invade,
And keeps that palace of the soul serene,
Fit on her birthday to salute the Queen.”

As years went on, its popularity became greater, and it is satisfactory to find by the following extract from Lord Clarendon’s diary, 10th Feb., 1688, that the tea imported was good, and that it was treated properly. “Le Père Couplet supped with me; he is a man of very good conversation. After supper we had tea, which he said was as good as any he had drank in China. The Chinese, who came over with him and Mr. Fraser, supped likewise with us.”

With time, the consumption of tea increased, and its price was much lower; but still, taking the money value in the time of Queen Anne, in relation to our own it was excessively dear, and its value fluctuated much. Black tea varied in 1704 from 12_s._ to 16_s._ per pound; in 1706, 14_s._ to 16_s._; in 1707, which seems to have been an exceptionally dear year, 16_s._, 20_s._, 22_s._, 24_s._, 30_s._, and 32_s._ In 1709 it was from 14_s._ to 28_s._; and in 1710, 12_s._ to 28_s._ Green tea in 1705 was 13_s._ 6_d._; in 1707, 20_s._, 22_s._, 26_s._; in 1709, 10_s._ to 15_s._; and in 1710, 10_s._ to 16_s._ The difference between new and old is given once; the new tea is 14_s._, and the old 12_s._ and 10_s._

The margins in price are not only accounted for by difference in age, but it was well known that old leaves were re-dried and used in the cheaper sorts; indeed, there is a very curious advertisement in the advertising portion of the _Tatler_, Aug. 26th, 1710: “Bohea Tea, made of the same Materials that Foreign Bohea is made of, 16_s._ a Pound. Sold by R. Fary only, at the Bell in Grace Church Street, Druggist. Note. The Natural Pecko Tea will remain, after Infusion, of a light grey colour. All other Bohea Tea, tho’ there be White in it will Change Colour, and is artificial.”

Tea was now “in Society,” and was made the medium of pleasant little _réunions_. The accompanying illustration gives a Tea-party, temp. Queen Anne, by which it appears that the cups had no handles at that time, and were of veritable oriental porcelain, and that it was not considered a breach of good manners to drink tea out of saucers.

But even this Eden had its serpent, in the shape of scandal, from which the tea table seemed no freer in the time of Good Queen Anne than our own.[131] “Thus they take a sip of Tea, then for a draught or two of Scandal to digest it, next let it be Ratifia, or any other Favourite Liquor, Scandal must be the after draught to make it sit easie on their Stomach, till the half hour’s past, and they have disburthen’d themselves of their Secrets, and take Coach for some other place, to collect new matter for Defamation.”

An anonymous poet of that time sings thus of the tea table:—

“Here we see Scandal, (for our sex too base),
Seat in dread Empire in the Female Race,
’Mong Beaus and Women, Fans and Mechlin Lace,
Chief seat of Slander, Ever there we see
Thick Scandal circulate with right Bohea.
There, source of black’ning Falsehood’s Mint of Lies,
Each Dame th’ Improvement of her Talent tries,
And at each Sip a Lady’s Honour dies;
Truth rare as Silence, or a Negro Swan,
Appears among those Daughters of the Fan.”

Peter Motteux, in the same reign (1712), wrote “A Poem in Praise of Tea;” but his theme may, after all, only have been taken to advertise his East India Warehouse in Leadenhall Street. He says:—

“From boist’rous Wine I fled to gentle Tea;
For, Calms compose us after Storms at Sea.
In vain wou’d Coffee boast an equal Good;
The Chrystal Stream transcends the flowing Mud.
Tea, ev’n the Ills from Coffee sprung, repairs,
Disclaims its Vices, and its Vertue shares.
To bless me with the Juice two Foes conspire,
The clearest Water with the purest Fire,
Wine’s Essence in a Lamp to Fewel turns,
Exhales its Soul, and for a Rival burns.
The Leaf is mov’d, and the diffusive Good,
Thus urg’d, resigns its Spirits in the Flood.
In curious Cups the liquid Blessing flows,
Cups fit alone the _Nectar_ to enclose.
Dissembled Groves and Nymphs by Tables plac’d,
Adorn the Sides, and tempt the Sight and Taste,
Yet more the gay, the lovely Colour courts,
The Flavour charms us, but the Taste transports,” etc., etc.

As years went on, the poets still sung its praises; and the following portion of “Tea Drinking” brings us down to 1752, by which time it was a necessity in polite society:—

“Sparkling with Youth’s gay Pride, like mirthful _May_
In the Sedan enclos’d, by Slaves up-born;
See the Love-darting Dame, swing ’long the Way,
Or to present the Visit, or return.

The sleek-comb’d Valet trimly trips before;
Loud, thro’ the gazing Croud, commanding Place;
With well-tim’d Raps he strikes the sounding Door,
Thunders in Taste, and rattles with a Grace.

Along the Pavement grates the swift-slop’d Chair,
Back on its well-oil’d Hinges flies the Gate;
Behind the high held Hoop, up-springs the Fair,
Rustling in rich Array, and silken State.

The how d’ye ended, the Contest of Place,
And all the fashionable flutt’ring Toils,
Down, curtsying, sink the Laughter loving Race,
And undisturb’d one Moment, Silence smiles.

Behold! the Beau-complexion’d Porcelain,
As Bell turn’d Tulips variegated show,
In order set among the tittering Train,
Replete with Spoils which from _Cathaya_ flow.

The leading Fair the Word harmonious gives,
_Betty_ around attends with bending Knee;
Each white-arm Fair, the painted Cup receives
Pours the rich Cream, or stirs the sweetened Tea,” etc., etc.

But, although some wrote in praise of it, there was a class of people who were opposed to its use, and one of them was the celebrated Jonas Hanway, of umbrella fame. Possessed of a competence, he had nothing particular to do, so he turned philanthrope. He took up the cause of the Marine Society, he was a Governor of the Foundling Hospital, and he founded a Magdalen Hospital, which is now at Streatham. These things, however, did not fully occupy his time, and he scribbled _de omnibus rebis_: among other things, about Tea, against which he had a great aversion. In 1757 he wrote “AN ESSAY ON TEA, considered as pernicious to _Health_, obstructing _Industry_, and impoverishing the _Nation_; also an Account of its _Growth_, and great _Consumption_ in these _Kingdoms_.”

Judged from our present standpoint, it was a farrago of rubbish and false arguments, and he recommends “Herbs of our own growth in lieu of Tea.” He gives a list of plants which he thinks useful for the purpose:—Ground Ivy, plain, or with a few drops of lemon Balm, or lemon Balm alone, or mixed with Sage, and Lavender flowers; Lavender itself; the fresh tops of Thyme; Mint; the flowery tops of Rosemary, by themselves, or mixed with Lavender; Penny royal and Lavender; Horehound; Trefoil flowers; Sorrel; Angelica; Sage; Cowslips; and recommends a drink, which he occasionally used himself, made of Ground Ivy and stick Liquorice.

This roused the ire of no less a person than Dr. Samuel Johnson, who, as “a hardened and shameless tea drinker; who has for many years diluted his meals with only the infusion of this fascinating plant; whose kettle has scarcely time to cool; who with tea amuses the evening, with tea solaces the midnights, and with tea welcomes the morning,”[132] could not sit still, and have his favourite beverage abused. So he wrote a review of Hanway’s Essay, and demolished it. Johnson certainly was an immoderate and enthusiastic tea drinker, and somewhat a tyrant over it, as Mrs. Piozzi rather ruefully relates. “By this pathetic manner, which no one ever possessed in so eminent a degree, he used to shock me from quitting his company, till I hurt my own health not a little by sitting up with him, when I was myself far from well; nor was it an easy matter to oblige him even by compliance, for he always maintained that no one forebore their own gratifications for the sake of pleasing another; and if one _did_ sit up, it was, probably, to amuse one’s self. Some right, however, he certainly had to say so, as he made his company exceedingly entertaining, when he had once forced one, by his vehement lamentations and piercing reproofs, not to leave the room, but to sit quietly, and make tea for him, as I often did in London till four o’clock in the morning.”

When dining one day with William Scott (afterwards Lord Stowell), Johnson told a little story of Garrick and his tea drinking. “I remember drinking tea with him long ago, when Peg Woffington made it, and he grumbled at her for making it too strong.” But the names of worthy and eminent tea drinkers are legion, and its virtues are so patent that even our Legislators have a room set apart in the Houses of Parliament for the discussion of it and other matters.

One or two words only, before concluding the subject of tea, and those are to show how to make a good cup of tea.

The teapot should be thoroughly warmed, and the tea put into it before the addition of the water, which should _just have come to the boil_, and not have been boiling for any length of time. After standing about three minutes it should be ready for drinking. No second water should be used. A sufficiently large teapot, or teapots, should be provided, and if the quantity required exceeds the supply, then fresh tea should be made.

Tea drinking has been stigmatised by some as slow poisoning; and in one of Hood’s works we are treated to a pictorial representation of “Sloe poison.”

J. A.

MATÉ.

Its Use in South America—Districts where Grown—Its
Manufacture—Early Notice of—The _Maté_ Cup and
_Bombilla_—Method of Drinking—Its Rapid Deterioration.

Yerba Maté, or Paraguay Tea, which is made from the leaves of the _Ilex Paraguayensis_, or Brazilian Holly, takes the place of _Thea Sinensis_ in nearly the whole of South America, where it has been used by the Indians from time immemorial, and by their conquerors and settlers since the seventeenth century.

It grows abundantly in Paraguay, Corrientes, Chaco, and the south of Brazil, forming woods called _yerbales_. One of the principal centres of the Maté industry is the Villa Real, a small town above Asuncion, on the Paraguay River; another is the Villa de San Xavier in the district between the rivers Uruguay and Parana. If let alone, it grows into a tree some fifteen or twenty feet high; but the plants from which the Maté is collected are moderate-sized shrubs, with numerous stems from one root. The leaves are from four to five inches long, and the finest Maté is made from the smallest shrubs. One bush will furnish three different kinds of tea, which are called _caa-cuys_, _caa-miri_, and _caa-guaza_—_caa_ meaning leaf. _Caa-cuys_ is made from the half expanded buds; but, although fine in flavour, it has the misfortune of not keeping, and, consequently, is all consumed in Paraguay. _Caa-miri_ is prepared in the same way as the Jesuit padres made it, the leaves being carefully picked, and the nerves stripped before roasting them; and the _Caa-guaza_, which is the commonest, is prepared as follows:—

A Maté _yerbal_, or plantation, having been found, and a sum paid to Government for the collection of its leaves, a party of from twenty-five to thirty Indians settle down there with the intention of passing some five or six months. They make themselves as comfortable as circumstances will permit, by building wigwams covered with palm or banana leaves. Their next care is to beat, with mallets, a good hard and smooth earthen floor, about six feet square, which is called a _tatacua_. Over this is built an arch of poles, on which is spread the boughs of the _Ilex_, and under which a lively fire is kindled, that the leaves may be thoroughly dried without being scorched. This result being effected, the fire is swept off the hearth, and the dried branches being spread thereon, the leaves are beaten off with sticks, which operation reduces them to a coarse powder. Sometimes they are pounded in mortars, made by digging holes in the ground, well rammed; but now-a-days the Maté is generally treated in a more scientific and cleanly manner, the leaves being heated, as tea in China, in large iron pans set in brick work. The dried leaves are then taken to the Maté mill, which may be worked by water power, or by mules, the wooden stampers being worked by teeth placed spirally round the circumference of a revolving cylinder. A good-sized mill will turn out three tons of Maté in a day. The crushed leaves are then tightly packed in bags of damp bullock’s hide, sewn up and left to dry, when they become as hard as stones. These sacks generally weigh from 200 to 220 lbs., and this quantity is considered a good day’s work for a peon. The collectors suffer terribly during this six months of forest life, and the severe labour of collecting, in those tropical forests, is especially fatal to the unfortunate peons.

Its use is as universal as tea in China. The method of taking it has not varied for centuries; and a description of it in 1713[133] is as good as if written to-day.

“During the day, they make much use of the Herb of _Paraguay_, which some call St. Bartholomew’s Herb, who, they pretend, came into that Province, where he made it wholesome and beneficial, whereas, before, it was venomous. Being only brought dry, and almost in Powder, I cannot describe it. Instead of drinking the Tincture, or Infusion, apart, as we drink Tea, they put the Herb into a cup or bowl, made of a Calabash or Gourd, tipped with silver, which they call _Maté_; they add sugar, and pour on it the hot water, which they drink immediately, without giving it time to infuse, because it turns as black as ink. To avoid drinking the Herb which swims at the top, they make use of a silver pipe, at the end whereof is a bowl, full of little holes, so that the liquor sucked in at the other end is clear from the Herb. They drink round from the same pipe, pouring hot water on the Herb as it is drank off. Instead of a pipe, which they call _Bombilla_; some part the Herb with a silver separation, called _Apartador_, full of little holes. The reluctance which the French have shown to drink after all sorts of people, in a country where so many are diseased, has occasioned the inventing of the use of little glass pipes, which they began to use at _Lima_. That liquor is, in my opinion, better than Tea; it has a flavour of the Herb, which is agreeable enough; the people of the country are so used to it, that even the poorest use it once a day, when they rise in the morning.”

Frezier gives us an illustration of _Maté_ drinking, in which we see a lady using the _bombilla_, although the _Maté_ cup has an _apartador_. The silver kettle for supplying hot water is fed with charcoal at the side, and somewhat resembles the Russian _Samovar_.

We give a modern _Maté_ cup and _bombilla_; but this, which is made wholly of silver, is only intended for one person’s use.

Sometimes the _Maté_ cups are made of the gourds of the Cuca (_Crescentia Cujete_) or Cabaço (_Cucurbita lagenaria_) silver mounted. Indeed, the cup itself is the _Maté_, which gives the name to the herb, meaning, in the language of the Incas, a _calabash_. The decoction is drank with a little brown sugar or lemon added, never with milk, and if not drank very quickly will turn quite black.

It loses in flavour and aroma by keeping, so that in England it cannot possibly be drunk in perfection, which, of course, can only be done on the spot where it is produced. Its virtues are much vaunted. It is supposed to give nervous vigour, and to enable the system to resist fatigue; but this can scarcely account for the enormous quantity drunk, although to persons unused to it, when taken in large doses it is both purgative and emetic.

Like Chinese tea, it has a volatile oil, which gives it its peculiar aroma; it also contains nearly 2 per cent. of theine, and about 16 per cent. of an astringent acid, resembling tannin, which causes the infusion to turn black after a slight exposure to the air.

There is another variety of _Maté_, called _Gongonha_, which is drunk in Brazil, which is prepared from two other species of holly, the _Ilex Gongonha_ and the _Ilex Theezans_. In Chili a tea is made from the leaves of the _Psoralea glandulosa_, and in Central America an infusion of the leaves of the _Capraria bifolia_ is drunk.

J. A.

CUCA.

Where Grown—Sustaining Power of Cuca—Early Mention of it, and
Methods of Preparing and Using it—Cowley on Cuca—Its Modern
Manufacture and Cost—Its Medicinal Properties—Cocaine and its
Dangers.

Cuca or Coca (_Erythroxylon Coca_) is now used as a drink, the leaves, hitherto, having been masticated. It has very valuable medicinal qualities, one of the chief being the ability to sustain fatigue by those who use it. It grows in the valleys of the eastern slope of the Andes, in Bolivia, and Peru; wild in many places, but that in use is generally cultivated. It has been known ever since the Conquest of Peru, notices of it being very early; and, considering the length of time this knowledge has obtained, it is marvellous that it is only of very late years that our scientific men have interested themselves in its medicinal properties, and that an infusion of its leaves has not come into common use.

The earliest mention to be found of it in English is in a[134] translation (1577) of a book written by Dr. Monades of Seville.

“OF THE COCA.

“I was desirous to see that hearbe so celebrated of the
Indians, so many yeares past, which they doe call the _Coca_,
which they doe sow and till with muche care and diligence,
for because they doe use it for their pleasures, which we
will speake of. The _Coca_ is an hearbe of the height of a
yerd, little more or lesse, he carrieth his Leaves like to
_Arraihau_, somewhat greater, and in that Leafe there is marked
another Leafe of the like forme, with a line very thinne, they
are softe, and of Coulour a light greene, they carrie the seede
in clusters, and it commeth to be so redde when it is ripe,
as the Seede of _Arraihau_, when it is ripe. And it is of the
same greatnesse, when the hearbe is seasoned, that it is to
be gathered, it is knowen in the seede, that it is ripe, and
of some rednes like to a blackekishe coulour, and the hearbe
beyng gathered, they put them into Canes, and other thinges,
that they may drie, that it maie be kepte and caried to other
partes. For that they carrie them from some high Mountaines,
to others, as Marchaundise to be soulde, and they barter and
chaunge them for Mantelles, and Cattell, and Salte, and other
thinges whiche doe runne like to money amongest us, they doe
put the seede into _Almaciga_,[135] and from that thei do take
them up, and set them in another place, into Earth that is wel
laboured or tilled, and made as it is convenient for to put
them, by their lines and order, as we doe put here a Garden of
Beanes, or of Peason.

“The use of it amongest the Indians is a thing generall, for
many thinges, for when they doe travail by the waie, for neede
and for their content when they are in their houses, thei use
it in this forme. Thei take Cokles or Oisters in their shelles,
and they doe burne them and grinde them, and after they are
burned they remaine like Lyme, very small grounde, and they
take of the Leves of the _Coca_, and they chawe them in their
Mouthes, and, as they go chawyng, they goe mingling with it
of that pouder made of the shelles in such sorte, that they
make it like to a Paste taking lesse of the Pouder then of
the Hearbe, and of this Paste they make certaine small Bawles
rounde, and they put them to drie, and when they will use of
them, they take a little Ball in their mouthe, and they chawe
hym; passing hym from one parte to another, procuring to
conserue him all that they can, and that beyng doen, they doe
retaurne to take another, and so they goe, using of it all the
tyme that they have neede, whiche is when they travaill by the
waie, and especially if it be by waies where is no meate, or
lacke of water. For the use of these little Bawles doe take
the hunger and thurste from them, and they say that they dooe
receive substaunce, as though that they did eate. At other
times thei use of them for their pleasure, although that they
labour not by the waie, and thei do use the same _Coca_ alone,
chawing it and bringing it in their mouthes, from one side to
another, untill there be no vertue remainyng in it, and then
they take another.”

Garcia Lasso de la Vega, who wrote his _Commentarios Reales_ in 1609, gives a fine description of Cuca—which is taken from his translator, Sir Paul Rycaut.

“_Of the pretious Leafe called_ Cuca.”

“But above all we must not omit to discourse at large of the
Herb which the _Indians_ call _Cuca_, and the _Spaniards_,
_Coca_, being that which is, and hath been a considerable
part of the Riches of _Peru_, and such as hath yielded great
benefit to the Merchants. And, indeed, the _Indians_ did justly
esteem it for the rare Virtues and Qualities of it, which the
_Spaniards_ have not onely approved, but have also discovered
several other specifick and medicinal Qualities belonging to
it. _Blas Valera_, who was a very curious Person, and one who
had resided many years in _Peru_, and came from thence thirty
years after my departure, hath wrote Very largely of the many
Virtues of this Herb, and such as he hath found out by his
own experience. His words are these, ‘The _Cuca_ is a small,
tender Tree or Bind, about the height and biggness of a Vine;
it produceth not many Branches, but is full of delicate Leaves,
of about the breadth and length of a Man’s Thumb; it is of
an excellent smell, and very fragrant; the _Spaniards_ and
_Indians_ do both give them the name of _Cuca_; the which is
so much esteemed by the _Indians_, that they prefer it before
Gold, or Silver, or Pretious Stones. They plant and manure them
with great art and diligence, and gather them with great care,
pulling them leaf by leaf, and then lay them to dry in the Sun,
and so the Indians eat them dry.

“‘The Virtue and Benefit of this _Cuca_ is plainly observable
in labouring Men, who, having eaten it are much refreshed,
and often labour a whole day in the strength of it, without
any other nourishment. The _Cuca_ moreover preserves the
Body from many infirmities; and our Physicians make use of
it, being dried and beaten to powder, to ease and assuage
the Inflammation, or swelling of any Wound; it is good to
strengthen bones which have been broken, and expell colds from
the Body, and to prevent them; it is good also to cleanse great
Wounds of Worms, and heal them; nor is the Virtue of it less,
being taken inwardly, than it is by outward applications.
Besides all which Virtues, it yields a great benefit to the
Bishop and Canons and other Dependents on the Cathedral Church
of _Cozco_, the Tithes of the Leaves of _Cuca_ being their
greatest Revenue; it is also a great commodity amongst the
Merchants; notwithstanding all which good Qualities of the
_Cuca_, there are many, who being ignorant of its Virtues
have wrote against it; for no other reason, than because the
Gentiles, in ancient times, did, by their Diviners and Wizards
offer this _Cuca_ to their Gods in Sacrifice; and, therefore,
having been abused to Idolatry, they conclude that it ought
for ever to be esteemed abominable and prophane. This Argument
might be available, if it had been the custome to offer this
Herb onely to the Devil, but, in regard that both ancient
and modern Idolaters have made their Corn, and Fruits, and
whatsoever grows above or beneath the earth, their Drinks and
Water, their Wool and Clothing, their Flocks and Herds, and
all things else, the matter and subject of their Sacrifices;
we may argue from the same foundation, that all those things
are defiled and rendred as abominable and unclean as the
_Cuca_; but to the clean, all things being clean, let us teach
them to abhor and forsake their superstitious and idolatrous
Worships, and let us, using our Christian Liberty, receive
those Blessings with moderation and thanksgiving.’

“Thus far are the Words of _Blas Valera_. To which we shall add
thus much farther, that this little Tree is about the height
of a Man, in the planting of which they cast the seed in its
green shell, and when it grows up, they then hoa and open the
Earth for it, as they do for Vines, supporting the tender twigs
with stakes; and in planting, they take great care that the
tender roots be laid streight in the Earth, for with the least
doubling they dry and wither; they take likewise the Leaf of
every sprig by itself, and, holding it between their fingers,
they cut it with great care till they come to the Bud, but do
not touch it, for then the whole branch will wither; both the
outside and inside of this Leaf in the greenness and shape of
it, is like the _Arbuteus_, onely the Leaves are so thin, that
three or four of them, being doubled, are not so thick as that
of the _Arbuteus_....

“When they gather the Leaves they dry them in the Sun; but
care is to be taken that they are not over-dried, for then
they lose much of their Virtue, and, being very thin, soon
turn to powder; nor will they bear much moisture; for they
soon grow musty and rotten; but they lay them up in Baskets of
slit Canes, of which many fine ones are made in the _Antis_.
With the Leaves of those big Canes, which are about the third
of a yard long, they cover the top of the Baskets, to keep
Moisture from the Leaves, which is very prejudicial to them;
and to consider the great pains and care which is taken to
nourish this _Cuca_, and the provisions of all things which
are made for it, we ought rather to render thanks to God for
his abundant blessings in the variety of his Creatures, than
to believe or conclude that what we write is fabulous or
incredible; if these fruits were to be planted or nourished in
other Countries, the charge and labour of them would be more
than the benefit.

“The Herb is gathered every four Months, that is three times
a year, and in the manuring of it care is taken to weed it
often; for the Country being hot and moist, the Weeds grow
apace, and the Herb sometimes increases so fast, that the
season for gathering of it advances fifteen days; so that
sometimes they have four Harvests for it in a year; the which,
a certain covetous Tithe-gatherer observing, in my time, farmed
the Tithes of all the principal and rich Inheritances and
Possessions about _Cozco_, and, taking care to keep them clear
and clean from Weeds, he so improved his Revenue, that the year
following, the Farmer of the Tithes made two thirds more than
what had been made in the preceding years; which caused a Law
Suit between the Farmer and the Proprietor, but what the Issue
was of it, I that was then but a Boy, did not much remark.

“Amongst many other Virtues of this _Cuca_, they say it
corroborates the Gums, and fortifies the Teeth, and that it
gives strength and vigour to any person that labours and toils,
onely by carrying it in his mouth. I remember a Story which I
heard in my own Countrey. That a certain Gentleman, both by
Bloud and Vertue, called _Rodrigo Pantoia_, journeying once
from _Cozco_ to _Rimac_,[136] met with a poor _Spaniard_ (for
there are some poor there, as well as here), travelling on
foot, carrying a little Girl of about two years of age in his
Armes; and being an acquaintance of this _Pantoia_, he asked
him how he came to give himself the trouble of carrying that
burthen; to which the person that was on foot, replied, that he
was poor, and had not money to hire an _Indian_ to carry it.

“In this discourse with him, _Pantoia_ observed that his mouth
was full of the _Cuca_; and it being, at that time, that
the _Spaniards_ abhorred all things which the _Indians_ did
eat or drink, because they had been abused to Idolatry, and
particularly they hated the _Cuca_, as a base and stinking
Weed, which gave cause to _Pantoia_ to ask him farther, why
he, being a _Spaniards_, did use those things which the
_Spaniards_ hated; for his necessities could never be so great
as to compell him to Meats or Customs unlawfull. To which the
Souldier replied, that though he abhorred it as much as the
_Spaniards_, yet necessity forced him to imitate the _Indians_
therein; for that without it he could never be able to travell
and carry his Burthen, for that holding it in his mouth, he
found such refreshment and strength, that he was able to
carry his Load, and perform his Journey with chearfulness.
_Pantoia_ wondring at this Report, related to many others, who,
afterwards, making the same experiment thereof, found that
the _Indians_ made use of it rather for their refreshment and
necessity, than for any pleasure in the taste, which in itself
is not very pleasant or agreeable.”

A plant having such manifold and beneficent properties must needs have a supernatural origin, and the Indians had a belief that the goddess Varischa first introduced the Cuca plant into Peru, and taught the inhabitants the use thereof. Abraham Cowley sang thereof in his Latin poems, “Sex libri plantarum,” and use is made here of the translation by Nahum Tate, of the fifth book, published in 1700. The Indian Bacchus challenge the other deities to judge between the fruits of the two worlds.

...
“But _Bacchus_ much more sportive than the rest,
Fills up a Bowl with Juice from Grapestones drein’d,
And puts it in _Omelichilus_ hand;
Take off this Draught, said he, if thou art wise,
’Twill purge thy Cannibal Stomach’s Crudities.
He, unaccustomed to the acid Juice
Storm’d, and with blows had answer’d the Abuse,
But fear’d t’engage the _European_ Guest,
Whose Strength and Courage had subdu’d the _East_.
He therefore chooses a less dang’rous fray,
And summons all his Country’s Plants away:
Forthwith in decent Order they appear,
And various Fruits on various Branches wear;
Like _Amazons_ they stand in painted Arms,
_Coca_ alone appears with little Charms;
Yet led the Van, our scoffing _Venus_ scorn’d
The shrublike Tree, and with no Fruit adorn’d.
The _Indian_ Plants, said she, are like to speed
In this Dispute of the most sterile Breed,
Who choose a _Dwarf_ and _Eunuch_ for their Head.
Our Gods laugh’d out aloud at what she said.
_Pachamama_ defends her darling Tree,
And said the wanton Goddess was too free,
You only know the fruitfulness of Lust,
And therefore here your Judgement is unjust,
Your skill in other offsprings we may trust,
With those Chast Tribes that no distinction know
Of Sex, your Province nothing has to do.
Of all the Plants that any Soil does bear,
This Tree in Fruits the Richest does appear,
It bears the best, and bears ’em all the year.
Ev’n now with Fruits ’tis stor’d—why laugh you yet?
Behold how thick with Leaves it is beset,
Each Leaf is Fruit, and such substantial Fare
No Fruit beside to Rival it will dare.
Mov’d with his Countries Roming Fate (whose Coil
Must for her Treasures be expos’d to toil)
Our _Varicocha_ first this _Coca_ sent,
Endow’d with Leaves of wondrous Nourishment,
Whose Juice succ’d in, and to the Stomach ta’en,
Long Hunger and long Labour can sustain;
From which our faint and weary Bodies find
More Succour, more they cheat the drooping Mind
Than can your _Bacchus_ and your Ceres join’d.
Three Leaves supply for six days march afford,
The _Quitoita_ with this Provision stor’d
Can pass the vast and cloudy _Andes_ o’er—
The dreadful _Andes_ plac’d ’twixt Winter’s store
Of Winds, Rain, Snow, and that more humble Earth,
That gives the small but valiant _Coca_ Birth;
This Champion that makes war-like _Venus_ Mirth.
Nor _Coca_ only useful art at home,
A famous Merchandize thou art become;
A thousand _Paci_ and _Vicugni_ groan
Yearly beneath thy Loads, and for thy sake alone
The spacious World’s to us by Commerce known.”

Dr. Von Tschudi says that the Coca plant is regarded by the Peruvian Indian, as something sacred and mysterious, and it sustained an important part in religion of the Incas. In all ceremonies, whether religious or warlike, it was introduced, for producing smoke at the great offerings, or as the sacrifice itself. During divine worship the priests chewed Coca leaves, and, unless they were supplied with them, it was believed that the favour of the gods could not be propitiated. It was also deemed necessary that the supplicator for divine grace should approach the priests with an _Acullico_ in his mouth. It was believed that any business undertaken without the benediction of Coca leaves could not prosper; and to the shrub itself worship was rendered.

During an interval of more than 300 years, Christianity has not been able to subdue the deep-rooted idolatry; for everywhere are found traces of belief in the mysterious power of this plant. The excavators in the mines of Cerro de Pasco throw masticated Coca on hard veins of metal, in the belief that it softens the ore and renders it more easy to work. The origin of this custom is easily explained, when it is recollected that in the time of the Incas it was believed that the _Coyas_, or deities of metals, rendered the mountains impenetrable, if they were not propitiated by the odour of Coca. The Indians, even at the present time,[137] put Coca leaves into the mouths of dead persons, to secure to them a favourable reception on their entrance into another world; and when a Peruvian Indian, on a journey, falls in with a mummy, he, with timid reverence, presents to it some Coca leaves as his pious offering.

Markham[138] also says, “The reliance on the extraordinary virtues of the Coca leaf, amongst the Peruvian Indians, is so strong, that, in the Huanaco province, they believe that, if a dying man can taste a leaf placed on his tongue, it is a sure sign of his future happiness.”

He also gives an account of the modern cultivation of the plant. Sowing is commenced in December and January, when the rains begin, which continue until April. The seeds are spread on the surface of the soil in a small nursery or raising ground called _almaciga_, over which there is generally a thatch roof (_huascichi_). At the end of about a fortnight they come up; the young plants being continually watered, and protected from the sun by the _huascichi_. The following year they are transplanted to a soil specially prepared by thorough weeding, and breaking up the clods very fine by hand; often in terraces only affording room for a single row of plants, up the side of the mountains, which are kept up by small stone walls. The plants are generally placed in square holes called _aspi_, a foot deep, with stones on the sides to prevent the earth from falling in. Three or four are planted in each hole, and grow up together.

In Caravaya and Bolivia the soil in which the Coca grows is composed of a blackish clay, formed from the decomposition of the schists, which form the principal geological features of the mountains. On level ground the plants are placed in furrows called _nachos_, separated by little walls of earth, _umachas_, at the foot of each of which a row of plants is placed; but this is a modern innovation, the terrace cultivation being the most ancient. At the end of eighteen months the plants yield their first harvest, and continue to yield for upwards of forty years. The first harvest is called _quita calzon_, and the leaves are then picked very carefully, one by one, to avoid disturbing the roots of the young tender plants. The following harvests are called _mitta_ (“time” or “season”), and take place three and even four times in the year. The most abundant harvest takes place in March, immediately after the rains; the worst, at the end of June, called the _Mitta de San Juan_. The third, called _Mitta de Santos_, is in October or November. With plenty of watering, forty days suffice to cover the plants with leaves afresh. It is necessary to weed the ground very carefully, especially while the plants are young, and the harvest is gathered by women and children.

The green leaves, called _matu_, are deposited in a piece of cloth which each picker carries, and are then spread out in the drying yard, called _matu-caucha_, and carefully dried in the sun. The dried leaf is called _Coca_. The drying yard is formed of slate flags, called _pizarra_; and when the leaves are thoroughly dry, they are sewn up in _cestos_, or sacks, made of banana leaves, of 20 lbs. each, strengthened by an exterior covering of _bayeta_, or cloth.[139] They are also packed in _tambores_ of 50 lbs. each, pressed tightly down. Dr. Poeppig (writing in 1827-32) reckoned the profits of a Coca farm to be forty-five per cent.

The harvest is greatest in a hot moist situation; but the leaf generally considered the best flavoured by consumers, grows in drier parts, on the sides of hills. The greatest care is required in the drying; for too much sun causes the leaves to dry up and lose their flavour, while, if packed up moist, they become fetid. They are generally exposed to the sun in thin layers.

The approximate annual produce of Coca in Peru is about 15,000,000 lbs., the average yield being about 800 lbs. an acre. More than 10,000,000 lbs. are produced annually in Bolivia, according to Dr. Booth of La Paz; so that the annual yield of Coca throughout South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Pasto, may be estimated at more than 30,000,000 lbs. At Tacna, the _tambor_ of 50 lbs. is worth 9 to 12 dollars, the fluctuations in price being caused by the perishable nature of the article, which cannot be kept in stock for any length of time. The average duration of Coca in a sound state, on the coast, is about five months, after which time it is said to lose flavour, and is rejected by the Indians as worthless.

Cuca leaves can be bought in London, but up to the present time it has not come into much use as a beverage, yet it is supplied in Roots’ Cuca Cocoa, which is a combination of Cuca leaves, and the Cocoa bean.

There is no doubt whatever in Cuca possessing the qualities ascribed to it, and its application in medicine for many “ills that man is heir to,” is being diligently pursued by physicians all over the civilized world, with very beneficial results, and it is a valuable addition to our pharmacopœia. Johnston, in _The Chemistry of Common Life_,[140] speaking of the general effects of the Coca leaf, says that it “acts differently according to the way in which it is used. When infused, and drunk like tea, it produces a gentle excitement, followed by wakefulness; and, if taken strong, retards the approach of hunger, prevents the usual breathlessness in climbing hills, and, in large doses, dilates the pupil, and renders the eye intolerant of light. It is seldom used in this way, however, but is commonly chewed in the form of a ball or quid, which is turned over and over in the mouth, as is done with tobacco. In this way its action is more gradual and prolonged than when the infusion only is taken. It is also very different in its character, because the constant chewing, the continued action of the saliva, and the influence of the lime or ashes chewed along with it, extract from the leaf certain other active constituents which water alone does not dissolve, when it is infused after the manner of tea.”

It contains at least three different constituents; an odoriferous substance, a bitter principle, and a kind of tannic acid. When Cuca is imported into this country the leaves are coated with a resinous substance, like hops have, slightly soluble in water, but wholly in ether—which, on evaporation, leaves a brownish resin, which is powerfully odorous. This scent vanishes if it is exposed to the air for any length of time, and thus is lost one of the most important ingredients of good Cuca—rendering the leaf useless by keeping.

It contains a crystalline bitter principle which can be separated from it by alcohol. Like _Theine_, it is an alkaloid, and is called _Cocaine_; but it is not harmless, as, in many particulars, and in its physiological action upon the system, it resembles _Atropine_, the alkaloid of the deadly nightshade.

It also has a tannic acid, which gives a deep brownish green colour to the _per_ salts of iron. So we see in its constituents it closely resembles the _Thea Sinensis_, only it is more powerful in its effects on the human frame, and, consequently, ought not to be taken in the same quantity as we now take tea, but it is invaluable in preventing, or greatly diminishing, the ordinary and natural waste which usually accompanies bodily exertion.

J. A.

KOLA.

Whence Kola comes—Early Mention of—Early Trade in—Cure for
Drunkenness—The _Cattia edulis_—Substitutes for Tea.

Kola can scarcely be called a tea, because, as a drink, it is produced from a nut, instead of a leaf, but it is put here because it contains the alkaloid _Theine_. Its botanical name is _Sterculia acuminata_, and it is a native of tropical West Africa, although now introduced into the West Indies and Brazils. The earliest mention of it to be found, is in “the Sieur Brüe’s Journey from Albreda, on the river Gambia, to Kachao, by land, in the year 1700.” Shortly after his start from Gambia, he was entertained by a Portuguese lady, and “after a short Compliment, one of her Slaves, a young, handsome Girl, but very immodestly dressed, presented the General a Pewter Basin full of _Kola_, a fruit much valued by the _Portugueze_. It is bitter, and makes the Teeth and Spittle yellow.”

Barbot[141] gives a very bad illustration of the nut, and the following description. “The _Cola_ is a sort of fruit, somewhat resembling a large chestnut. The tree is very tall and large, on which this fruit grows, in clusters, ten or twelve of them together; the outside of it is red, with some mixture of blue; and the inside, when cut, violet colour and brown. It comes once a year, is of a harsh, sharp taste, but quenches the thirst, and makes water relish so well, that most of the _Blacks_ carry it about them, wheresoever they go, frequently chewing, and some eat it all day, but forbear at night, believing it hinders their sleeping. The whole country abounds in this _Cola_, which yields the natives considerable profit, selling it to their neighbours up in the inland; who, as some _Blacks_ told me, sell it again to a sort of white men, who repair to them at a certain time of the year, and take off great quantities of it. These white men are suppos’d to be of _Morocco_ or _Barbary_, for the _English_ of _Bence_ island assur’d me, there was a great quantity carry’d yearly by land to _Tunis_ and _Tripoli_, in _Barbary_.”

So we see that, although a fair trade was done in Kola over 150 years ago, it is only beginning to be known in Europe.

In Congo it is called Makasso, and Guru in Soudan, and the seeds or nuts are used in West and Central Africa to make a refreshing beverage, which is somewhat allied to tea, and which has the same active principle as cocoa, without so much fatty matter. It is refreshing, invigorating, and has digestive properties. In the West Indies it is sometimes used by the negroes to counteract the effects of intoxication. It grows in pods, which contains several seeds, about the size of a horse chestnut. At present it is only used as a tonic. Kola is said to be a cure for drunkenness, and to sober an inebriate in an hour’s time; but woe be to him if he returns to his evil courses for three or four days—his punishment will be equal to sea-sickness.

There is a new product, about which, at present, very little is known in Europe. This is the _Cattia edulis_, which is said to be similar in its properties to Maté, Cuca, and Kola, in maintaining animal strength for a time, in the absence of food. It has been used by the natives of Arabia and Abyssinia for centuries. The plant is a shrub with lanceolate leaves of an olive-green colour, and it flourishes in Africa between 15° N. and 30° S. latitude, but it is chiefly cultivated in Arabia, especially in the province of Yemen. From Aden it is exported to the north-east of Africa, and the coasts of Somali land. The leaves are either chewed or infused like tea, and their sustaining virtues have recently been tested by M. Leloups, a French therapeutist. He employed not only the infusion, but the tincture, and an extract of the leaves, finding them all to produce wakefulness and banish fatigue. No definite alkaloid has yet been obtained from the leaves.

In conclusion I may give the following list of substitutes for Chinese Tea and Maté.

Popular Name. Where collected Name of Plant.
and used.

Arabian Tea. Arabia. { Cattia edulis.
Abyssinia. { Cattia Spinosa.

Unnamed. China. Sageretia theezans.

New Jersey Tea. N. America. Ceanothus Americanus.

Unnamed. Chili. Psoralea glandulosa.

Boer Tea. Cape of Good Hope. Cyclopia Vogelii.

Sloe and Strawberry Tea. North Europe. { Prunus spinosa ⅓
{ Fragraria collina or
{ F. resca ⅔.

Long-life Tea. Bencoolen. { Glaphyria nitida
{ (flowers).

Tea Plants. } New Holland. { Leptospermum scoparium
Tasmanian Tea.} { and L. Thea.
{ Melaleuca genistifolia,
{ and M. scoparia.

Unnamed. Chili. Myrtus ugni.

Colony Tea. Cape of Good Hope. { Helichrysum
{ serpyllifolium.

Mountain Tea. N. America. Gualtheria procumbens.

Labrador Tea.} N. America. { Ledum palustre and
James’s Tea. } { Ledum latifolium.

Toolsie Tea. India. Ocymum album.

Oswego Tea. N. America. { Monarda didyma and
{ M. purpurea.

Unnamed. France. { Micromeria thea
{ sinensis.

Sage Tea. North Europe. Salvia officinalis.

Ama tsja: Tea of Heaven. Japan. Hydrangea thunbergii.

“Burr.” New Holland. Acæna sanguisorba.

Santa Fé Tea. New Granada. Styrax alstonia.

Unnamed. Central America. Capraria bifolia.

Cape Barran Tea. New Holland. Correa alba.

Capitão da matto. Brazil. Lautana pseudo thea.

Faham or Bourbon Tea. Mauritius. Angrœcum fragrans.

Brazilian Tea. Austria. { Stachytarpheta
{ jamaicensis.

Mexican Tea. Mexico and Columbia.{ Chenopodium
{ ambrosoides.

Apalachian Tea. N. America. { Viburnum Cassinoides,
{ and Prinos glaber.

A tea is also made of coffee leaves, and this infusion has been drunk for an unknown time in the Eastern Archipelago, especially in the island of Sumatra. It is said to be an agreeable beverage, and is preferred by the natives to the berry.

J. A.

COFFEE.

Its Growth and Birthplace—Where most Drank—Legends as to
its Origin—Its Gradual Spread—Introduction into Europe and
England—Pasqua Rosee’s Handbill—The English Coffee Houses—Their
Rules—A Poem about Coffee Houses.

Next to tea, Coffee is, perhaps, the infusion most drank, its use being universal in Turkey, Egypt, Persia, and most Mahometan countries; and on the continent of Europe, with the exception of Russia, it is a greater favourite than tea. In Norway and Sweden it is especially drank, whilst tea is comparatively disused.

It is the seed of an evergreen shrub (_Coffea Arabica_) which grows from six to twelve feet high, with a stem of from six to fifteen inches in circumference. When the blossom falls off, there remains, in its room, or rather, springs from each blossom, a small fruit, green at first, but which becomes red when it ripens; it is not unlike a cherry, and is very good to eat. Under the flesh of this cherry, instead of the stone, is found the bean, or berry, which we call coffee, wrapped round in a fine thin skin. The berry is then very soft, and of a disagreeable taste; but as the cherry ripens, the berry in the inside grows harder, and the dried-up fruit being the flesh or the pulp of it, which was before eatable, becomes a shell or pod, of a deep brown colour. The berry is now solid, and of a clear transparent green. Each shell contains one berry, which splits into two equal parts.

In Abyssinia coffee appears to have been used as a drink from time immemorial. Abd-Alkader, a learned native of Medina, writing at the beginning of the seventeenth century, gives us the history of its introduction into Arabia. A certain Sheikh, notorious for his piety and knowledge, named Jemal-Eddin, brought it from Persia to Aden. He was wont to take it as a medicine relieving the headache, enlivening the heart, and preventing drowsiness. This last attribute at once recommended it to the various imams, muftis, and dervishes, who wished to remain awake for the performance of religious exercises at night. The examples of these holy persons had its usual influence upon the people, and coffee drinking soon became a common custom.

Not, however, without considerable opposition did this fashion come into vogue; there were many long and animated disputes about the legitimacy of drinking coffee. Its defenders alleged its medicinal virtues, its opponents declared it to be like wine, of an inebriating nature—indeed, a sort of wine itself; and went so far, in the heat of argument, as to say that all who drank it would appear at the general resurrection with faces blacker than the bottoms of their coffee-pots.

An insult of this sort was surely sufficient to justify a prompt adoption of the severest rejoinder by the other side, and, in replying, they became poetic. Said one:—