1872 Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks (Mixellany)

134 Temperate Beverages. Arabia and countries bordering on the Red Sea, "where it is much cultivated. It is also now grown in many parts of the world which admit of its successful cultivation. Bruce tells us it is a native of Abyssinia, and that he found it growing wild in great abundance from Cassa to the banks of the Nile. The story told of its introduction is, that the prior of an Arabian monastery, being informed by his goatherd of the effect produced on the goats when they happened to browse on the coffee-tree, gave an infusion of the berries to his monks, to pre- vent their inclination to sleep, which frequently in- terfered with the due performance of the nocturnal prayers. Another account is, that a Mollah, named Chadely, was the first amongst the Arabians who made use of coffee to relieve himself from a con- tinual drowsiness, which hindered him from attend- ing punctually to his nightly devotions. His dervishes did the same, and their example was followed by the lawyers, and others who had no occasion to keep themselves awake, so became a general beverage. That its introduction is of a modern date may be inferred from its not being known to the Romans or Greeks ; neither do any of the chroniclers of the Crusades make mention of coffee. It was in use in Persia during the