1892 Drinks of the world

DRINKS.

203

drink. There are some forty kinds of beer, at least, now manufactured in Brussels. The white beer of Louvain in South Brabant is the most esteemed ; but an Englishman has described it as having the flavour of pitch, soapsuds and vinegar. The winter brew is termed Faro, the summer Lambic. The Faro is by some said to be prepared from the strong Lambic and a small beer called Mars, All Belgium beers, according to the opinion of some experts, have a certain stamp of vinosity. In addition to the Lambic 3ind Faro, which are distinguished in this particular, may be mentioned the Uitzet of Flanders, the Arge of Antwerp, and Fortes- Saisons of the Walloons. The white sparkling beers of Louvain are the best of summer beers, they are succeeded by those of Hougaerde and Diest. The brown beers of Malines and the Saison of Liege possess good reports. Latterly the Grisettes of Gem- bloux, the beer of Dinant, the blonde of Buicke, and the ale of Oppuers have been creditably mentioned. we are to believe Commodore Roggewein,^ are the " basest, most cruel and perfidious people in the world." They are " honest, industrious, strongly affectionate and self- denying," if we are to credit the account of the Italian missionary, Antonio Ventimiglia. When such di- versity of opinion is manifested about the people, It has since fallen from its high estate. Borneo. The aborigines^ of Borneo, if

^ Beajus, which in Malay signifies a wild man. * Roggewein's Voyage Round the World.