1892 Drinks of the world

KOLA.

— Early Mention of— Early Trade in

— Cure

Whence Kola comes

for Drunkenness — 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 that I have found, is in "the Sieur Briie'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 im- modestly 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 ^ gives a very bad illustration of the nut, and the following description. "The Colais a sort of fruit, somewhat resembling a large chestnut. The tree is 1 A Description of the Coasts of North and South Guinea, etc., by John Barbot, etc. Now first printed frotn his original MS., 1732. 96 — The Cattia eduhs