1903 The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer

STRANGE SWALLOWS

The Orginal Intoxicant was evolved from the climbing bindweed of Hindustan, one of the convolvulus family. From this was made a liquor called So7na^ which is still the sacred beverage of the Hindus. It is the Persian Haoma^ and, I should imagine, " absolutely beastly" to the Christian taste. Everybody knows the Christian bindweed—the stuff you get in your garden when you set potatoes, or early peas. Pulque, which is the sap of the aloe, is the favourite drink of the Mexicans. In Kamtchatka the natives drink (or used to drink) birch-wine, which has been already described in these pages. The Russians, also, are very fond of birch-wine ; and their's effervesces, like champagne. In Patagonia they drink Chi Chi^ a cider made from wild apples. Pits are dug, and lined with the hides of horses, to prevent any liquor escaping, the apples are thrown in, and left to decay, and ferment, "on their own." The Patagonians have an annual " big drink" of this dreadful mess, besides many smaller boos- ing-bouts. And upon these occasions the Pata- gonian ladies are in the habit of hiding all the knives and lethal weapons they can find, and retiring, with their children, into the woods, until their lords and masters and other relatives have drunk themselves mad, and then slept themselves sober again.