1903 The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer

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THE FLOWING BOWL

In the Caucasus district there be strange drinks made from mares' milk, sparkling—such as Koumiss^ or otherwise. But these beverages do not have a large sale in other districts. Kafta^ which hardly comes under the heading of " swallows," is in much request amongst the Arabs, especially in the neighbourhood of Yemen. These people boil the leaves and stems of the kat—a shrub about ten feet high, which is planted in the same ground as the coffee—and chew them. All visitors are presented with twigs of this kat plant to chew ; and the drawing- room carpet suffers terribly. "Very pleasant sensations" are, it is said, caused by this custom, and the effect is so in vigorating that the Arab soldier who goes in steadily for Kafta can do " sentry go " all night without feeling in the least drowsy. Whether the soldiers of the Khalifa did much chewing on the night before the battle of Omdurman de ponent sayeth not. Frequently the kat leaves are, boiled in milk sweetened with honey, and the result is the same. The infusion is intoxi cating, but the effect is not of long endurance ; and at a synod of the most learned Mahomedans it was pronounced lawful for the faithful to chew, or drink Kafta^ "as, whilst it did not impair the health nor hinder the observance of religious duties, it increased hilarity and good humour." Sly rogues, these followers of the Prophet! It a man wants to retain his old friends and