Their Best
Entertainment Is A China Dish Of Coho, A Black Bitterish Drink, Made
Of A Berry Like That Of The Bay Tree, Which Is Brought From Mecca.
This
drink is sipped hot, and is good for the head and stomach.[216]
[Footnote 215: The Civet, or Vierra Civetta of naturalists, is an animal
somewhat allied to the weazel; but the genus is peculiarly distinguished
by an orifice or folicle beneath the anus, containing an unctuous
odorant matter, highly fetid in most of the species; but in this and the
Zibet the produce is a rich perfume, much esteemed in the east. - E.]
[Footnote 216: This Coho of Finch is evidently coffee. - E.]
At our first landing in Socotora, the people all fled from us for fear
into the mountains, having formerly received injurious treatment from
the Portuguese, who they said had carried off some of them forcibly.
Their town which they left, is all built of stone covered with spars and
palm branches, with wooden doors, and very ingenious wooden locks. Near
the sea-side stands their church, enclosed by a wall like that of a
church-yard, having within a couple of crosses and an altar, on which
lay frankincense, with sweet wood and gums. When we first got speech of
them, they pretended this was Abba del Curia, and not Socotora, which
we afterwards found to be false. We walked up two or three miles into
the country, not seeing a single pile of green grass, but many date
trees.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 433 of 815
Words from 117517 to 117769
of 221842
