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122
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