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41 
without its pleasant rose odor. The taste is like that of an inferior: 
black tea, quite bitter, but with little delicacy of flavor. It is not 
an unpleasant beverage, and I can imagine that the palate would — 
become accustomed to it, as to mate, tea or coffee.”’ 
We may then assume that the “black drink” was a weak coffee 
or tea with a large admixture of tannin, and free from intoxicating 
effect. It also appeared to contain an ingredient with decided 
sudorific and diuretic properties. 
Wm. Bartram in his “ Travels in Florida” (1792), tells of his 
feasting with the Indian king of Apalachicola, spending the greater . 
part of the night ‘in drinking cassine and smoking tobacco.” 
He describes the ceremonious presentation of the conch-shells 
full of “black drink” to the king and his guests, but prudently 
abstains from expressing any judgment on the quality of the bev- 
erage. It does not appear to have been liked by the explorers to 
whom the hospitable Indians always offered it. Jean Ribault 
( 1666 ) says: ‘I tasted it and did not find it very bad,” which is 
faint praise. Dominique de Gourges ( 1567 )“ pretended to drink 
it but swallowed none Ghat a 
It is likely enough that the Indians had several methods of 
Preparing it, sometimes, for purposes of conviviality, making the 
decoction rather weak, but at religious festivals making it very 
Strong and doubtless adding other ingredients, such as the Button 
Snakeroot (Eryngium aquaticum) and perhaps /ris versicolor or 
even Lobelia inflata, with the effect of imparting strong emetic 
Properties to the mixture. At such festivals the Indians drank 
Copious drafts of it which in a short time made them vomit freely 
and easily ; they continued drinking and ejecting for one or two 
days until they had sufficiently cleansed themselves. om 
Dr. Hale, in the bulletin above referred to, states that some- 
times the decoction was allowed to ferment and then became an 
alcoholic beverage “ capable of causing considerable intoxication.” 
It is strange he should make such an assertion when all the evi- 
dence he adduces, from many observers, clearly shows that it Se 
never had any such effect. Thus McCullough in his « Researches:” _ 
“This tea may have been slightly stimulating, but it seems to_ 
have had no other than a diaphoretic or diuretic effect;” also Le 
_ Moine in his « Narrative”: “It strengthens and nourishes 
