308 COOK S VOYAGE TO OCT. 



prepared, and afterward distilled, is as follows: having 

 cut such stalks as have leaves growing on them, of a 

 proper age (the principal stem, by the time the plant 

 has attained its full growth, having become too dry 

 for their purpose), and scraped off with shells the 

 downy substance on their surface, they are laid in 

 small heaps, till they begin to sweat and smell. On 

 growing dry again, they put them into sacks made of 

 matting; where, after remaining a few days, they are 

 gradually covered with a sweet saccharine powder, 

 which exudes from the hollow of the stalk. From 

 thirty-six pounds of the plant, in this state, they ob- 

 tain no more than a quarter of a pound of powder. 

 The women, whose province it is to collect and pre- 

 pare the materials, are obliged to defend their hands 

 with gloves whilst they are scraping the stalks, the 

 rind they remove being of so acrid a quality, as to 

 blister and even ulcerate whatever it touches. 



The spirit is drawn from the plant in this state by 

 the following process. After steeping bundles of it 

 in hot water, they promote its fermentation in a 

 small vessel, by the help of berries of the gimolost*, 

 or of the golubitsa t, being careful to close up well 

 the mouth of the vessel, and to keep it in a warm 

 place whilst the fermentation is going on, which is 

 generally so violent as to occasion a considerable 

 noise, and to agitate the vessel in which it is con- 

 tained. After drawing off this first liquor, they pour 

 on more hot water, and make a second in the same 

 manner. They then pour both liquor and herbs into 

 a copper still, and draw off the spirit after the usual 

 method. The liquor, thus obtained, is of the strength 

 of brandy; and is called by the natives raka. Two 

 pood (seventy-two pounds) of the plant yield gene- 

 rally one vedro (twenty-five pints) of raka. 



Steller says, that the spirit distilled from this 



* Lonicera pedunculis bifloris,jloribus infundibili jbrmis, baccd 

 solitaria, oblongd, angulosd. Gmel. FJor. Sib. 

 f Myrtillus grandis cceruleus. 



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