THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 



337 



it, and might be rubbed off: it tafled as fweet as fugar ; >779- 

 but was hot and pungent. The ftalk is hollow, and confifts s- » L. 

 of three or four joints; from each of which arife large 

 leaves, and, when at its full growth, is fix feet high. 



This plant was formerly a principal ingredient in the 

 cookery of moft of the Kamcfchadale diflies ; but fince the 

 Ruffians got poffeflion of the country, it has been almoft, 

 intirely appropriated to the purpofe of diftillation. The 

 manner in which it is gathered, prepared, and afterward 

 diftilled, is as follows: having cut fiich (talks as have leaves 

 growing on them, of a proper age (the principal Item, by 

 the time the plant has attained its full growth, having be- 

 come too dry for their purpofe), and fcraped off with fhells 

 the downy fubftance on their furface, they arc laid in fmall 

 heaps, till they begin to fweat and fmcll. On growing 

 dry again, they put them into facks made of matting; 

 where, after remaining a few days, they are gradually co- 

 vered with a fweet faccharine powder, which exudes from 

 the hollow of the ftalk. From thirty-fix pounds of the plant, 

 in this ftate, they obtain no more than a quarter of a pound 

 of powder. The women, whofe province it is to collect and 

 prepare the materials, are obliged to defend their hands 

 with gloves whilft they arc fcraping the italks, the rind 

 they remove being of ib acrid a quality, as to blifter, and 

 even ulcerate whatever it touches. 



The Jpirit is drawn from the plant in this ftate by the fol- 

 lowing procefs. After fteeping bundles of it in hot water, 

 they promote its fermentation in a fmall veilcl, by the help 

 of berries of the gbnolojl *, or of the golubitfa f, being careful 



* Lon'uera pcduncul'is biflsrisy flortbtu infundibitl formis, .baccj folitariij obfongu, an- 

 guhfa. Gm'el. Flor. Sib. 

 f Myrtillui grandis car ulcus. 



Vol. III. X x to 



