Nov. 10. 1849.] 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
25 
neath the other, a jocular sense. The readiest 
way of determining this point would be to 
consult some of the accounts of Compostella 
and of its relics, which are to be found in a 
class of books formerly abundant in the north- 
western towns of Spain. Vs 
MADOC — HIS EXPEDITION TO AMERICA. 
«“ A Student” may consult the Proceedings 
of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquaries, 
Copenhagen, Mr. Geogehan’s Ireland, O'F la- 
herty’s Ogygia, Magnusen and Rafn On the 
Historical Monuments of Greenland and 
America, and some of the Sagas. — Scotus. 
Brechin, Novy. 5. 1849. 
NOTES ON COFFEE. 
The earliest account we have of coffee is 
said to be taken from an Arabian MS. in the 
Bibliotheque du Roi in Paris. 
Schehabeddin Ben, an Arabian author of 
| the ninth century of the Hegira, or fifteenth 
of the Christians, attributes to Gemaleddin, 
_ Mofti of Aden, a city of Arabia Felix, who 
was nearly his contemporary, the first intro- 
duction into that country, of drinking coffee. 
He tells us, that Gemaleddin, having occasion 
to travel into Persia, during his abode there 
saw some of his countrymen drinking coffee, 
which at that time he did not much attend to; 
| 
, 
| 
but, on his return to Aden, finding himself 
indisposed, and remembering that he had seen 
his countrymen drinking coffee in Persia, in 
hopes of receiving some benefit from it, he 
determined to try it on himself; and, after 
making the experiment, not only recovered 
his health, but perceived other useful qualities 
in that liquor; such as relieving the head- 
ach, enlivening the spirits, and, without pre- 
judice to the constitution, preventing drow- 
siness. This last quality he resolved to turn 
to the advantage of his profession ; he took it 
himself, and recommended it to the Dervises, 
or religious Mahometans, to enable them to 
pass the night in prayer, and other exercises 
of their religion, with greater zeal and at- 
tention. The example and authority of the 
mufti gave reputation to coffee. Soon men 
of letters, and. persons belonging to the law, 
adopted the use of it. 
These were followed | 
under the necessity of working in the night, 
and such as were obliged to travel late after 
sun-set. At length the custom became general 
in Aden; and it was not only drunk in the 
night by those who were desirous of being 
kept awake, but in the day for the sake of its 
other agreeable qualities. 
Before this time coffee was scarce known in 
Persia, and very little used in Arabia, where 
the tree grew. But, according to Scheha- 
beddin, it had been drunk in Ethiopia from 
time immemorial. 
Coffee being thus received at Aden, where 
it has continued in use ever since without in- 
terruption, passed by degrees to many neigh- 
bouring towns; and not long after reached 
Mecca, where it was introduced, as at Aden, 
by the Dervises, and for the same purposes of 
religion. 
The inhabitants of Mecca were at last so 
fond of this liquor, that, without regarding 
the intention of the religious, and other stu- 
dious persons, they at length drank it publicly 
in coffee-houses, where they assembled in 
crowds to pass the time agreeably, making 
that the pretence. From hence the custom 
extended itself to many other towns of Arabia, 
particularly to Medina, and then to Grand 
Cairo in Egypt, where the Dervises of Yemen, 
who lived in a district by themselves, drank 
coffee on the nights they intended to spend in 
devotion. 
Coffee continued its progress through Syria, 
and was received at Damascus and Aleppo 
without opposition; and in the year 1554, 
under the reign of Solyman, one hundred 
years after its introduction by the Mufti of 
Aden, became known to the inhabitants of 
Constantinople, when two private persons of 
the names of Schems and Hekin, the one 
coming from Damascus, and the other from 
Aleppo, opened coffee-houses. 
“ Tt is not easy,” says Ellis, “to determine 
at what time, or upon what occasion, the use 
of coffee passed from Constantinople to the 
western parts of Europe. It is, however, 
likely that the Venetians, upon account of the 
proximity of their dominions, and their great 
trade to the Levant, were the first acquainted 
with it; which appears from part of a letter 
wrote by Peter della Valle, a Venetian, in 
1615, from Constantinople ; in which he tells 
by the tradesmen and artisans that were : his friend, that, upon his return he should 
