232 SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 



The manner of making coffee is rather peculiar, 

 and merits description. When on the march, and 

 travelhng in Abyssinia, the natives carry a bag of 

 unroasted berries ; taking a few of the grains out of 

 the bag, they put them on a Httle mat, and then 

 scrape some hot wood-ashes out of the fire ; these 

 they mix with the coffee-grains, and then shakmg 

 the mat up and down, much in the same way as one 

 sees a groom shaking a sieve of oats to get the dust 

 from them, the coffee becomes gradually roasted. I 

 believe that they know when it is sufficiently done 

 by the smell. Then the coffee is put between two 

 stones and ground to powder ; or, if they happen to 

 have a small pestle and mortar, that is used. The 

 ground coffee is then put into a little earthenware 

 vase — one can hardly call it a jar as it has a long 

 neck — water is poured into the vessel, which is put to 

 boil on the fire. When sufficiently heated, some 

 fibre is crammed in the mouth of it to prevent the 

 coffee-grounds from coming out into the cup ; then 

 some of those little Turkish cups are produced, and 

 the coffee poured out and drunk. Drinking coffee in 

 these regions is quite a little ceremony, and is gene- 

 rally the time when the most important affairs are 

 discussed, and compliments are exchanged. I may 

 as well say that some of the best coffee I have ever 

 tasted was made in the way described. Why is it so 



