PALM WINE. 431 



Hebrew belief as to the existence of great reservoirs 

 of water in the upper heavens, from whence the rains 

 were supposed to have their sources. This matter has 

 been gone into in some detail in connection with the 

 question of the Rains in the chapter on Climates 

 and Temperatures to which we beg to refer the 

 reader. 



The Vine has been specially mentioned by the French 

 traveller Count D'Escayrac de Lauture, as one of the 

 plants cultivated in the oases beneath the shade of 

 the date tree, and though it may only be used there 

 as a fruit, the best wines, as we know, are all products 

 of dry, stony and barren districts ; nevertheless some 

 of the wines of Egypt were renowned for their ex- 

 cellence at a very early period. But though wine 

 from the juice of the grape is not now made in Egypt, 

 palm wine is very largely used in all regions where 

 the palm tree grows, where the freshly drawn sap 

 forms a refreshing beverage ; if, however, the liquor is 

 allowed to stand and ferment it becomes exceedingly 

 heady and intoxicating. It is consequently a disputed 

 point among Mohammedans as to whether palm wine is 

 forbidden by the Koran or not some of the less strict 

 hold, that as it is a natural product, and not a 

 manufactured one, that it is not forbidden by the 

 Prophet. Thus they say of the Christian " they drink 

 ' the fermented" 1 which is forbidden to the Moslemm."* 



As regards the reference to " oil to make his face 

 to shine" oil, or fat of some kind, is still used by 

 nearly all the African tribes and oriental races as a 

 lubricant, partly because it improves their appearance, 



* See a passage in Arabia Deserta, by Chas. M. Doughty, 1882 to 

 1888, Vol. ii., p. 8;. 



