9^ TRAVELS IN UPPER 



Hemp is cultivated in the plains of the same 

 countries, but they do not spin it into thread, as 

 in Europe, although to all appearance it might be 

 ihus manufactured. It is, nevertheless, a plant very- 

 much in use. For want of intoxicating liquors, 

 the Arabs and the Egyptians compose several pre- 

 parations from this plant, with which they procure 

 for themselves a sort of pleasing drunkenness, a 

 state of reverie which inspires gaiety, and produces 

 afrreeable dreams. This sort of annihilation of the 

 faculty of thinking, this kind of slumber of the 

 soul, has no resemblance to the intoxication pro- 

 duced by wine or strong liquors, and our language 

 has no terms expressive of it. The Arabs give the 

 name of keif io this voluptuous relaxation, this sort 

 of delicious stupor. 



The preparation from hemp, most in use, is made 

 by bruising the fruits with their membranous cap- 

 sules ; they press the paste which results from this 

 with honey, pepper, and nutmeg, and they swal- 

 low pieces of this comfit of the size of a nut. The 

 poor, who charm their wretchedness by the stupe- 

 faction which hemp produces, content themselves 

 with pounding the capsules of the seeds in water, 

 and with eating the paste. The Egyptians likewise 

 eat the capsules without any preparation, and they 

 niin£ile them besides wiih the tobacco which they 

 smoke. At other times they reduce only the cap- 

 sules 



