BOTANY. 371 



to the Mediterranean ports. Tlirre are several species ; and, 

 judging from the differently-shaped leaves, it would seem 

 that what is imported into Europe is not all the produce of 

 the same plant. The Bedouins of Sinai use coloquintida, 

 which abounds in all the wadis of that peninsula, in syphilitic 

 complaints. They fill the bulk with camel's milk, roast it 

 over the fire, and then administer to the patient the contents 

 thus impregnated with the essence of the fruit. They like- 

 wise manufacture it into tinder, which is done by the follow- 

 incr process : — After roasting the root in the ashes, they wrap 

 it in a wetted rag of cotton cloth ; it is then pounded between 

 tw^o stones ; and by this means the juice is expressed and 

 absorbed by the cloth, which imbibes a tint of a dirty blue 

 colour. The rag, when dried in the sun, ignites with the 

 slightest spark of fire. 



In the same districts tobacco is raised in considerable 

 quantities, and forms a profitable branch of traffic. The 

 Towara tribes are all great consumers of this luxuiy ; and 

 whether they smoke or chew, they always mix with it natron or 

 salt. They draw their chief supply from Wady Feiran^ 

 where its quality is ver)' strong, and of the same species as 

 chat grown on the other mountains of Petraea, near "VVady 

 Mousa and Kerek, which retains its green colour even when 

 dry. Such is the currency which this commodity has ac- 

 quired in trade, that the moud, or measure of tobacco, forms 

 the standard by which the Tebna Arabs buy and sell minor 

 articles among themselves.* Hemp, as has been already 

 observed, is cultivated and used as a narcotic over all Arabia. 

 The flowers, or small leaves surrounding the seed, when 

 mixed with tobacco, are called hashish ; and with this the 

 common people fill their pipes. The higher classes cat it in 

 a jelly or paste called maujoun, and made in the following 

 manner : — A quantity of the leaves is boiled with butter for 

 several hours, and then put under a press until the juice 

 exudes, which is mixed with honey and other sweet drugs, 

 and publicly exposed for sale in shops kept for the purpose. 



* A moud, according to Burckhardt, is equal to 18 or 19 lbs. 

 English ; 3| rotolo (about b\ lbs. each) make a moud, and 80 

 mouds are a gharara. The rotolo or pound of Mecca contains 

 144 drachms ; at Jidda it is nearly double. The erdeb is equiva- 

 lent to about 15 English bushels. At Mecca it is divided into 

 50 keilf or measures, and at Medina into 96. 



