PREPARING FOR USE. 233 



in which cold water is poured and placed on the fire until 

 it heats up to almost the boiling point and then served 

 without the addition of either milk or sugar. But when 

 only a single cup of coffee is wanted, the requisite quan- 

 tity is measured into a small, long-handled brass coffee 

 pot, made expressly to hold one or two cups, as the 

 case may be, and water enough poured on to fill the 

 vessel, which is set on live coals until it heats up to, but 

 not beyond, the boiling point and then served in a tiny 

 cup without straining or otherwise settling the grounds. 



While in Egypt, which is also proverbial for the excel- 

 lence of its coffee, it is prepared by first grinding the 

 beans fine, as in Turkey, and adding an equal quantity of 

 sugar to it, pouring on boiling water, and placing the 

 vessel over the fire until it is thoroughly boiled, but 

 removing and allowing it to cool occasionally between 

 times until it becomes black and rather thick, in which 

 state it is served. Coffee thus prepared will be found 

 very rich and strong, too much so for the average taste, but 

 dark, frothy-tipped, and, taken altogether, a delicious 

 beverage. 



****** 



In Java, Sumatra and other Eastern coffee-growing 

 countries the natives make a beverage from the leaves of 

 the coffee plant, the leaves containing a large percentage of 

 the active principle — caffeine. They first roast and cure 

 the leaves after the manner of tea, and prepare them by 

 infusion the same as tea, the natives preferring the liquor 

 from the leaves to that produced from the roasted beans. 

 ****** 



The Dutch settlers in South Africa not only use coffee 

 at all meals but at all times, the coffee-pot being always 

 on the fire ready for any visitors and friends who may call. 



