158 The Soverane Herbe 



are frequently spoken of as one and the same pipe. 

 This is not so ; the hookah stands on the floor or 

 divan, while the narghile (literally cocoa-nut) is a 

 hand-pipe. The metal fittings of these pipes are 

 frequently of gold and silver ; the flexible tubes, from 

 5 feet to 10 feet long, through which the smoke is 

 drawn, are covered with velvet and encrusted with 

 precious stones and gold filigree work. The water- 

 bottle is of the finest cut glass, and is handsomely 

 decorated with diampnds and other gems. The 

 hookah smoked by the Shah of Persia on state 

 occasions is so studded with diamonds, rubies, 

 emeralds, etc., that it is worth ;^8o,ooo. This pipe, 

 as is the case in all Oriental courts, has its suite 

 of attendants, its guardians and cleaners, while to 

 the Master of the Pipe is entrusted the duty of 

 lighting it for his Imperial Master's smoke. 



The pipes of Morocco are also highly decorated, 

 the velvet tube being covered with gold filigree, and 

 the bowl with gems. Kif, a greenish narcotic plant, 

 is generally preferred to tobacco ; it resembles opium 

 both in the manner of smoking and its effects. The 

 bowl of the Egyptian pipe is of a fine red clay, 

 polished like agate, and the cherry-wood stem has 

 an amber mouthpiece decorated with gold and gems. 

 It is a clumsy, barbarously splendid aff'air. Water- 

 pipes similar to the Turkish and Persian makes are 

 also common. Of late the cigarette has supplanted 

 the pipe to a very considerable extent in the East, 

 much to the lamentation of the professional pipe- 

 cleaners. 



The poorer Turk and Persian draw as much enjoy- 



