THE PEPPER FAMILY. 



269 



this plant are dried, and form tHe long pepper of commerce. 

 Dutcli long pepper is said to be furnished by other species, 

 especially by P. officinarum. These are much cultivated in 

 the Indian Peninsula. 



Betel Pepper {Piper Betel). This in general grows in the 

 same manner as P. nigrum^ and is extensively cultivated 

 throughout Lower India and the Malay Islands for the sake of 

 its leaf, which is chewed with the betel nut and lime, a 

 custom general throughout tropical Asia. 



Kava or Ava {Piper methysticum). A knotted, erect, soft- 

 stemmed shrub, 8 or 9 feet high, with heart-shaped dark green 

 leaves. It is a native of many of the islands of the Pacific, 

 where it is in common use for making a stimulating and in- 

 toxicating drink, prepared by chewing the root and ejecting 

 the saliva into a family bowl, varying in size according to 

 the rank and number of the parties. After a certain quan- 

 tity of juice is obtained, water is added ; it is then well 

 stirred and strained, when it is fit to drink, and the whole 

 party partake of it. The punch-ladle, as it may be caUed, is 

 a bunch of tow (fibre of the paper mulberry), which is dipped 

 into the liquid and then squeezed into the drinking-cup. 

 The late Captain Sir Everard Home informed me that he was 

 a guest at a royal banquet, and witnessed the whole opera- 

 tion of preparing the drink. It is now repudiated in some 

 of the civilized islands. 



A royal bowl with the tow ladle from the island of 

 Tongataboo may be seen in the Museum at Kew ; it is in 

 the shape of a boat, 4 feet 6 inches long, 2 feet 2 inches 

 broad, and 1 foot 8 inches deep. 



Mastico {Piper elongata). An erect-growing species, with 

 lance-shaped rough leaves, native of tropical America. It 

 is in great repute for stanching the bleeding of wounds, being 

 known in South America by the name of Soldier's Herb ; 

 it was at one time considered so useful that large quan- 

 tities of it were sent to India. This species, with many 

 others, has been long cultivated at Kew. 



