Part L Travels info the Lev an t. 
breaking the Bread into pieces, they diftributc it all round ^ then they fquat 
down upon théir heels, like Taylors, about the Sofra, and all make iife of 
one blew Napkin, that is long enough to go round iht Soffra • then having 
faid BifmilUh-, that is to fay, la the name of God, which to them is inilead Bifmillah. 
oïBemdicite^ they eat their P?7^/^ with wooden Spoons, a foot long, making a 
fcruple to eat in Gold or Silver i and nevertheIefstheG'rW5(^«'zor has Difhes 
of Gold Plate, as we lhall fhew hereafter : When they have no Spoons, they 
make an eafie fliift without them, putting the Ttlan with one hand into the 
other, and fo carrying it to their mouth: When they come to the Meat, 
one of the company with his Hands tears it to pieces, uling no Knife for 
that, and then every one takes what they have a mind to : They are at no , 
trouble for the Beef and Mutton ; for before it be dreft, ihey cut it into 
fmall pieces, whet-her for roafting or boyling. They drink not commonly 
intime of meal, but when they have eaten, they rife and fill their bellies full 
of Water ; then they give God Thanks by a Handfllah, that is to fay, God 
be praifed. Having thus made an end of their meal, they walh their hands '^ 
for they walh not before they lit down to eat, but only when they rife from it. 
Their ufual Drink is Water, many of them alfo drink Wine \ and though The Turks 
Wine feems to be Prohibited by the Alcoran^ yet the good-fellows fay, that 
it is no more but an advice or council, and not a precept : However, they for- 
drink ft not publickly, unlefs it be the Janizaries, and other Defperadoes, that bid to drink 
Hand in awe of no Man \ when they fall to drinking, they drink a great deal, wine, 
and if they can have it for nothing, they'll drink till they fall a fleep again, if 
they be let alone ; faying, that it is no greater fin to drink ten quarts,than one 
cup full ^ they never mingle Water with it, and laugh at Chriftians for doing 
fo, as a thing that feems altogether ridiculous to-them. In the Countrey, about 
Conftanttnofle^ and all over the ArcUfeUao^ they have plenty of good Wine. 
They have befides another Liquor, which they call Boz^a^ made of Barley or 
Millet, and tails fomewhat like our Beer, but not fo pleafantly ; I tailed of it 
once, but found it to be very bad ; and none but the meaner fort of people 
drink it, becaufe it is very cheap. This Drink makes them drunk; but they 
have another, which they ufe very commonly ; theycallit Coffee, and drink oï Coffee. 
it all hours in the day. This Liquor is made of a Berry that welliall mention 
hereafter. They roaft or parch it in a Fire-fiiovel, or fuch like iron inftrument, 
then they peel it, and beat it into powder; and when they have^mind to 
drink of it, they take a copper Pot, made purpofely,' which they call /W^, ibrkk. 
and having filled it with Water, make it boyl ; when it boyls, they" put in 
this Powder, to the proportion of a good fpoonful for tli.ree DiOi.s or Cups full 
of Water j and havin^let all boyl together, they fnatch it quickly off of the 
fire, or ftir ir, elfe.it would run all over, for it rifes very fall. Having 
thusboyl'd ten or twelve wambles, they pour it out into C/j/^.j Difh ?, which 
they let upon a Trencher of painted Wood, and fo bring it to you fcald ing hot, 
and fo you muft drink it, but at feveral fips, elfe it is not good. This Liquor 
is bitter and black, and has a kind of a burnt tafte : They all drink itfipping, 
for fear of fcaldingthemfelves -, fo that being in a Coffee-lmm (fo they call the Coffee-kme, 
place where they fell it- ready made)one hears a pretty pleafant kind of fippling 
mufick. This Liquor is good to hinder vapours from rifing up from the ilomach The virtues 
to the head, and by confequence to cure the Head-ach ; and for the fame rea-."^ 
fon it keeps one from fleeping- When Merchants have many Letters to write, 
and intend to do it in the night-time, in the Evening they take a difli or two 
of Coffee : It is good alfo to comfort the Stomach, and helps Digeltion. In 
fhort, in the Turks opinion, it is good againft all Maladies ; and certainly it 
hath, at leall, as much virtue as is attributed to Tea: As to its tafte, by that 
time a man hath drank twice, he is accuftomed toit, and finds it no longer 
unpleafant: Some put Cloves to it, -feme Cardamom-feed, called in Latine 
Cardamomûm minm-, which they call Cacode ; and others Sugar ; but that mix- 
ture which renders it more agreeable to the palate, makes it lefs wholfom and 
ufeful. There is a great deal of it drank in the Turkifh Countries ; for there 
is no Man, Rich nor Poor, who drinks not at leaft two or three Dilhes of it 
a-day ; and it is one of the things which the Husband is obliged to provide his 
Wife with. There are many publick CofFee-houfes, where it is boyl'd in great 
F Kettles. 
