TOBACCO AND PLANTAIN-WINE. 
157 
garden-pease were first seen in this part of Africa by 
Speke, and with the aid of the sultan we were able to 
lay in a supply of this delicacy, not in their green form, 
but dry and dead ripe, boiling and making them into 
a mash. They were grown broadcast in considerable 
quantities about Meegongo. Tobacco, ripe in April, 
we could always procure, but it was extravagant 
in price — six pipefuls of the finest description cost- 
ing the daily ration allowance of one porter. The 
sultan smoked a very full-flavoured description in his 
large pipe. We tried to discover from an old man, 
his one-eyed tobacconist, the secret of its preparation ; 
but he would not divulge it unless a handsome reward 
was given. It had a rich mellow aroma, more plea- 
sant than any tobacco we had ever smoked; and 
whether it was from rubbing the leaf in his perfumed 
hands, using a secretion from the cow, or that honey 
was mixed in it, we never could discover. He would 
not allow that any ingredient was used — the tobacco 
when green was merely rubbed in his hands. In 
December beautiful granulated honey was offered for 
sale. Though there were few bees to be seen in this 
country, their produce was always procurable in small 
quantities, and it was of excellent though sometimes 
of highly flowery flavour. 
Plantain -wine, called here "marwa," was made 
by every family that had an orchard of the trees. It 
is a sweet raisiny-tasting wine ; if aerated, nearly equal 
to sparkling hock in richness of flavour. A quart 
could be taken with comfort, but after the third day 
it becomes dead, sour, and intoxicating ; our men got 
so riotous from it that the sultan was requested 
not to send us the daily allowance of one gourdful. 
