413 
Chap. XXIV—B. P.] INDIAN DRINKS. 
calabash, holding at least two pints. He seats himself 
on the ground, draws up his knees, rests his elbows 
upon them, and then receives the calabash of doubly- 
heated cocoa from his squaw, slowly allowing the 
seething liquid to trickle down his throat. Soon his 
breathing becomes harder than usual, an intense per¬ 
spiration bursts out all over the body, and the stomach 
swells perceptibly; but the man never moves until the 
contents of the calabash are drained to the bottom. 
This is certainly a new way of drinking cocoa,—with¬ 
out milk or sugar, but with chili peppers as a sub¬ 
stitute. Both this and mushla are but rude attempts 
to provide stimulants,—so rude, indeed, that it is not 
a matter for wonder that the poor savages should 
prefer the brandy, rum, and whisky of the pale-faces. 
Perhaps I ought here to say a few words about 
cocoa or chocolate, as it is daily becoming more and 
more valuable as a food staple, and we are now in the 
country where it is cultivated to perfection; in fact, it 
is indigenous to the American continent. Cortez relates 
that in Mexico he found large cocoa plantations, which 
dated from 11 time immemorial,” and that the Mexicans 
attributed to the tree a divine origin. So much for its 
antiquity. 
The “ conquistadores ” introduced it into Spain, and 
contrabandistas into the rest of Europe. For how 
many good things are we indebted to Columbus ! 
Chocolate reached us a few years after the Abyssinian 
(not Arabian) berry from the Province of Kaffa (hence 
the name), near the White Nile, had begun to be 
appreciated in Paris. Tobacco, the turkey, and the 
