DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11638#0106
92 TRAVELS IN UPPER
Hemp is cultivated in the plains of the same
countries, but they do not spin it into thread, as
in Europe, although to all appearance it might be
thus manufactured. It is, nevertheless, a plant very
much in use. For want of intoxicating liquors,
the Arabs and the Egyptians compose several pre-
parations from this plant, with which they procure
tor themselves a sort of pleasing drunkenness, a
state of reverie which inspires gaiety, and produces
agreeable dreams. This sort of annihilation of the
faculty of thinking, this kind of slumber of the
soul, has no resemblance to the intoxication pro-
duced by wine or strong liquors, and our language
has no terms expressive of it. The Arabs give the
name of keif io this voluptuous relaxation, this sort
of delicious stupor.
The preparation from hemp, most in use, is made
by bruising the fruits with their membranous cap-
sules ; they press the paste which results from this
with honey, pepper, and nutmeg, and they swal-
low pieces of this comfit of the size of a nut. The
poor, who charm their wretchedness by the stupe-
faction which hemp produces, content themselves
with pounding the capsules of the seeds in water,
and with eating the paste. The Egyptians likewise
eat the capsules without any preparation, and they
mingle them besides with the tobacco which they
smoke. At other times they reduce only the cap-
sules
Hemp is cultivated in the plains of the same
countries, but they do not spin it into thread, as
in Europe, although to all appearance it might be
thus manufactured. It is, nevertheless, a plant very
much in use. For want of intoxicating liquors,
the Arabs and the Egyptians compose several pre-
parations from this plant, with which they procure
tor themselves a sort of pleasing drunkenness, a
state of reverie which inspires gaiety, and produces
agreeable dreams. This sort of annihilation of the
faculty of thinking, this kind of slumber of the
soul, has no resemblance to the intoxication pro-
duced by wine or strong liquors, and our language
has no terms expressive of it. The Arabs give the
name of keif io this voluptuous relaxation, this sort
of delicious stupor.
The preparation from hemp, most in use, is made
by bruising the fruits with their membranous cap-
sules ; they press the paste which results from this
with honey, pepper, and nutmeg, and they swal-
low pieces of this comfit of the size of a nut. The
poor, who charm their wretchedness by the stupe-
faction which hemp produces, content themselves
with pounding the capsules of the seeds in water,
and with eating the paste. The Egyptians likewise
eat the capsules without any preparation, and they
mingle them besides with the tobacco which they
smoke. At other times they reduce only the cap-
sules