Houma Ceres. [volume] (Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La.) 1855-18??, 1856-08-16

Racine would pass away like Coffee
prediction, says a witty Frenchman, per-
fectly verified at the present time, for
neither Racine nor coffee have passed
away. But in the revolution Of ideas,
Racine and coffee have not by any means
equal conditions, for the one must be tested
by an educated public, while the other can
be appreciated by all classes Of men,
About the same time coffee became ia.
vorite at Vienna for the Turkish army,
routed by sobiesky, left their camp in the
hands Of the conquerors, and among the
prisoners were many slaves who under
stood the preparation Of the drink from the
berry Of Abyssinia. Twenty years be.
fore, it was introduced into England by
British merchant, returned from Constan-
tinople, who, with his fortune. had bought
pretty Greek wife. He made the coffee
and the wife sold it, and this was the be-
ginning Of the coffee houses, which SO
increased as to number hundreds in short
time. They were, however. closed by
order Of Cromwell, it is said, at the in
stance Of the taverns, which were losing
all their customers. In France the coffee
houses became the most popular institu-
tions in the country, and to this day the
French coffee is the A No. l Of this bev-
erage in the world. But French coffee
houses, once the resort Of tho literary men.
Swans and statesmen, are no longer what
they were. They are now too often the
mere rendezvous Of wine, brandy and alb
smith drinkers and tobacco smokers. Lit
erary discussion is no longer heard, but
political brawling upon subjects not pro-
hibited BY the Emleror,) criticism upon
the favorite danseuse, or the last scandal
form the stock Of the present coffee house
keeper. Notwithstanding the immense
quantities Of wine drank in France, there
is probably no country, except Turkey
and the United States, so thoroughly given
to coffee. Tea is hardly known beyond
the precincts Of the great cities, and even
there, but few people, truly French, make
any use Of the Chinese plant. It is curl.
Gus to notice this difference Of taste or Of
use, in q name given to the common do.
nestle instrument by the Anglo.Saxons
and French. We call the small silver
spoon tea spoon-ahe French invariably
cali the same article coffee spoon.
Up to the 18th century, all the coffee
which was consumed in Europe came
from Arabia. 1t was brought by way Of
Egypt and Syria, and the Pachas Of these
Turkish provinces enacted the most exor-
bitant duties. 1t was then that Europeans
began 10 think Of another route to Arabia.
The Hollanders were the first who began
the traffic in the Red Sea, taking their
|cargoes At Mocha. They were soon fol-
lowed BY the English and French. But
this was not sufficient. They could not
bear the thought Of being so dependent
upon the ezacting Arabians for the article
which was becoming Of such necessity
and repute. Van Horn. the first President
of ahe Dutch East Indies, succeeded in
obtaining some coffee plants, which were
transported to Batavia in 1899, where
they thrived to perfection. One Of these
plants was sent in ITO to Amsterdam,
and planted ia the Botanical Garden Of
that city, where il fourished. Anoffshoot
Of the same already twice transplanted
shrub was presented to Louis XIV. This
monarch sent It 10 tho Jardin DE- Plantes,
and il became the. ancestor Of all the
coffee plantations II tho West Indies, for
the government inlnmediaiely undertook
e.