Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-08-13
Coffee.


A Brazil correspondent of the New York Jour
nal of Commerce gives an interesting sketch OF
the history of this universal beverage, so popu-
lar among all nations, whether civilized or semi
civilized which have become acquainted with
its properties. Wherever it has gained foot
hold its advance has been most sure. 1t has
never made o retrograde movement, though as
sailed by ecclesiastical bodies, or by colleges OF
physicians of every school. Mohammedan Muf-
tis thundered anathemas against it more than
three centuries ago; the wittiest writers OF the
Court of Louis XIV squibbed it, The illustri-
Gus DR.. Murray (Allopathic) reproached coffee,
when INDUCED in too freely, with producing
vertigo, trembling Of the limbs, cutaneous erup-
tions on the face, Mysteries, hypochondria, &C.,
&c. Hahnemann, the great high priest of homo
eopathy, accuses it of even causing the decline
of the German (his OWN race.
Coffee is native Of Abyssinia, and not OF A
rabia, as many believe, and abounds in the pro-
vince of Kaffa, whence it derives its name. The
coffee tree was not transplanted from Abysslnla
into Asia until the 10Th century, when its cul-
ture was begun in Arabia Felix, where, in the
environs of Mocha, it grows to perfection. The
western world learned the use OF coffee from the
Orientals; but how the Orientals learned to use
it is difficult question to solve. An Arabian
author of the 10Th century records that it was
Mufti of Alden, who, in the 9th century, was the
first to use coffee At this epoch it was already
known in Persia, where common tradition as
cribes its discovery to one Mollah Chadelly, a
pious Mussulman, who was much troubled by
drowsiness during his nocturnal meditations.-
He invoked Mahomet to come to his aid, who
led him to coffee tree, and informed him that
whenever his goats ate of the berry of that tree,
they passed the whole night wide awake, leapng
and capering. The devout Mollah prepared an
infusion of the berry, which, after drinking, gave
him for the whole night most delectable state
of seeplessness. He made known his discovery,
which was adopted by all the dervishes and doc
tors of the land, and the new beverage rapidly
became popular over the whole Orient. There
are other versions of the discovery of the use OF
coffee as beverage. 1t is believed that the der
wishes learned this means of overcoming sleep
from the Cenobite Christians of Thebes and Ethi-
opia, who adopted the practice of drinking cof-
fee The Mohammedan priests soon became en-
emies of the new beverage, however, as it led
the people to forsake the mosques and flock to
the coffee-houses, and they hurled the tercest
snathemas against it, but without avail.
Before the 18th century, coffee was only known
by name in France, and it did not become FASH
ionable until Soloman Aga, the Turkish ambas-
sador to the Court of Louis XIV. gave an ecLat
to coffee by offering it to the high-born danes Of
the realm Curiosity and vanity led them to the
Agas residence, where he received them with
oriental magnifcence, and coffee was the rage.
About the same time it became a favorite IN Vi
emma, the method of its preparation having been
learned from some Turks captured IN battle
Twenty years before, it was introduced into Eng
land by British merchant, returned from Oon-
stantinople In France the cotfee-houses became
exceedingly popular, and notwithstanding the
immense quantities of wine drank in France,
there is probably no country, except Turkey and
the United States, so thoroughly given to cofiee.
Tea is hardly known outside of the great cities.
A significant index of the universal use OF coffee,
is the fact that what we call teaspoon, the
French invariably call cctee-spoon.
Up to the 18th century all the coffee which
was consumed in Europe came from Arabia, but
in 1899 the Dutch introduced the plant into Ba-
tavia, where it grew to perfection, and IN ~ q
plant was sent to the botanical gardens OF Am
sterdan, where it fonrished. An ottshoot was
presented to Louis XIV, who sent 1t to the jar.
din des Plants, and it became the ancestor OF all
the coffee plantations in the West Indies; the
French government succeeded, IN 1879, IN lntro-
ducng it into Martinique. e.s
1t is uncertain when the coffee plant was car,
ried to Brazil but nowhere has its growth and
cultivation been so extensive and rapid. There
are merchants living who saw the first small car
20 shipped from Rio Janeiro, and now that port
is the largest coffee mart in the world. The ex-
ports from that port for the year ending June 80,
1856, were 1885,, ,2S4 bags, (of 100 lbs. Portu-
guese, nearly one-half of which immense amount
came to the United States Good ''old washed
Rio" coffee is said to be equal to the best Java.