Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-11
CRUDE INTOXICANTs.
THE MANUFACTURE OF STlMUlAMTs
BY AsoRlGlNsS.
fermented and Distilled Liquors With
Which the UnciviIized Natives of Differ
ent Parts of the World Produce '.Druak."
Learning From the White Man.

ent Parts of the World Produce "Druak."
Learning From the White Man.
1t is 4 remarkable fact that up to the
time of the coming Of the whites the
North American Indians generally had
no know ledge of intoxicants. AS for to-
apparently. but merely for ceremonial
purposes. Going southwark into Mexico
in those days, however, the Traveller
might have found alcoholic stimulants
in common use. Even at the present
time the natives il that part OF the
world make an odd sort of beer ont Of
corn. They wet "a woclen blanket, lay il
in the sun and spread whole grains of
maize upon it. the grains terminate,
sprouting and sending ont rootlets
through the texture of the blanket,
which is kept moist. They are then
parchcd and ground to q coarse meal.
To this meal q little yeast, made by
chewing some corn and allowing il TO
fermcnt, Is added. Then the stuff is
mixed with water and pat away III jars.
Fermentation follows, and as it tiimin-
low amber, IN which condition it is
drunk. 1t is quite Intoxicating.
Several varieties Of grasses, herbs and
flowers, the roots Of sundry plants, the
juices of TIE sugar cane and aloe. and
even beets, are used by various tribes
and peoples as basis OF drinks In
| earlier times spruce trees, fir trees.
birch trees ard ASH trees were tapped Tor
their sap, which was fermented to make
stimUlating beverages. The willow,
poplar, sycamore and walnut are said 10
| yield palatable drinks. The Japanese OBJ
tain Intoxicating beverages from plums
and from the flowers Of the motberwort
| and peach. Tho Chinese actually pro-
duco an alcoholic drink from mutton
| The Abnaki Indians Of New England
used to manufacture 4 kind OF liquor
| from the tops of fir trees, which they
| boiled and put into casks with molasses
| The contents of the casks were allowed
to ferInent for three days.
The Eskilnos were entirely unacquaint-
ed with the art of getting drunk until
| they came into contact with the whites.
| Travellers have observed that they drinl,
| extraordinary quantities Of water when
they can procure it. That is not always
so easy il Il latitude where the normal
condition Of water is that of a solid. In
winter ono of the most important occu-
| patious Of the women is tho thawing oe
snow 10 get water. The SNOW is cut in
| to very thin slices as a preparation for
| the thaviuS process, and it is fetched to
| the hut from Il considerable distance in
order, that it may be perfectly clean.
| The Eskimo greatly dislikes water that
Is many degrees above the freezing
point.
The Chilcat Indians of southern Alas
Ia distill a fearfal beverage called
'hootchenoo." The process adopted was
| probably suggested to them by United
States soldiers originally. Molasses or
vegetables OF any sort, made into Il
mash" are employed as raw ma
:erial. The mash is pat into large tin
can, which is connected with another
tin can by 4 tube of the hollow stem of
the giant kelp. This tube is buried in
snow. A fire is built under the can that
contains the mash, and the alcohol passes
over into the other vessel. The liquor
thus distilled is drunk fresh and pro-
duces temporary insanity.
The aborigines Of Mexico and farther
TO tho south were acquainted only with
fcrmented intoxicants up to the time
when they learned from the whites the
principle OF the still. At present, how
ever, this contrivance of civilization is
in general use among savages on this
continent. The Apaches of southern
Arizona make whisky from the sap of a
small species of cactus. They cut out
the hearts of the plants, resembling lit
tie cabbages, and in the cup shaped re-
ceptacles left behind the sap accumu-
lates. From this sap they distill the
famous "mescal,' which drives those
who drink 1t TO sheer madness. Many
spirituous drinks are made from the
banana. Banana wine is obtained by
pressing the fruit through Il sieve, after
which it is made into cakes, dried in
the sun and dissolved in water when
wanted for use.
On the west coast OF Africa it is a
common thing to see bare legged wom-
an climbing up gigantic palm tree,
with calabash of immense size hung
round her neck. When she has reached
the top branch, she taps the tree, and the
sap begins to flow. Then she hangs the
calabash beneath the stream of sap and
descends. Twelve hours later she climbs
the tree again and takes down the Gala
bash, which by that time is full of palm
beer. 1t resembles mead somewhat, but a
small quantity of it stupefies the drink
er. African natives universally know
how 10 prepare drunk producing Equora
from srch simple materials as the tops
of broom corn, sugar cane juice and CO.
coanut milk.
All over eastern Asia is consumed a
drink known as ''arrack." The best O!
it is distilled from the unexpanGed
flowers of certain varieties of palm. A
vile kind of arrack is made from impure
: molasses that is left over as refuse in
the manufacture Of raw sugar. 1t makes
the drinker crazy, and under the influ.
euce of it whole parties of Maiays some
times run amuck" together, the sport
| only cO,rplud,up with Tho death rf al