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Show COFFEE TREE. 199 jn 1591. It was cultivated by bishop Compton in 1696, and is now common in the stoves of this country. ‘The earliest account a Ly Us we have of coffee is taken from an Arabian manuscript in the king of France’s library, No. 944, andis as follows :— Schehabeddin Ben, an Arabian author of the ninth ceptary of the Hegira, or fifteenth of the Christians, attributes to Gemaleddin, mufti of Aden, a city of Arabia Felix, who was nearly his cotemporary, the first introduction into that country ofdrinking cofice. He tells us, that Gemaleddin, having occasion to travel into Persia, during his abode there saw some ofhis counirymen drinking coffee, which at that time he did not much attend to; but on his return to Aden, finding himsel indisposed, Y by and remembering that he had seen his countrymen fee in Persia, in hopes of receiving somebenefit from it, termined to try it on himself; and, after making the experiment, not only recovered his health, but perceived other useful qualities in that liquor; such as relieving the head-ach, enlivening the spirits, and, without prejudice to the constitution, preventing drowsiness. This last quality he resolved to turnto the advantage of his profession: he tookit himself, and recommendedit to the dervises, or religious Mahometans, to enable them to pass the night in prayer, and other exercises of their religion, with greater zeal and attention. T R-ELE. ARABICA. Pentandria, ten, Caan. Order £. Monogynia. Corolla funnel-shaped: Stamina above the tube: neath, two-seeded: Seed with an aril. Flowers five-cleft, two-seeded. <uiinien 2 of its other agreeable qualities. The Arabian author adds, that they found themselves so well PTION, igh os to about twelve feet in height. ‘The leaves are 09 three or four inches in length, t f pointed, waved, opposite, } tw0 Flowers white, axillary, sessile, very short footstalks. together. Calyx very small. Corolla funnel-shaped, five segments. ‘Tube long, The example and authority of the mufti gave reputation to coffee. Soon men of letters, and persons belonging to the law; adopted the use of it. These were followed by the tradesmen and artisans that were under the necessity of working in the night, and such as were obliged to travel late after sun-set. At length the custom became generé Aden ; and it was not only drunk in the night by those who were desirous of being kept awake, but in the day for the sake ruit a round berry, containing two seeds, invested by a cartilag!HAST nocd a native of Arabia, and was first noticed by Rauwolfius in 1573, but first regularly described by Alpinus of an infuby drinking coftee, that they entirely left off the use sion of a herbcalled in their language caé, which possibly might be tea, though the Arabian authorgives us no particular reason to think so. Before this time coffee was scarce knownin Persia, and very little used in Arabia, where the tree grew; but, according to Schehabeddin, it had been drunk in A&thiopia from time immemorial. Coffee being thus received at Aden, where i has continued |