Rice is their principal food, but the rich have wheaten flour from
Fas[48], and make very fine bread, which is considered a luxury.
Bread is also made from the _allila_. They roast, boil, bake, and
stew, but make no _cuscasoe_. Their meals are breakfast, dinner,
and supper. They commonly breakfast about eight, dine about three,
and sup soon after sunset. They drink only water or milk with their
meals, have no palm wine or any fermented liquor; when they wish to
26 be exhilarated after dinner, they provide a plant of an
intoxicating quality called _el hashisha_[49], of which they take a
handful before a draught of water.
[Footnote 48: And also from Marocco.]
[Footnote 49: _El Hashisha_. This is the African hemp plant: it
is esteemed for the extraordinary and pleasing voluptuous
vacuity of mind which it produces on those who smoke it: unlike
the intoxication from wine, a fascinating stupor pervades the
mind, and the dreams are agreeable. The _kief_ is the flower
and seeds of the plant: it is a strong narcotic, so that those
who use it cannot do without it. For a further description of
this plant, see Jackson's Marocco, 2d or 3d edit. p. 131 &
132.]