The buildings of Mocha are so white, that it seems as if excavated
from a quarry of marble; and this whiteness of the town forms a
curious contrast with the blueness of the sea. The materials, however,
of which Mocha is constructed, are nothing better than unburnt bricks,
plastered over, and whitewashed. The coffee bean is cultivated in the
interior, and is thence brought to Mocha for exportation. The Arabs
themselves use the husks, which make but an inferior infusion.
Vegetables are grown round the town, and fruits are brought from
Senna; while grain, horses, asses, and sheep, are imported from
Abyssinia. There are twelve schools in the town; and, inland, near
Senna, there are colleges, in which the twelve branches of Mohomedan
sciences are taught, as is usual in Turkey and India. Arab women marry
about the age of sixteen; they are allowed great liberty in visiting
one another, and can divorce their husbands on very slight grounds.
Every lady who pays a visit, carries a small bag of coffee with her,
which enables "her to enjoy society without putting her friends to
expense."--_Lushington's Journey from Calcutta to Europe._
* * * * *