19. _THE COMMON JASMINE_ (Jasminum officinale) _is a well known shrub,
with white, salver-shaped flowers, and opposite, winged leaves, the
leaflets somewhat pointed; and is a native of Malabar and other parts of
the East._
As an ornamental shrub, jasmine has long been cultivated in Europe. It is
chiefly trained against walls and trellis-work, and is interesting, not
only from the elegance of its foliage, but also from the number of
beautiful white flowers with which it is adorned throughout the summer and
autumn. These exhale a sweet and penetrating odour, particularly after
rain, and in the night.
The Italians, by a very simple operation, prepare from the flowers of
jasmine a grateful perfume. They soak cotton-wool in some kind of scentless
vegetable oil, and then place, in glass vessels, alternate layers of this
and of the flowers. After having been left in this state some days, the
flowers are found to have given the whole of their fragrance to the oil in
the cotton: they are then separated, and the oil is pressed out and removed
into small glass bottles for use.
20. _BLACK PEPPER is the dried berry of a climbing or trailing plant_
(Piper nigrum, Fig. 3) _which grows in the East Indies, and in most of
the islands of the Indian Sea._
_Its stem has numerous joints, and throws out roots at every joint. The
leaves, which are somewhat egg-shaped, and pointed, are of a brownish
colour, and have each seven very strong nerves. The flowers are small and
white._
In the cultivation of pepper it is customary to mark out the grounds into
regular squares of about six feet each, which is the usual distance allowed
for the plants. And, as these have not sufficient strength to support
themselves in an upright growth, they are generally placed near a thorny
kind of shrub, among the branches of which they creep like ivy. When they
have run to a considerable height, the twigs, on which the berries hang,
bend down, and the fruit appears in long slender clusters, of from twenty
to fifty grains, somewhat resembling, but much more compact than, bunches
of currants. The berries are green when young, but change to a bright red
colour when ripe. As soon as they begin to redden, they are in a fit state
to be gathered. When gathered, they are spread upon mats in the sun, where
they are suffered to remain till they become dry, black, and shrivelled, as
we see them. In this state they have the denomination of _black pepper_.
_White pepper_ is nothing more than the best and soundest of the berries,
gathered when they are fully ripe, and stripped of their external coat or
skin. To effect this they are steeped, for about a week, in salt water, by
the end of which time the skins burst. They are then dried in the sun,
rubbed between the hands, and winnowed. Thus cleared from their skins they
are rendered smaller and more smooth than black pepper.
As the acridity of pepper lies principally in the skin, this kind becomes,
of course, much less pungent than the other; but it has one recommendation,
that it can be made only of the best and soundest grains, taken at their
most perfect state of maturity.
Pepper is an article of considerable traffic betwixt this country and the
East Indies. That which is imported from Malabar is considered better than
any other. The quantity of pepper vended at the East India Company's sales
has, in some years, exceeded six millions of pounds' weight, of which seven
or eight hundred thousand pounds have been retained for home consumption.
Both black and white pepper are in daily use, not only as a spice, but also
in cookery. When coarsely ground, pepper is eaten with peas, cabbages,
cucumbers, and other flatulent and cold vegetables; and occasionally also
with fish. It is sometimes employed in medicine as a stimulant.
A singular imposition respecting pepper is occasionally practised in retail
shops in London: artificial pepper-corns, both black and white, are mixed
and sold with real pepper. The detection of this fraudulent mixture,
however, is easy. If a handful of the suspected pepper be thrown into
water, the artificial corns will fall to powder, or be partially dissolved,
while the true pepper-corns will remain whole. The fraudulent grains are
said to be made of peas-meal.
21. _LONG PEPPER is the fruit of a slender climbing shrub_ (Piper longum)
_which grows in the East Indies._
_It is of cylindrical shape, about an inch and half in length, and a
quarter of an inch in thickness; and is formed by the union of a great
number of small rounded grains. The shrub that produces it has dark green
and heart-shaped leaves, each with seven strong nerves._
A considerable quantity of long pepper is annually imported in this country
from Bengal and other parts of the East, for use, both in domestic economy
and in medicine.
The inhabitants of India drink water in which long pepper has been infused,
and esteem it a valuable remedy for some disorders of the stomach. They
also distil an ardent spirit from it; and they pickle this fruit in
vinegar, for use at table.
The fruit that is collected for exportation is gathered before it is quite
ripe.
22. _BETEL is the leaf of a climbing East Indian plant_ (Piper betel)
_which belongs to the same tribe as pepper; and, in shape and appearance,
is not much unlike that of ivy, but is more tender, and full of juice._
There is an almost incredible consumption of betel over the whole continent
of India. The inhabitants chew it almost incessantly, and in such quantity
that their lips become quite red, and their teeth black, a colour greatly
preferred by them to the whiteness which Europeans so much affect. They
carry it, in little white boxes, about their persons, and present it to
each other, by way of compliment and civility, in the same manner as the
Europeans do snuff. This is done by women as well as by men: and it would
be considered an offence if those to whom it was offered should refuse to
accept of, and chew it. The leaves are sometimes used alone, but much more
commonly covered with a kind of lime made of sea shells, and wrapped round
slices of the areca nut (245).
----