We within half a mile of Buxadewar! s f t the foot
of the last ascent,' we were met by a herald who preceded oar party) .
sounding a trumpet; and when we came near the summit, we were
joined by five mountain nymphs, with jetty flowing stresses, who escorted
us with strains of gratulation, as I conceived, into Buxadewar;
twenty miles from Chichacotta.;.
The day Was far spent; it was past three o’clock,' and-we remained
under the shade of a tree, until a hottse was made ready ffiF'emtsfecep*
tion. After waiting soifte time in the open air, weWeWPSepdMed
into a Wretched habitation, which impressed As
able ideas of the attention of our new hosts, :mtheF!*©':dtóBneés%$
convenience. All the Zeenkaubs, and officers in public
to see us, Aach presenting a white pdfetig handkerchief aridrdfferihg
copious draughts qftea, and a spirit extracted from'rice) W?4rtSéfet,Üf
therir called €korig}but to which, as a more-familiar-appeliati#É#we
gave thé name of whisky.
Chong is a slightly acid and spirituous liquor, ext^peïSsfèdilsly
prepared by the infusion of ;a mass of grain iir a si'titë'hffementatiw.
Wheat, rice, barley, and other kinds of grain, are indiscriminately
made use of for the purpose. The process employed in the preparation,
as well as I could learn, is as follows: to a given quantity of
grain is added rather more water than will completely cover it, and
the mixture is placed over a slow fire till it begins to boil; it is then
taken up, and the water drained from the grain, which is spread abroad
upon mats, or coarse cloths, tócooi; When it is .cold, a ball of the
composition,"here termed Bakka, (which is the blossom of the Gacalia
Saracénica Linnaei, collected and rolled together in small balls)., i$
b Ó o t a È . 2-5
cr-ambled, ahJiht^dfl otfgr the grain; k||b(5th;&Ye Well mixed' toge-
1 E ; thh ;sfee of,* -hutm'eg, .to two
thus nromuLi is pi it ^t,q baskets lined!
yMth lca\ do\\ n w ith thcl^indslinh^ * to diaw ol^ijLie
supeiiluous moisture. It is‘t h c i ^ ^ p S i r f ulc^cs and d o % .to
fr°m g l S B ail ffigSSaggl wa^ th 1
11 i^erw m cl^Q fii^ed in H I up°u
then cqycW c loscf andtl e cap g H ^ or
tW a lfc ^ |k .M m |£ fo re it | | 9 R R B and,
italwavs S f e v fis C1W w% f T^japed, the^ put|a^A,faTi.tUv nf.thUfpr-
mented,%iass into som c^^cjou^cs^cl^uuna; boding watu upon
it, sufficie^f^ompletety Ho cover ^ and jstkrW the"^ h o ^ well jtcJ
sllort time &~sufiicient' foi it to;digC|^K Muall wjcker
basket is then thrust dbwr). iiy th ^ ^ ^ rc , and'|Je",i^usim^called51
Chong, immediately -drains through, |ljiVI pe^upjcs,, t he -V a c arit,\pa,ro I
Thisliquoriswith equal expedition distribute^ the expeqtj^pL s,,
th,evS^ nent «f ^ ^ . „ f a s t ^ d ^ p p n ^ f , s e r v i c e purpose of]
^ Ifdfe- Each person holds, a shallow wooden ci^^mon the pointetof, I
his fingers, % ;^ ;receptionj and'is4teIdoM'^|isfied with'one, supply,
\ e x p e r^ e proved tome*that this was a nio t giaphil hJ^ Q
r^g®> being slig^tiyL»aqid, and pos^e^siri^e power^|®pirit. It was the
custom,^in thes^regions, to drink tins fimior warmv. a.prkct^Sat the
s‘aiAe time safe an® agreeable, andwhfeh fttight be tefcoiahiended td.pni-
versal imitation, wherever fatigue and heat, induce intemperate thirst.