The Calabash.

15

Chap. 3.]

possessed elegant European table Utensils, used atdinner, agourd contain-ing taro-dough, into which he dipped his fingers, and conveyed it bythem to his mouth, observing to the Russian navigator, “ this is the cus-tom in rny country and I will not depart from it.” a This conduct of Ta-maahmaah, resembled that of Motezuma. Solis observes, that he had“ cups of gold and salvers of the same,” but that he sometimes drank outof cocoas and natural shells. b

When Kotzebue revisited the Radack Islands, “he carried to themseeds of gourds for valuable vessels,” as well as others of which thefruit is eaten. c

“ There is a gourd more esteemed by the inhabitants of Johanna forthe large shell, than for the meat. It will hold a pailful. Its figure islike a man’s head, and therefore called a calabash.” d

The people of Sumatra drink out of the fruit called labu , resemblingthe calabash of the West Indies : a hole being made in the side of theneck and another one at the top for vent. In drinking they generallyhold the vessel at a distance above their mouths, (like the ancient Greeksand Romans) and catch the stream as it falls; the liquid descending to thestomach without the action of swallowing. e

The Japanese have a tradition that the first man owed his being to acalabash /

Capt. Harris, in his “ Wild sports of Southern Africa ” (chap. xvii.) indescribing the residence of the king of Kapaue, observes, “ the furnitureconsisted exclusively of calabashes of beer, ranged round the wall.” Andagain in chap. xx :—“ a few melons, rather deserving the name of vegeta-bles, were the only fruit we met with ; and these I presume are nurturedchiefly for the gourd, which becomes their calabash or water flagon.”

Clavigero says, “ the drinking vessels of the ancient Mexicans, weremade of a fruit similar to gourds.”6

For such purposes, the calabash bas ever been used wherever it wasknown, and will continue to be so, as long as it grows and man lives.

The elder Pliny, in speaking of the cultivation of gourds, a species ofwhich were used as food by the Romans, observes, “ of late they havebeen used in baths and hot houses for pots and pitchersbut he adds,that they were used in ancient times to contain wine, “ in place of rund-lets and barreis.” From him we learn that the ancients had discoveredthe means of Controlling their forms at pleasure. He says, long gourds areproduced from seeds taken from the neck ; while those from the middleproduce round or spherical ones, and those from the sides, bring forth suchas are short and thickfi

Among the offerings which the Egyptians placed on their altars, wasthe gourd. An undeniable proof of its value in their estimation; for no-thing was ever offered by the ancients to their gods, which was not higblyesteemed by themselves.* The consecration of this primeval vessel, incommon with other objects of ancient sacrifice, doubtless originated in itsuniversal use in the early ages; and most likely gave rise to the subse-quent practice of dedicating cups and goblets, of gold, silver, and some-times of precious stones.

As the gourd or calabash was not only the first vessel used to collectand convey water, but one apparently designed by the Creator for thesepurposes, a figure of it is here given.

* Voyage Discov. Lon. 1821. i, 313, and ii, 193. b Conquest Mexico , Lon. 1724. iii, 83.

c ui, 175. d A New Account of East India and Persia , by Dr. Fryer. Lon. 1698. 17.

'Marden’s Sumat. 61. f Montanus’Japan. 275. s Hist, of Mexico . Lon. 1837. i. 438.

h Nat. Hist, xix, 5. * Wilkinson i, 276.