Evidently the sacred drink was very much to his taste, for he smacked his lips after it, and turned with exclamations of surprised delight to his inquisitive companions.
The rest of the soda-water, duly mixed with gin, soon went the round of the expectant monks.

It was greatly approved of.

Unhappily, there was not quite enough soda water to supply a drink for all of them; but those who tasted it were deeply impressed.

I could see that they took the bite of carbonic-acid gas for evidence of a most powerful and present deity.
That settled our position.

We were instantly regarded, not only as Buddhists, but as mighty magicians from a far country.