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188 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
Indians in inhaling smoke. It is evident from the account 
given by Oviedo that the word ‘‘tobaceo”’ is derived from the 
instrument or pipe used in smoking and not the plant. While 
this derivation is suggested in the dictionaries, the book re- 
ferred to is an earlier authority for this origin than any 
usually cited. 
The author traveled extensively in America, and the work 
was written from official documents sent to him as the author- 
ized chronicler of the Indies. The title-page bears the im- 
perial arms surrounded by a handsome border, and there are 
many initials and curious woodeuts representing the abo- 
rigines as well as animals and plants of America. It is the 
earliest natural history of America and one of the rarest and 
most important books on the New World. It was the first 
general review of the new American empire of Spain, dis- 
cussing the almost unlimited grandeur opened up by the 
passage through Magellan’s Straits and the discoveries of 
Mexico and the Pacific. The policy which should be adopted 
by the monarchy is fully outlined and the book was probably 
suppressed in Spain for ‘‘prudential reasons.’’ This would 
account for its great rarity. The carta missiva which oecu- 
pies two leaves at the end of this volume, and was printed at 
the same time, bears an autographed signature of the author 
in this form: 
“Rmo & ill™o Sener 
las manos de v. s. Besa 
Go. Fernandz.’’ 
Below is a rather free translation of that part of the book 
relating to tobacco and its use: 
‘“‘About the tabacos or smoking material used by the In- 
dians of that Spanish Island.’’ 
‘“‘The Indians on that island have among other usages a 
very bad one which is to use for smoking an article called by 
them tabaco in order that they may lose consciousness. They 
make the smoke from a certain plant which, as far as I could 
determine, belongs to a kind of hog’s-bean, but not of the 
same form and size, to judge from appearances, because this 
plant has a stem or bud about four or five palms in length or 
