AMERICAN ABORIGIXAL PIPES AND SMOKING CUSTOMS. 377 



they use it wben needed. In making a journey tliroiigli a desert 

 country, where food and drink are scarce, they put these pills between 

 their lips and teeth and suck the juice, and when one is gone they 

 replace it with another through a journey extending over three or 

 four days, during which time they say they have not been hnngry 

 or thirsty.''' 



Tlie inhabitants of Brazil were the first to carry the seed of this plant 

 to Portugal, and called it petum. The French called it herbe la reine, 

 because Jean Xicot, formerly Portuguese ambassador, gave the seed to 

 the Queen Mother and explained to her its virtues and i^roperties. 

 Others called it herbe sainte, because of its great power, and " it appears 

 to me," Monardes says, "to answer very well the description of black 

 henbane." ^ 



Monardes evidently refers to cigars and j)ipes in speaking of tubes 

 proper to be used by asthmatics. He says: "There are brought from 

 New Spain certain tubes of cane, greased inside and outside with a 

 certain gum, which, in my opinion, is nothing else than juice of the 

 tobacco, for it goes to the head. On the side called bitumen they burn 

 the tube, while on the other side they put it in the mouth and smoke by 

 inhaling."^ 



Wafer describes a curious smoking custom among the people of 

 Darien in 16S1. " The tobacco leaves," he says, " are rolled up sideways 

 until they make a roll as big as one's wrist and two or three feet in 

 length. A boy lights one end, wetting the part next to it to keep it 

 from wasting too fast. He puts the lighted end in his mouth and blows 

 into the faces of the company, even if there should be two or three 

 hundred, and they hold their breath as long as possible."* Though 

 among the Maya people the pipe is not now smoked, and it is doubtful 

 if it ever was. 



These authorities are sufficient to establish the fact that the island- 

 ers and Mexicans were acquainted, not only with the cigarette but also 

 with the cig.ir, though the "reed" of the Mexicans approaches more 

 nearly the pipe or tube than either. This reed pipe is noted in 1540 on 

 the lower Colorado by Alarcon, the natives being described as carry- 

 ing " small reed tubes for making perfumes, as do the Indian tabagos 

 of New Spain," •'^ and if cigarettes are referred to, custom has changed 

 but little, and is still in daily use by the Zuni and Moki of New Mexico. 

 " The doctors cured their patients by blowing on them with thin tubes 



'Nicolas Monardes, Histoire des Drogues, pp.537, 538, Lyons, lt)02. 



-Idem, p. 541. 



^Idem, p. 698. 



■' Lionel Wafer, A New Voyage and Description of the Istlinius of America, p. 102, 

 London, 1699. 



* Hernando Alarcon, Relation de la Navigation et de la Decouverte, translated by 

 H Ternaux Compans, p. 322, Paris, 1838, Also in Hakluyt's \'oyage8, III, ]). 514, 

 London, 1810, reprint of edition of 1600. 



