260 ANCIENT DESCRIPTION. 



Physiologic du Gout, entirely ignores tobacco and all ita 

 distractions and charms. Benzo gives the following account 

 of the manufacture of a cigar in Hispaniola : 



" They take a leafe from the stalks of their great bastard 

 corn (which we commonly called Turkic wheat) together 

 with one of these tobacco-leaves and fold them up together 

 like a coffin of paper, such as grocers make to put spices in, 

 or like a small organ-pipe. Then putting one end of the 

 same coffin to the fire, and holding the other end in their 

 mouths, they draw their breath to them. When the fire 

 hath once taken at the pipe's end, they draw forth so much 

 smoke that they have their mouth, nose, throat, and head 

 full of it ; and, as if they tooke a singular delight therein 

 they never leave supping and drinking till they can sup no 

 more, and thereby loose their breath and their feeling." 



Sahagun, in his " History of New Spain," speaks of the 

 natives as using the leaves of tobacco rolled into cigars, which 

 they ignite and smoke in tubes of tortoise-shell or silver. 

 The following article from the New York Times contains 

 much valuable information in regard to cigars, especially 

 Havanas : 



" It is perfectly safe to say that there is more money spent 

 every day in New York for cigars than for bread," (doubted.) 

 "From the fine gentlemen, who buy their cigars at Del- 



CIGARS. 



monico's, or get them direct from the importers, down to the 

 little barefoot boys in the streets, who buy theirs from the 

 Chinamen at the corners or pick up the stumps that are 

 thrown away, all smoke. In some countries pipes and 

 cigarettes are made to do duty by the poorer classes, but in 

 New York cigars seem to be almost invariably preferred. 

 Now, while there is nothing better, in the way of something 

 to smoke, than a first-class Havana cigar, there is nothing 

 nastier than some of the cheap abominations made in that 

 shape in New York. To the truth of this last proposition, 

 anyone will readily testify who has ever been so unfortunate 



