THE HOME OF THE INDIAN WEED 45 



his patients through a course of his tobacco treatment. 

 The first is represented freely imbibing the fumes of 

 tobacco, the second is just dropping his pipe, and himself 

 off to sleep, and the third swings in a hammock attended 

 by the doctor. Benzoni relates how in La Espanola and 

 the adjacent islands sick men went to the place where the 

 smoke was to be administered, and when they were 

 thoroughly intoxicated by it, the cure was mostly effected. 

 ' On returning to his senses the patient told a thousand 

 stories of his having been at the council of the gods, and 

 other high visions.' 



And as to the origin of the plant, let the old chieftain of 

 the Susquehanna tribe himself relate the story. It will 

 merely be necessary to introduce him to the reader seated 

 with his family, and a few braves gathered around him, 

 listening to the words of a Swedish missionary, who 

 expounds to them the creed of the Christian and the 

 scriptural narrative of our first parents. The sermon over, 

 " the old chief, with easy grace and measured words, replies : 

 ' What you have told us is very good, we thank you for 

 coming so far to tell us those things you have heard from 

 your mothers ; in return we will tell you what we have 

 heard from ours. 



' In the beginning we had only flesh of animals to eat, 

 and if they failed they starved. Two of our hunters having 

 killed a deer and broiled part of it, saw a young woman 

 descend from the clouds, and seat herself on a hill hard by. 

 Said one to the other, " It is a spirit, perhaps, that has 

 smelt our venison ; let us offer some of it to her." They 

 accordingly gave her the tongue. She was pleased 

 with its flavour, and said, " Your kindness shall be 

 rewarded, come here thirteen moons hence and you shall 

 find it." They did so, and found where her right hand 



