10 



This shows, that, at the commencement of the Revolu- 

 tion, the exportation had reached a little more than 

 100,000,000 lbs., it having been almost 2,000,000 above 

 that fig'ure for the year immediately preceding the war, 

 and falling but little short for the three preceding 

 years. During the Revolution the exports were ; for 



1^76 14,498,500 



1777 2,441,214 



1778 11,961,533 



1779 17,155,907 



1780 17,424,267 



1781 13,339,168 



1782 9,828,244 



Total exports these seven yeo.rs.. . 86,648,833 

 Averag-e for same time 12,378,504 



How tlie smokers of Great Britain contrived to make 

 themselves comfortable through the revolutionary years, 

 is not easy to say. But it is probable that there were 

 large invoices on hand at the breaking out of the war ; 

 and it is quite possible that the London dealers had 

 learned then — what they have certainly practiced largely 

 since — how, from one pound of good, fragrant Virginia 

 tobacco, to make a great many pounds of a mixed 

 stuff, which the consumer could be persuaded to pur- 

 chase at a high price. Possibly the Eng-lish thought a 

 medley, which they could produce, mostly from herbs 

 grown on their own soil, quite g'-ood enough for their 

 cousin-germans; for we hear of their shipping largely 

 of something, tliat passed as tobacco, to Germany and 

 other parts of the Continent, during the war. It will be 



