•64 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



says, it is not certainly known whether it grew spontaneously in 

 Virginia, or whether it came originally from some more south- 

 ern region of America. At all events, the English who first 

 visited Virginia certainly found it there, and Harriot was of the 

 opinion that it was of spontaneous growth. Mr. Jefferson 

 thought it was a native of a more southern climate and handed 

 along the continent from one nation of savages to another. 

 Dr. Robertson has informed us, that it was not till the year 1616 

 that its cultivation was commenced in Virginia. 



However this may be, the gallant and unfortunate ■'-^ir Walter 

 Raleigh has the credit of bringing it into fashion in England. 

 It is well known that the colony planted in Virginia by Sir 

 Walter, suffered many calamities ; and we are told that Ralph 

 Lane, one of the survivors who was carried back to England by 

 Sir Francis Drake, was the person who first made tobacco known 

 in Great Britain. This was in the twenty-eighth year of Queen 

 Elizabeth, A. D. 1585. Sir Walter is said to have been very fond 

 of smoking, and humorous stories have been recorded concern- 

 ing it, particularly of a wager made with Queen Elizabeth, that 

 he would determine exactly the weight of the smoke which went 

 off in a pipe of tobacco. This he did by first weighing the 

 tobacco which was to be smoked, and then carefully preserving 

 and weighing the ashes ; and the queen paid the wager cheer- 

 fully, being satisfied that what was wanting to the prime weight 

 must have been evaporated in smoke. Every one remembers 

 the story of the alarm of one of Sir Walter's servants, who, 

 coming into the room and seeing his master enveloped in smoke, 

 supposed him to be on fire. It may be interesting to those 

 who delight in smoking the weed, to know that a tobacco box 

 and some pipes of Sir Walter's were deposited in the museum 

 of Mr. Ralph Thorsby, of Leeds, Yorkshire, where they probably 

 remain to this day. 



We conclude our remarks upon Sir Walter, by quoting a 

 poetical tribute to his memory : 



Immortal llalcigh ! were potatoes not, 



Could t?rateful Ireland e'er forget thy claim ? 

 Were all thy proud historic deeds forgot, 



Whicii blend thy memory with Eliza's fixnie. 

 Could England's annals in oblivion rot. 



Tobacco would enshrine and consecrate thy n;ime. 



