tobacco. 345 



A French Natural Historian* relates, that 

 in 1750 Maryland and Virginia produced 

 to England more than one hundred thou- 

 sand tons of tobacco ; of which, he says, the 

 English kept one half for their own consump- 

 tion, and exported the remainder to France ; 

 for which the latter country paid annually the 

 sum of 9,200,000 livres, or about 383,333/. 

 English money. 



This vegetable still continues to form so 

 considerable a branch of commerce in this 

 country, that a store-room has lately been 

 erected in the London Docks, for the exclu- 

 sive purpose of housing tobacco, which co- 

 vers with one roof a space of nearly six 

 acres of ground, and which is perhaps the 

 largest room ever built. This immense store- 

 room is, when empty, an object of wonder ; 

 but on seeing it full of tobacco our amaze- 

 ment must be increased, by reflecting on the 

 extent of our trade, and on the singular des- 

 tination of such an enormous heap of halt- 

 putrefied leaves. 



The old writers attribute so many won- 

 derful medicinal virtues to this plant, that 

 we are unable to name a complaint for which 

 they did not make it a cure. Burns, scalds, 



* Wiliuoiil Bom-arc. 



