428 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



sailors, soldiers, and negroes,"* says he, " are particularly 

 miserable without tobacco : it keeps up their spirits, they 

 say, and some almost prefer it to bread * ."" 



Brookes describes the peasants in Sweden and Norway as 

 being influenced by the same passion : they care little for 

 money, he says, if they cannot buy tobacco with it. 



Thevenot tells a curious story of a Sultan of Constan- 

 tinople, who, having forbidden the use of Tobacco, was 

 very severe in punishing any persons who were detected in 

 either taking or selling it. Like the Caliph Al Raschid, 

 this Sultan was in the habit of travelling about in disguise ; 

 he went alone, appointing some place where his attendants 

 should join him. If he suspected any merchant of selling 

 Tobacco, he would go to his house, and by using the most 

 earnest entreaty, offering a high price, and promising 

 secrecy, endeavour to prevail with the merchant to sell him 

 some: if he succeeded, he would draw forth a scimitar 

 from under his vest, and cut off his head. Once being on 

 board a passage-boat going to Constantinople, among the 

 other persons on board this vessel was an officer going to 

 Constantinople to receive his pay. This man had scarcely 

 entered the vessel before he began to use his Tobacco : no 

 one ventured to say any thing- to him but the Sultan, who 

 asked him if he was not afraid of the Sultan's displeasure. 

 To which the man arrogantly replied : " The Sultan leads 

 a fine life in his seraglio, with his women, &c. &c. while I 

 have nothing but trouble : Tobacco is like bread itself to 

 me ; and the Sultan shall not hinder me from enjoying it." 

 He concluded by offering some to the Sultan, who, ac- 

 cepting his offer, hid himself in a corner of the vessel, and 

 began to smoke very cautiously, as if he feared to be seen. 

 When they landed, the Sultan invited the officer to ac- 



*' Stcdman's Surinam, Vol. II. p. 17.5. 



