14 TOBACCO IN AMERICA. 



times, and among the same mountains, by the Indian 

 natives whose blood he inherits." * When the Spaniards 

 landed in Paraguay in 1503, the natives came forth to 

 oppose them, beating drums, throwing water, "chewing 

 herbs, and spurting the juice towards them ; " all very 

 rude and apparently absurd modes of defence against 

 invasion ; but the latter really formidable in close 

 combat, if the herb was tobacco, and the juice directed 

 to the eyes, as we find was done by natives in war. 



Oviedo is the first author who gives a clear account 

 of smoking among the Indians of Hispaniola.t He 

 speaks of it among their " evil customs," as a thing 

 " very pernicious, used to produce insensibility. Their 

 mode of using it among the caciques and chief men, is 

 by inhalation through the nostrils by means of a 

 hollow forked cane, in one piece," of which he gives an 

 engraving: i he describes it as "about a 

 span long ; and when used the forked ends 

 are inserted in the nostrils, the other end 

 being applied to the burning leaves of the 

 herb. They thus inhale the smoke until 

 they become stupified. When forked canes 

 are not procurable, a straight reed or hollow 

 cane is used, and this implement is called tabaco by 

 the Indians ; " and Oviedo is careful to observe 



* Chemistry of Common Life, by Professor Johnston. 



t Historia General dc las Indias, 1526 ; enlarged 1535. 



$ The engraving does not occur in the earlier editions. The book was 

 very popxilar, and went through several. Our cut is copied from that pub- 

 lished at Salamanca, 1547. It is remarkable as the first engraving ever 

 published of the primitive tobacco-pipe. 



