THE SCOTTISH SNUFF-MILL. ^70 



figure of a Highlander helping himself to a pinch was 

 generally sculptured in wood, and placed as a " sign " 

 beside the snuff- shop doors, until within the last thirty 

 years, when such distinction ceased. These figures 

 were sometimes the size of life, painted in natural 

 colours, and placed at the door -jamb. The Scots have 

 well earned their distinction ; for, in Scotland alone, 

 according to the computation of the late Eev. Dr. 

 Chalmers, the people lay out six thousand pounds per 

 year on snuff; a reckoning probably within the mark. 



The old Scottish snuff-mill was a much more rational 

 invention for ensuring a pure snuff, retaining the full 

 virtues of the tobacco, than the French and English 

 rasp ; and the washing and scenting the powder thus 

 produced. Jamieson in his Etymological Dictionary 

 of the Scottish Language, says : " When tobacco was 

 first introduced into this country, those who wished to 

 have snuff were wont to toast the leaves before the 

 fire, and then bruise them with a bit of wood in the 

 box, which was therefore called a mill from the snuff 

 being ground in it." 

 We here engrave 

 one of the earliest 

 specimens of the 

 genuine old snuff- 

 mill we could obtain. 

 The original is in 

 the possession of 



Mr. Paton of Dunfermline; and is traditionally said to 

 have originally belonged to Maggie Lang, who was 



T 2 



