THE HISTORY OF TOBACCO 13 



the soothsayer, his imagination wrought to a high 

 pitch by the fumes of the tobacco, delivered his ora- 

 cles in unwonted terms that -made the hearers be- 

 lieve they were listening to the voice of God. 



"A like ceremony was observed in the assemblies 

 held for discussing public affairs. Seated on a stone 

 and inhaling the smoke from his calumet, the orator 

 who was about to take the floor waited in passive 

 silence while the chiefs of the nation approached 

 him, one at a time, to blow into his face plenteous 

 puffs from their pipes and to commend to him the 

 interests of the tribe. These fumigations concluded, 

 the orator abandoned himself to his eloquence amid 

 the enthusiastic acclaim of the assembly. 



"Seeing the islanders smoking, Columbus's com- 

 panions wished to try this singular custom for them- 

 selves. To the gratification of this desire the Indian 

 lent his ready assistance: he showed them how the 

 tabago is rolled, and how the calumet is filled and 

 lighted. Though history is silent on the subject, it 

 is clear that the first sailor to undertake the inhala- 

 tion must have been seized with that fearful nausea 

 which no novice in smoking can escape. A stomach 

 of any delicacy would have been forever repelled; 

 the harsh gullet of the mariner found a certain 

 charm in the thing when once the trying experiences 

 of initiation were over. 



"The taste for smoking was so soon acquired that, 

 on their return to Spain, the companions of Colum- 

 bus very quickly extended this Indian custom in their 

 own country. Before long, too, there was discov- 



