46 The Soverane Herbe 



forbidding smoking by the ladies of her Court was 

 received with indignant protests from them. Tobacco 

 is cultivated to a large extent in Russia. The nobility 

 smoke cigarettes, while the great mass of the people 

 are thankful for anything that will burn. In default 

 of tobacco, peasants smoke cabbage-leaves made into 

 cigars with coarse brown paper. A few years ago the 

 Bishop of Kursch forbade his clergy to smoke, on the 

 grounds that it is ' injurious to the health as well as 

 opposed to all common-sense, and is besides a great 

 temptation to the laity.' 



In Latin countries priests of the Roman Church 

 are prohibited from smoking in public. In Berlin, 

 Munich and Vienna, soldiers and officers are forbidden 

 to smoke in the principal streets through which 

 members of the royal family drive. 



In all degrees of climate tobacco is acceptable, and to 

 no people more so than to the Esquimaux. They are 

 dependent for tobacco on the whalers who occasionally 

 visit them. By cutting it up very fine and mixing it 

 with finely chopped willow-twigs, in the proportion 

 of two parts of tobacco to one of wood, they economize 

 their store of the grateful and comforting plant. As 

 the wood has a slightly aromatic flavour, the mixture 

 is by no means bad. After cleaning out the bowl of 

 his pipe, which is very small, the smoker inserts a 

 small wad of hair or wool from his clothing or deer- 

 skin. This is rammed down to prevent the powdered 

 tobacco-wood clogging up the stem. The bowl is 

 then charged and lighted, being smoked out in one or 

 two whiffs, so small is it. To make the most of his 

 pipe the Esquimaux inhales the smoke very deeply 



