260 ANCIENT DESCRIPTION. 
Physiologie du Gout, entirely ignores tobacco and all its 
distractions and charms. Benzo gives the following account 
of the manufacture of a cigar in Hispaniola :— 
“They take a leafe from the stalks of their great bastard 
corn (which we commonly called Turkie—wheat) together 
with one of these tobacco-leaves and fold them up together 
like a coffin of paper, such as grocers make to put spices in, 
or like a small organ-pipe. Then putting one end of the 
same coffin to the fire, and holding the other end in their 
mouths, they draw their breath to them. When the fire 
hath once taken at the pipe’s end, they draw forth so much 
smoke that they have their mouth, nose, throat, and head 
full of it; and, as if they tooke a singular delight therein 
they never leave supping and drinking till they can sup no 
more, and thereby loose their breath and their feeling.” 
Sahagun, in his “ History of New Spain,” speaks of the 
natives as using the leaves of tobacco rolled into cigars, which 
they ignite and smoke in tubes of tortoise-shell or silver. 
The following article from the Wew York Times contains 
much valuable information in regard to cigars, especially 
Havanas : 
“Tt is perfectly safe to say that there is more money spent 
every day in New York for cigars than for bread,” (doubted.) 
“From the fine gentlemen, who buy their cigars at Del- 
CIGARS. 
monico’s, or get them direct from the importers, down to the 
little barefoot boys in the streets, who buy theirs from the 
Chinamen at the corners or pick up the stumps that are 
thrown away, all smoke. In some countries pipes and 
cigarettes are made to do duty by the poorer classes, but in 
ew York cigars seem to be almost invariably preferred. 
Now, while there is nothing better, in the way of something 
to smoke, than a first-class Havana cigar, there is nothing 
nastier than some of the cheap abominations made in that 
shape in New York. To the truth of this last proposition, 
anyone will readily testify who has ever been so unfortunate 
