A YOUNG NATURALIST. 41 



Except on the side we had just ascended, the plateau was 

 entirely surrounded by high mountains. The hut, which was 

 built of planks and covered with thatch, appeared very cleanly 

 kept. Behind it extended a small kitchen garden, in which 

 fennel, the indispensable condiment in Aztec cookery, grew in 

 great abundance ; in front, there was a large tobacco plantation, 

 and an enclosure where both goats and pigs lived on good terms 

 with each other. The situation appeared somewhat dull to us ; 

 but in the tropics the absence of sunshine is sufficient to give a 

 sombre look to the most beautiful landscape. 



Lucien wanted to pay a visit to the tobacco-field. The stems 

 of this plant are more than three feet high, covered with wide 

 leaves of a dark-green colour. The flowers, some of which were 

 pink and others a yellowish hue, indicated two different species ; 

 theu' acrid smell was anything but pleasant. Lucien was not a 

 little surprised to learn that this beautiful vegetalle belonged to 

 the same botanical family as the potato, the tomato, the egg- 

 plant, and the pimento. 



" Among the ancient Aztecs," said Sumichrast, " tobacco was 

 called pycietl ; it was the emblem of the goddess Cihuacohuatl, or 

 woman-serpent.* In Mexican mythology, this divinity was sup 

 posed to be the first mother of children ; and, in the legend about 

 her, the European missionaries fancied that they recognised some 

 features resembling the sacred history of Eve. Up to the present 

 time, the Indians, who have renounced the errors of Paganism 

 and profess the Christian religion, continue to make use of the 

 plant consecrated to their ancient goddess, as a remedy for the 

 sting of venomous reptiles." 



" Then that is why they cultivate tobacco," said Lucien, " for 

 I know that they seldom smoke." 



" No, but they sell their crops of it to the Creoles, among whom 

 smoking is a universal habit. It is said that the word tobacco 

 comes from the name of the island of Tabago, where the Spaniards 

 first discovered it. About the year 1560, it was introduced into 

 France by Jean Nicot, who gave it his own name ; for savants 

 * In the Aztec language, cihuatl signifies " woman,'' and cohuatl signifies 

 " serpent." 



