Tlie Beginning of Smoking 5 



The primitive form of this was the tobago, as used 

 in San Domingo when the Spaniards landed there. 

 This was a hollow forked cane, ' about a span long, 

 and as thick as the little finger,' resembling a Y in 

 shape. The two ends were placed in the nostrils, 

 and the other end over a small pastille of the burn- 

 ing leaves, and the smoke thus drawn up into the 

 nose and head. ' Such of the Indians,' wrote Oviedo 

 in 1526, ' as cannot procure a forked stick use a 

 reed or hollow cane for the purpose of inhaling the 

 smoke.' Speedily following the introduction of the 

 reed would be the making of a receptacle at one 

 end of the reed, or tube, to hold the smouldering 

 tobacco, and thus remove the necessity of kindling 

 a fire to offer incense and to seek the inspiration of 

 the holy herb. 



First burnt as incense, tobacco gradually became 

 the inspiration in times of trouble and the remedy 

 in disease. As imperceptibly as the youth ostenta- 

 tiously puffing a puerile cigarette becomes the 

 seasoned smoker, so the sacred rite became the 

 common practice. The resource on certain occa- 

 sions passed into the general habit. Once initiated 

 into the mysteries of tobacco by the priest, man 

 returned to it with whetted appetite. Instead of 

 delegating his affairs to the medicine- man, he 

 personally sought the inspiration and help of the 

 gods and tobacco. The smoke, too, that cured 

 disease would as surely prevent it. Moreover, the 

 very act of smoking was the offering of a sacrifice 

 to the Great Spirit. Thus gradually the smoking 

 and inspiration of tobacco ceased to be a purely 



