262 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



two pieces of wood. The Mexicans generally ufed the 

 achiote, which is the roucou of the French. Boturini 

 affirms, that they ftruck fire alfo from flint. 



After a few hours of labour in the morning they took 

 their breakfall, which was moft commonly atolli^ or gruel 

 of maize, and their dinner after mid-day ; but among 

 all the hiftorians of Mexico, we have found no mention 

 of their fupper. They ate little, but they drank fre- 

 quently, either of the wine of the maguei, or maize, or 

 of chia, or fome other drink of the cacao, and fometimes 

 plain water. 



After dining, the lords ufed to compofe themfelves to 

 fleep with the fmoke of tobacco (j). This plant was 

 greatly in ufe among the Mexicans. They make vari- 

 ous platters with it, and took it not only in fmoke at the 

 mouth, but alfo in fnuifat the nofe. In order to fmoke 

 it, they put the leaves with the gum of liquid amber, 

 and other hot, warm, and odorous herbs, into a little 

 pipe of wood, or reed, or fome other more valuable 

 fubllance. They received the fmoke by fucking the 

 pipe and ftiutting the nottrils with their fingers, fo that 

 it might pafs by the breath more eafily towards the 

 lungs. Who would have believed that the ufe of to- 

 bacco, which neceffity made thofe phlegmatic nations 

 invent, would have become the vice or cuftom of almofl: 



all 



(j) Tobacco is a name taken from the Hait'me language. The Mexicans had 

 two fpecies of tobacco, very different in the fize of the plant and the leaves, in 

 the figure of the flower and the colour of the feed. The fmalleft, which is the 

 common one, was called by them Picietl, and the largeft ghxaujetl. This laffc 

 beeomes as high as a moderate tree. Its flower is not divided into five parts 

 like that of the Picietl, but only cut into fix or feven angles. Thefe plants vary 

 much according to clime, not only in the quality of the tobacco, but alfo in the 

 fize of the leaves and other circumftances, on which account feveral author* 

 have multiplied the fpecies. 



