ipz The Hiflory of Book II 



it improper to bfert in this place what is praftis'd by fome cu- 

 rious perfons, whereby it is made more excellent then that 

 which commonly goes under the name of Virittm -Tobacco, 

 keeps well, and hath a fcent which fortifies the brain. After 

 they have fet afide the Plants of the firft cutting, and while 

 they are drying on the poles, they gather together all the caft 

 leaves, the fmall (hoots, as alfo the filaments which are taken 

 out of the midft of the leaves which have been already cleer'd; 

 and after they have pounded them in a mortar, all is put into 

 a bag, which is put into a prefs to force out the juice, which 

 is afterwards boil'd over a foft fire till it be reduc'd to the con- 

 fiftency of a Syrup : That done, there is put into that deco&i- 

 on a little Copal, which is an aromatick gum, the virtue where- 

 of is to fortifie the brain. This gum di ftills from a tree of the 

 fame name, which is common in the Continent of America, 

 and in the Iflands about the gulf of Hondures. 



After this drug is put into the compofition aforefaid, it muft 

 be well ftirr'd, that its fweet fcent and other qualities may be 

 communicated and diffus'd through the whole decoction : 

 Then it muft be taken off the fire 3 l and when it is cold.it is 

 fet in a veflel neer the perfon who makes up the roll of To- 

 bacco, and as often as he takes a handful of the leaves to 

 feed the roll, he muft wet his hand in that liquor, and wipe 

 it with the leaves. This fee-ret hath an admirable erTecl to' 

 make the Tobacco keep well, and derives to , it a virtue 

 which extremely heightens its price. 



The Tobacco thus order 'd is to be made up into a roll, at 

 leaft as big as a mans thumb, and be afterwards divided into 

 little rolls not weighing above ten pound at the moft, and then 

 lent in little veflels or clofe balkets made for that purpofe, to 

 keep it the better. Some Inhabitants of the Iflands having 

 made tryal of this fecret, have put off theirs for right Virinm- 

 Tobacco, and fold it at the fame rate. 



Thofe who imagine that Tobacco grows without any trou- 

 ble and that rolls of it are, as they fay, found growing on 

 Trees in America, and that there is no more to be done but 

 to (hake them down $ or haply are perfwaded that it requires 

 no great trouble to bring them to perfection, will be unde- 

 ceiv'd when they come to read thi9 relation of the culture 

 and preparation of Tobacco 3 whereto we have only this to 

 adde, that if they had themfelves feen the poor Servants and 

 Slaves, who are employ'd about this painful work, expos'd the 

 greateft part of the day to the fcorching heat of the Sun, and 

 {pending one half of the night in reducing it to that pofture 

 wherein it is tranfported into Europe, no doubt they would 

 have a greater efteem for, and think much more precious that 

 herb, which is procur'd with the fweat and labours of fo ma- 

 ny milerable creatures. 



