68 



THE ADVENTURES OF 



with wide leaves of a dark-green color. The flowers, some 

 of which were pink and others a yellowish hue, indicated two 

 different species ; their acrid smell was any thing but pleas- 

 ant. Lucien was not a little surprised to learn that this 

 beautiful vegetable 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 Cihua- 

 cohuatl, or woman-serpent.* In Mexican mythology, this 

 divinity was supposed to be the first mother of children; 

 and, in the legend about her, the European missionaries fan- 

 cied that they recognized some features resembling the sa- 

 cred 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 conse- 

 crated 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 call this plant nicotian. It is a cer- 

 tain fact that the modern Mexican Indians smoke hardly 

 any thing but cigars or cigarettes. As for pipes, they have 

 not long known of the existence of such things ; and the 

 works of certain romancers, who so often describe the Az- 

 tecs as having the pipe of peace, war, or council constantly 

 in their mouths, are simply ridiculous. You may recollect 



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

 fies " serpent." 



