The cuftom of fmoaking this plant, which ftill prevails, is of antient date : Pliny diredts the dried leaves and 
root of Coltsfoot to be burned, and the fmoak drawn into the mouth through a reed and fwallowed, as a remedy tor 
an obftinate coup-h ; the patient lipping fome raifin wine with each draught of the fmoak : “ Hujus anda cum radice 
“ fumus, per Arundinem haujlus et devoratus , veterem fanare dicitur tujfim ; fed mfingulos haufus paffum gufandum efl .” 
This is the only account amongft the antients, that we have hitherto been able to difcover, which tends towards 
the practice of fmoaking : but we cannot acquiefce in the common opinion, that fmoaking of Tobacco, or at lead: 
fome kind of plant, was unknown in the old word ’till Sir Walter Raleigh brought it from America. Is it 
p -obable that the inhabitants of Africa fhould fo foon have univerfally adopted a cuftom from Europe that was unknown 
two centuries ago ? Or that the Afatics , fo tenacious of their own manner's, cuftoms and habits, fhould in fo fmall 
a time, have agreed to extend this uncouth kind of luxury over a vaft continent, from the confines of Conjlantinople 
to the extremities cf China ? 
C untries thinly inhabited are much molefted with Gnats. Travellers tell us, that the Northern Afatic 'Tartars 
confantly carry on their arrr\s, during the Summer, a pot of burning Touchwood, fometimes prepared from the 
root of this plant, to defend themfelves by the fmoak, from the annoyance of thefe infedts. It is probable one more 
ingenious than the reft contrived to keep this fire alive, by a communication with his breath ; and this expedient by 
degrees produced a Tobacco-pipe. A propenfity to intoxication, fo natural to mankind, would give a preference to 
Tobacco before moft other vegetable fubltances ; and thus a cuftom that in the beginning was taken up for felf-defence, 
at laft might become a luxury. 
The firft difcoverers of America probably found the natives fmoaking Tobacco : but might they not bring this 
practice with them from the northern parts of Europe or Afa, which were never penetrated by the Roman arms ; from 
whence it appears probable that America was peopled ? 
A room or bed-chamber may at any time be cleared from Gnats, by fetting the windows open, and fmoaking or 
burning fome Tobacco, from which the infedts are obliged immediately to efcape. Thole that are offended by its 
fmell, may fubftitute this plant in its ftead. But cultivated and inhabited countries are in a great meafure defended 
from infupportable fwarms of Gnats by a provilion of nature little attended to. Of the four kinds of Swallows which 
frequent this iflaud, whofe food confifts intirely of flying infedts, three of them are domeftic, and could with diffi- 
culty find fuitable couveniencies for building their nefts, without attaching themfelves to the habitations of men, 
around which they are perpetually hawking for their prey : hence it is apparent why deferts particularly abound 
with Gnats. 
The Poet obferves that the Martin or Martlet, one fpecies of fwallow, choofes a delicate air for its refidence. 
Who then can luffer its neft to be difturbed after reading the following lines ? efpecially lince this bird pays luch 3 
compliment to the fweetnefs of the fituation ? 
“ This guejl of fummer , 
v “ The temple-haunting Martlet, does approve , 
“ By his lov'd manjionry , that heavens breath 
“ Smells wooingly here: no jutting frieze, 
“ Buttrefs, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird 
“ Hath made his pendent bed and procreant cradle. 
“ Where they mojl breed and haunt , I have obferv' d 
“ The air is delicate A 
Although we have wandered from our fubjedt, the candid and humane will forgive our interceding foravifitor, 
who claiming the rites of hofpitality, places unreferved confidence in us, and feems diredtcd by providence to attend 
on mankind for purpofes the moft friendly and beneficial, 
