The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-18

OF Nicol Durant de Villegagnon to form a settle
ment on the river Gauabra, in 1865. In North
America the practice OF smoking toOacco IN
pipes existed among all the tribes OF native
Indians at the time when thev were first
brought in contact with Europeans, and
there rs every reason TO believe that II origi-
mated among the ancient NATIONS, of which the
wild Indians, as they are called, are the scat
tered remnants. AT any rate, the practice
was extremely ancient among them, as Is tes-
tilted by the abundance OF pipes found in the
old graves and tumul in the regions bordering
the Canadian seas, and in those watered by the
Ohio, Scloto, Wabash, Miami, and Mississippi,
as well as in the States of Tennessee, Alabama,
and Florida. The great antiquity OF some of
! these tumuli IN which pipes we're found is
attested by the fact of colossal trees having
grown upon them, which from the numoer of
rings exhibited by the trunks must be several
centuries old. These old pipes are made some
OF baked clay, and some OF different kinds of
stone, tale, serpentine, green stone, stealte, and
q particular species of stone known as red pipe
stone, which is still used by the Indians OF the
prairies, of the Upper Mississippi and OF the
Sioux country. They are for the most part
manufactured with great skill, and exhibit con-
siderable tste and artistic feeling. Every va.
Tiety OF shape is to be seen among them human
heads, wild cats, seals, otters, bears, falcons,
owls, frogs, ETC., and all are delineated with
so much hdelity to nature that they may be re-
coenIzed AZ once. A very remarkable circum.
stance about those representing human heads,
is that the type approXimates very closely to
the Monaghan, which goes some way TO bear
pose America to have been peopled by migra.
tion rom the eastern part of Asia. The nara
tlves OF all the first discoverers and explorers
OF North America contain some mention OF tle
tobacco smoking OF the natives, and sho the
practice to have been universal among all the
numerous tribes inhabitng that vast continent.
Thomas Hariot, who was Sir Walter Raleigh's
instructor in mathematics, and Joined the expe.
ditlon fitted out in 1854 by sir Walter Raleigh,
with Queen Elizabeths cons ent, and which re-
suited in the discovery OF Virginia, gives in the
account OF his voyage published by him very
full description of the practice. He states that
the natives considered tobacco as gut of tue
Great Spirit for Their especial enjoyment, and
that 1t was the most acceptable sacrifice that
could be made to the Great Spirit and the Lord
OF Llfe. They even believed smoking TO TORN
one OF the pleasures of the Great Spirit and all
good sp irits.
One of the most curious and remarkable points
connected with the religious and spiritual side
of tobacco smoking, as regarded by the natives
Is the ceremonial OF the calumet or pipe of peace
which first came to the knowledge OF Europeans
in 1915, when MOntmagnY, a knight of Malta
and Governor OF Canada, concluded a CONNER
Cial treaty with the native tribes OF the Algon-
quins, MontagneZ, HuroIs, and Cherokees. In
the midst OF the assembly the Indians had
planted arichly ornamented tobacco pipe, round
which the chiefs seated themselves on their
mats. After the conclusion of the treaty they
smoked tl.is pipe, handing 1t round among them
selves and to the Governor, in ratification OF the
treaty and as a token of their friendly DISPOSE
of all carly travellers to have been as universal
among the Indian tribes OF North America as
the habit OF smoking itself 1t is par ,cularly
described in great detail by Hennepin, Fran
clscan monk, who, with De la Sale travelled
across the Canadian Lakes and up the Illinois to
the Mississippi, then following the course of the
Mississippi reached the Cult of Mexico, in the
name of France, took possession of the land
which borders it, and calico it Louisiana. The
Jesuit Father ChalecroiX, who crossed vast
tracts of the Indian country IN the early part
OF the last century, also gives many interesting
facts on the subject. They both agree in as.
cribing religious character to the calumet and
the caduceus OF Mercury, which was also sym
Dol OF peace and friendly embd ssieS, and was
borne by priests and soothsayers, who we're
called hre-bearers, from bringing with them an
altar with the sacred fire. The pipe of peace,
and II G ceremonies connected W tn 1t, still con-
tlnue IN use among the Wild tribes Of North
America. 1t is about tour or five feet long, of
light wood, and proiusely ornamented with RIB
bons, resses of women's hair, strings OF coral
beads, and teathers-particularl those of the
war-eagle. The women of the tribe feel them
selves particularly bound to make the calumet
as handsome and SNOWY as poss ble, and each
ulbe adoIns its pipe OF peace in its own way, so
that an Indian can tell at glance to whicl tribe
any calumet belongs.
The bowl of the pipe is usually made of the
red p'pe stone, peculiar stone brought from
one particular spot, called the COteau OF the
Prairies, in the Sioux country. There are a va
riety OF legends connected with the mountain
OF these is, that once upon a time the Great
Spirit called all the tribes together around this
mountain, and standing on its summit, took
piece of the led stone, formed pipe from it,
and began 10 smoke, blowing huge clouds over
the assembled multitude The Great Spirit then
spoke, saying:-"This stone is red; it is your
flesh, and belongs to you all. Out OF it make no
more tomahawks, war hatchets, nor scalplng
knives. Use it only to make the pipe OF peace
with and smoke therefrom when you would
propitiate me and do my will" At she last puff
of his pipe the Great Spirit melted into a cloud
which long hovered over the assembled tribes.
Spain Was the hrst country in Europe into
which tobacco smoking was introduced by the
crews OF vessels returning from the New World.
The tobacco plant itself, however was known
at an earlier period than the practice of smoking
the seed having been brought over by Con
Zalo Hernandez de Ovledo. It's medical virtues
as a vunerarum we're much vaunted by Nicolo
Monardes, Professor of Medicine at the Univer-
sity of Seville, and others; and Jean Nicot,
French Ambassador at Lisbon in 1860 inJro-
duced it into France, having previously per-
formed many wonderful cures OF sores and
wounds with It, To him it owes its scientific
name of ncotia. Once the custom of smoking
| was introduced it soon spread throughout Spain
! and Portugal, and it is at the present day uni
| versal among all classes from the noble 10 the
! peasant The introduction OF tobacco into Eng
| land is varously attributed to Sir Thomas HaW-
| kins on his return from Florida in 1865, to Sir
Walter Raleigh, after his eXped ton to Orinoco,
| and to Sir Francis Drake, who, in 1856, brought
back some OF the companions OF Ralph Lane
| who had attempted to form a settlement In Vlr.
ginia, and in their intercourse with the Indians
| had adopted the habit of smoking. After first
| Gre atipg wonder and exciting curiosity it gra-
| dually found imtators, as everything new and
| strange, and calculated to attract attention is
| sure to do. Sir Walter Raleigh who was pas.
| sionatelT addicted TO 1t, seems to have con-