Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-27
An Interesting Historical Sketch.

Df. William stevens, published lnthe
Magnolia Magazine in 1874, gives an
account of the first introduction Of to-
b. cc0 into England. 1t is an account
OF the IF irst English Voyage to Vir-
ginia," made in the year 1854 by Cap
tains Amadus and Barlow, at the
charge and under the auspices Of Sir
Walter Raleigh.
Anderson, in his History Of Com
merce," says they took home with
them some tobacco, the fist that was
ever seen in England. But this is er-
rOneous, as in "StOw's Chronicle" it
is stated that Sir John Hawkins car
ried it thither in the year 1865, but it
was then considered a mere drug, and
the Chronicle" tells US "all men
wondered what it meant" This ac-
count of Stow is confirmed by Ha-
kinyt who, in his narrative of the
voyage Of Sir John Hawkins, in 1865,
thus speaks Of the article as observed
by that navigatoramong the Florida
Indians /: "The FIOridianS, when
they travel, have a kind of herb dried,
which, with a cane, and an earthen
cup on the end, with fire, and the
dried herbs put together, do suck
through the cane the smoke thereof,
which smoke satisfieth their hunger"
Hawkins probably carried a specimen
OF it to England as a curiosity.
Camden and other authorities, how
ever, assert that tobacco was first
taken to England by Ralph Lane.
Governor Of the Virginia adventure
ers, in 1886. That the colOnists at that
time learned the use of this narcotic Is
evident from what HarlOt, 'ta man Of
science and observation" who accom-
panied Mr.. Lane, says: "The In
dians," he writes, FUSED to take the
fuIne or smoke thereof, by smoking il
in pipes made of clay. We ourselves,
during the time we were there, used
to suck it after their fashion, as also
since our RETURN The interest and
example of Sir Walter Raleigh, "a
man of gayety and fashion," soon
brought it into such vogue at court,
says Smith, that many great ladies, as
well as nOblemen, made no scruple to
take a pipe.
We are not informed whether the
Queen herself made use of it, but it
is certain that she gave great c0unte-
nance and encouragement to it, as a
vegetable of singular strength and
power, which might, therefore, prove
of benefit to mankind and advantage
to the nation. So far, rs Nj. Oldys
well observes, was this wise Princess
from the refined taste Of her success
scr, who held tobacco in such abomi-
nation, that ne not only refused to use
il himself, but endeavOred to destroy
and suppress it among his subjects,
and would thereby have robbed the
crown of what has since proved one
of its noblest Jewels and most eonsid-
cradle revenue, and the nation of a
very advantageous branch of trade.
Sir Walter Raleigh's tobacco box,
with some of mis- pipes, were extant
and laid up among the rarities Of the
museum of that curious antiquarian.
the late Ralph Tomsly, of Leeds, Eng
land.
There are some humorous stories
still remembered concerning the first
use of tobacco, particularly Raleigh's
wager with the Queen, that he would
determine exactly the weight of the
smoke that went off in a pipe of to-
baccO. This he did by first weighing
the tobacco, and then carefully pre-
serving and weighing the ashes, and
the Queen readily granted that what
was wanting in prime weight must be
eVapOrated in smoke, and when she
paid the wager, she said pleasantly,
that she had heard of many labOrers
in the fire who had turned their gold
into smoke, but Raleigh was the first
who had turned his smoke into gold.
1t was also related that a country
servant of his, bringing him a tankard
of ale and nutmeg into his study, as
he was intently engaged at his book,
smoking a pipe of tobacco, the fellow
was SO frightened at seeing the smoke
come out of his mouth, that he threw
the ale into his face in order 10 extin-
guish the fire, and ran down stairs,
alarming the family and crying out
that his master was on fire, and before
they could get up would be burned to
ashes.
Certainly" says Camden, from
that time forward it began to grow in
great request, and to be sold at a high
rate" 1t is remarkable that, in all
our early accounts Of the American
abOrigines, we find the use of tobacco
specified. Carter, in 1885, found it in
Canada, and thus describes it: ''There
grOweth a certain kind o fherb whereof
in summer they make great provisions
for all the year, making great account
of it, and only men use it, At first
they cause it to be dried in the sun.
then wear it about their neck, wrapped
in a little beasts skin, made like a
little bag, with a hollow piece of stone
or wood, like pipe; when they please
they make powder of it, aud putting
it in q end of said corTet or pipe, and
laying a coal of fire upon it, at the
other end suck so long that they fill
their bodies with smoke, till that il
cometh out of their mouth and nos
trils, even a cut OF the funnel Of a
chimney"
BreretOn, in his Journal Of Cos
nold's Voyages in 1902, and Rozier. in
his account of Weymouth's VOYAGES
to England in 1905, both speak of Ills
use among the Indians of those parts.
But in this case it was not smoking or |
chewing, or snuifing, but drinking.
They gave US al5O," says BreretOn,
''of their tobacco, which they drink /
green, but dried with powder, very
and pleasant" "We drank of
their excellent tobacco" writes Ro-
zier, 'as much as we would with
them, but we saw not any great guam
tity to truck for, and it seemed that
they had not much lei OF the old, for
they spent a great quantity yearly by
their continued drinkingp1
Lane found it among the Virgil
mans, Hawkins among the FlOridi-
ans, and the Spsniards among the
Mexieans, "where the natives took
it not only in smoke at the mouth,
but also in snuff at the nose; and it
was such a luxury with them that
Lords Of Mexico composed them
selves to sleep with it." 'Its name"
'ays Anderson, was probably given
t by the Spaniards, before this time.
rom the Isle of TObago, one Of the
Jaribbes, where it was produced i'm
abundance"