The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-11-11
TUESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER IL.
Drinking Smoke.
Charles Warren Stoddard, Now in Persia,
Tries to Drive Tobacco Lovers Mad.

From His Letter in the San Francisco Chronicle.l
We gathered in the cosiest corner of the
room. We clapped our hands: servant who
was noddng in the hall entered and at once
be gan preparing the pipes. He placed crys-
tai vase before each of us; 1t was mounted
with fretted silver, and was topped with an
deliberately gilded earthern bowl; from its neck
the snake-like stem, fathom long, wound
with threads of gold and silver, stretched to
the lips upon which rested a mouthplece OF
clouded amber. The vase was half-filled with
rose-water, and in each vase handful oil
fresh rose leaves was sopped in this water.
The pipe-bearer then took a handful of tumbak,
a mild. sweet Persian weed, plunged it into
basin of water and wrung it cut like sponge.
we regarded with curious eyes the prepare
tion-so would you. The tumbak is still
damp; he presses it into the pipe-bowl, and
heaps it up, making a little nest IN the centre
of it. Then live coal is placed in the nest,
whe re it sends up a thin, fragrant steam:
You throw yourself back upon tne cusiiaoils VI
the divan; you place upon your lips the superb
amber mouthpiece, three or four inches IN
length. and carved, or girdled with hoops OF
gold. You exhaust your lungs, and draw H.
through the glittering coils OF the stem, vol
umeS OF cool, Q6OuOElLSu II Wis
ha. any flavor it is not that OF tobacco; II is
infinitely finer, sweeter, more delicate Is IL
the rose.water through which the smoke has
passed by means of a tube that extends from
the base of the bowl nearly to the bottom OF
the vase and then rises i'll bubbles like snow
balls and enters the flexible stem near the
throat of the vase? Or is it the moist tumbak,
exuding some subtitle essence under the hot
breath of the glowing Goals? "a is 1t only a
fancy that possesses one when the nargileh Is
well lighted and the pipe-bearer sits by watch
ing it as il life hung upon the contamination
of this solitary smoke? Occasionally he probes
the bowl or places fresh Goals within 1t, and
then he smiles as the white clouds pour forth
immense volumes and fill the chamber with
the incense of the Orient. The Inhalation IS
complete; one breathes the smoke OF tumbaB
az he breathes the very air; the bosom heayes
like the rise and fall of great wave at sea;
YOU imagine you are doubling Your inches
across the chest; peasurable thrill Is conluu-
nicated to every nerve IN the ooay' You lioou
your whole interior with smoke. A happy
Thought strikes you, you laugh, and the cloud
smoke belched from cannon. There is some
thing suggestive of intoxication IL all inns.
The water bubbles in the cistern OF the pipe;
the rose leaves tumble about and delight the
eve: the gurgle soothes tho ear; the palate is
enchanted with long draughts OF 1mpalpaDle
essence from source that seems absolutely III
exhaustible drinking smoke," the Arabs
call it. 1t is the only term they use to express
the act. And pray why should they not drink
it. when it has been tried by fire, filtered in
bath of roses chilled in its flight through that
writing stem and slid at last through a hand
full of glowing amber?