The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-11-15
TObScCo.

A tobacco user says: The Aslallc, So
far ns my observation goes, never smokes
his tobacco pure. The simple leaf is too
n% SF b h al" It hf ss sts for swse!s
or honey. and-in the case of the luxuri-
Gus, notably the young Mohammedau
'sweils'-to perfume and qualify the mix
ture with paste Of roses and spices
When ready for the pipe 1t looks like
crude opium, IL tenacious black ama! gem,
and when kindled gives out faint sickly
odor, surprisingly tenacious and penerat-
ing. g. Hindoo, smoking MS hookah, or
even the plebeinn hubble bubble, can Dc
smclt out from long distance as the lurk-
ing eervant often finds out to his cost.
Apparently unconscious OF the far-rcach
ing properties OF the scent, he will squat
just around the corner to have a quiet
smoke with a friend when he ought to be
abont his work; and retribution, guided
to the spot by the nose, suddenly Overtakes
him Ill his fancied security. The varieties
OF tobacco grown in the East are chiefly
"Shiraz" and "Latakia;" ald though they
differ in degrees OF quality, they are very
seldom above mediocrity for tho European
tGste. There Is no preparation Of the leaf
worth calling preparation; for the Oriental
| connist or his own servants to mix up the
compound to suit his own taste. Tho
flavor Of The actual leaf itself, therefore,
goes for little. When away from their
| own country, however, tho natives Of
India will change their habit and smoke
| the pure leaf-as, for instance, in the
| sugar plantations of Mauritlus, where 1
have seen the coolle smoking orlglnal-
lC oklng cigarettes of his own manufacture.
l'ut the most surprising specimens of the
sclf-madc cigar are to be found among the
emancipa!cd negroes of that earthly Para
disc, the Seychelles Islands. There the
tobacco plant has run wild, and the negro
will sometimes so far bcstir himself as to
| order his wife TO make him some cigars;
and the results are such distorted preposter-
GUS caterplllars Of tobacco as might make
a Regent street tobaccOnlst howl. The
material, however, is excellent, being
the best Havana or Virginia leaf run
wild, but without curing or preparation of
| any kind it is naturally coarse and acrid
The negro, however, likes it, and cons,l mes
hls home-rOllcd cigars in unstinted ablnd-
ance.
During tho bOmbardmcnt Of Alexandria
one Of the house that suffered severely was
that OF Hajji Nasim, the cigarette manu-
facturer. But he improvised Temporary
quarters, and in a jury rugged sort OF way
managed to keep abreast of the extraordi.
nary demand which the presence of SC
many British officers created. And what
superb cigarettes the old Ilajji made. /
remember sitting with HIM one evening
smoking, overlooking the bombarded
Square. and listening to his "reminiscences
of Alexandria tcmporis actl; aud he tolt
mo, among other things. that one of tho
best judges Of tobacco he had ever known
was The late Sultan. And he clappcd his
hands, and girl brought him box o
his Majcsty's private brand, "the Sultan;
and | certainty found il the daintlest, mos
ladyiikc smoking Bat in the evening
unroiled couple and charged my Turkish
plpc--a large amber bead tor lnouthpicce
jessamine stem, AID bowl Of damascenc(
clay-with the contents; and when hat
finished the pipe it seemed as il l hat
been smoking only the ghost OF tobacco,
, mere adumbratlon Of the weed. Fairies
+ If they smoke at all, probably smok
, "Sultan."