Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-02-04

Africans Are Supposed 20 Have Ussd it
Before RaIsIghss Day.

BsfOrs RaIsigh's Day.
While convincing proof 70 the contrary
has not been obtained. the explorations
Of recent years have raised the question
whether the tobacco habit ia the 18th
century was not far more widely prevail.
ent than has believed IL is learned that
among many Of the Pacific islands the
natives used tobacco long before they
were visited by white men, and there is
no tradition among them of time when
their fathers did not understand the cult.
ure aud use Of the tobacco plant
Throughout inner Africa also the use
OF tobacco is universally known, aud
there is every reason TO believe that some
OF the varieties OF the tobacco plant in
common use are indigenous. For all we
know 90 the contrary the savages Of Gen.
tIal Africa, who were quite unknown at
the time Columbus discovered America,
We're pulling their pipes long before ne
made himself famous.
There is no doubt that the discovery OF
American tobacco had considerable in
duence upon the tobacco habit in Africa,
If il did not actually introduce it OuI
common Virginia tobacco was carried faI
up the Nile 10 equatorial Africa long be-
fore white men penetrated TO that region.
Schweinfurth was the first 20 discover
that the imported plant is in use among
several of the Bahr-el-Ghssal aud Welle.
Mauak tribes, and it is curious fact that
the savages who use this exotic have nc
native name for il. Each tribe has its
own name for the native variety of to-
bacco, but the appellations the Africans
apply TO the imported plant show unms
takably that they are derived, one and
all, from the word tobacco.
So far as this large region, at least, is
indebted 20 America for an improved
quality OF the weed, the obligation seems
to be acknowledged in the names given
10 the article. But the indigenous va.
rieties are far more prevalent, and are
largely used even where Virginia tobacco
is cultivated. And since the forei
source OF the exotic has been 40 easily
discovered in the languages Of the peo-
pie, it seem not unreasonable to suppose
that in the greater regions TO which il
has not extended, anu where no foreign
habit had an Independent origin.
Ii is not at all claimed that the white
race has prior claim even upon the in.
yention OF the cigar. In all parts OF New
Guinea, the largest island in the world
that has yet been visited, tobacco Is cut
tivated. and in some of these districts
the humble pipe contributes nothing to
The enjoyment Of the weed and is not
even known. DIR. Maclay saw natives
with crude looking cigars in their
mouths who had never seen a white
man before, and thought he had dropped
from the sky.
Or. Finch, who some years later ex.
plored the coast for hundreds Of miles.
saws the natives Of the whole northeast
coast OF New Guinea, though inveterate
smokers, had never heard of pipe and
returned those which he gave them as
articles for which they had no use. lie
says they roll the partly dried leaves
into rude cigar, and not being blessed
with Havana wrappers, they tie around
their cigar large green leaf from a tree.
Doubtless the vilest weeds sold on the
Bowery are superior to these products of
Papuan ingenuity, which hold fire SO
poorly that live coal is always kept at
hand to reyivify them. But they suit
the native taste and the people seem to
,egard those who draw tobacco smoke
through pipe stem as belonging to an
inferior race of human beings Gold.
thwaite's Magazine.