many a war, and prevented many a revolution.  Two discoverers, whom the admiral had sent out from the Puerto de Mares (one of them being a learned Jew, who could speak Hebrew, Chaldee, and some Arabic, and would have been able to discourse, as Columbus probably thought, with any of the subjects of the Grand Khan, if he had met them), found that the men of the country they came to investigate, indulged in a “fumigation” of a peculiar kind.  The smoke in question was absorbed into the mouth through a charred stick, and was caused by burning certain herbs wrapped in a dry leaf, which outer covering was called “tabaco.”  Las Casas, who carefully describes this process of imbibing smoke, mentions that the Indians, when questioned about it, said that it took away fatigue, and that he has known Spaniards in the island of Hispaniola who adopted the same habit, and who, being reproved for it as a vice, replied that it was not in their power to leave it off.  “I do not know,” he adds, “what savour or profit they found in them” (tabacos).  I cannot help thinking that there were several periods in his own life, when these strange fumigations would have afforded him singular soothing and comfort.  However that may be, there can be no doubt of the importance, financially and commercially speaking, of this discovery of tobacco; a discovery which, in the end, proved more productive to the Spanish Crown, than that of the gold mines of the Indies.

The excellent relations that existed between the expedition of Columbus and the inhabitants of Cuba may be seen from the fact that these two Christians, who were the first witnesses of tobacco smoking, and who travelled with only two Indian attendants, were everywhere well and reverently received.

  Gold ORNAMENT’S observed.

Resuming the thread of the history, it remains to be seen what more Columbus did and suffered in this voyage.  The first Indians he met with had some few gold ornaments about them—­poor wretches, if they had possessed the slightest gift of prophecy, they would have thrown these baubles into the deepest sea;—­and they were asked whence came this gold?  From a race, they said, living southwards, where there was a great king, who had much gold.  On another occasion, other Indians being asked the same question, answered, “Cubanacan, Cubanacan.”  They meant the middle of Cuba; but their word at once suggested to Columbus the idea that he was now upon the traces of his long-looked-for friend, Kublai Kaan, the Khan of Khans.  Indeed, it is almost ludicrous to see, throughout, how Columbus is possessed with the notions borrowed from his reading of Marco Polo and other travellers.  He asks for “his Cipango,” as Herrera slily puts it; and the natives at once point out to him the direction where that is.  They thought he meant Cibao, where afterwards the best mines of gold were found.

  Further explorations.