sador from the King of France to Portugal, procured some of the seeds from a Dutchman who had obtained them from Florida. The first plant from these seeds is said to have been presented to Catherine de Medicis no very acceptable present to a lady one would think-but from whence sprung the French name, herbe à la reine. The common English name is said to be derived either from Tobago, in the West Indies, or Tobasco, a district in Mexico. But Humboldt, a good authority, tells us that tobacco was the Indian name for a pipe, and that hence the Spaniards adopted this name for its contents also. According to Linnæus, tobacco was known in Europe from the year 1560. Ralph Lane introduced the plant into Britain in 1586. Sir Walter Raleigh was the first to render smoking fashionable in the court of James I., much to the annoyance of that monarch, who denounced the practice in his famous "Counterblast to Tobacco," and who no less hated and persecuted the noble-minded and ill-fated smoker.

The tobacco plant is arranged by botanists under the same family with the potato, the deadly nightshade, and a number of other narcotic and highly poisonous plants. It is an annual herbaceous plant, with a stem five or six feet long, and long narrow pale green leaves, with simple bell-shaped flowers which appear in July or August. Like the potato, it will grow in all climates. It is raised in Germany, Sweden, France, and Spain, and was formerly cultivated to some extent in England and Ireland, but it is found to exhaust the soil very much, and on this account, and for reasons bearing on national taxes and colonial commerce, its cultivation was prohibited by law. In America, and in the West Indies, it is extensively cultivated. Long, in his history of Jamaica, describes the manner of its cultivation thus:-When a regular plantation of tobacco is intended, several beds are prepared, well turned up with the hoe. The seed, on account of its smallness, is mixed with ashes, and sown upon them a little before the rainy season. The beds are then raked or trampled with the feet, to make the seed take the sooner. The plant appears in two or three weeks. So soon as they have acquired four leaves, the strongest are drawn up carefully, and planted in the tobacco field by a line, at the distance of about three feet from each plant; this is done either with a stick or with the finger. If. no rain falls, it should be watered two or three times, to make it strike root. Every morning and evening the plants must be surveyed, in order to destroy a worm which sometimes invades the bud. When they are grown about four or five inches high, they are to be cleared from weeds and moulded up; and as soon as they have eight or nine leaves, and are ready to put forth a stalk, the top is nipped off, in order to make the leaves longer and thicker. After this the buds, which -sprout at the joints of the leaves, are all plucked, and not a day suffered to pass without examining the leaves, to destroy a large caterpillar which is sometimes very destructive to them. When they are fit for cutting, which is known by the brittleness of the leaves, they are cut with a knife close to the ground; and after being left to lie there some little time, are carried to the drying-shed, or house, where the plants are hung

up by pairs, upon lines or ropes stretched across, leaving a space between, that they may not touch one another. In this state they remain to sweat and dry. When they become perfectly dry, the leaves are stripped from the stalks and made into small bundles, tied with another leaf. These bundles are laid in heaps, and covered with blankets. Care is taken not to overheat them; for which reason the heaps are laid open to the air from time to time, and spread out. This operation is repeated till no more heat is perceived in the heaps; and the tobacco is then stored in casks for exportation.

In the manufacture of tobacco the leaves are first cleansed of any earth or decayed parts; next they are gently moistened with salt and water, or water in which salt, along with other ingredients, has been dissolved, according to the taste of the fabricator. This liquor is called tobacco sauce. The next operation is to remove the midrib of the leaf; then the leaves are mixed together, in order to render the quality of whatever may be the final application equal; next they are cut into pieces with a fixed knife, and crisped or curled before a fire. The succeeding operation is to spin them into cords, or twist them into rolls, by winding them with a kind of mill round a stick. These operations are all performed by the grower; and in this state of rolls the article is sent from America to other countries, where the tobacconists cut it into chaff-like shreds by a machine like a straw-cutter, to be used as smoking tobacco. They also form it into small cords for chewing, or dry and grind it for the various kinds of snuffs. The three principal kinds of these are called rapper, Scotch or Spanish, and thirds. The first is only granulated, the second is reduced to a very fine powder, and the third is the siftings of the second sort. The best Havannah cigars are made from the leaves of a finer species.

An infusion of tobacco, when taken into the stomach, becomes a deadly poison. To one not accustomed to its action, even the inhalation of the smoke, or a quantity of snuff taken by the nose, produces sickness, giddiness, and vomiting. Both the taste and smell to the uninitiated are extremely disagreeable. The essential oil applied to a wound is said by Redi to prove as effectually fatal as the bite of a viper. The experiments of Albinus do not altogether confirm this, however, but the oil occasioned vomiting and death when given to pigeons. According to Du Tour, not less than a hundred volumes have been written against this herb, of which a German has preserved the titles. Amongst them is that of the royal author and pedant, James I. At its first introduction into Europe it was violently opposed both by kings and ecclesiastics. The Grand Duke of Moscow forbade its entrance into his dominions under pain of the knout for the first offence, and death for the second. The Emperor of Turkey, the King of Persia, and Pope Urban VIII. issued similar prohibitions, all of which were as ridiculous and ineffective as those which attended the first introduction of Jesuits' bark or coffee, or the sale of smuggled opium at Canton. At present, all the states of Europe derive a very considerable item of their revenues from tobacco. Yet, with all this opposition, and with its intrinsic repulsive qualities, how

strange is it that millions of human beings eagerly use it in some way or other daily and almost hourly! It is barely three centuries since it was known or heard of in the Old World, and now almost every second man you meet throughout Europe, Asia, and America, either snuffs or smokes it. Turk, Jew, Mussulman, and Christian, all unite in this one opinion, that a good pipe of tobacco is one of the chief solaces of existence. Britain is supplied with tobacco chiefly from our West Indian possessions, and from America. In 1828, the import or home consumption amounted to 14,000,000 of pounds weight; and the duty alone, at about 3s. to 4s. to nearly L.3,000,000 sterling. Since that period, the annual consumpt must have increased considerably with the population; and if we take into account the quantities smuggled, for which the high duty holds out strong temptation, we may rate the annual amount at little short of 20,000,000 of pounds weight for Great Britain and Ireland. This is nothing short of a pound of tobacco a-year to every person above the age of infancy. A revenue to Government of upwards of L.3,000,000 sterling, and an expenditure to consumers of L.4,000,000 to L.5,000,000 sterling yearly.

OF WHAT USE IS TOBACCO !

Seeing that this substance is so universally and extensively used by men of all climes and conditions, one feels naturally inclined to endeavour to find out what good purpose it serves in the animal economy; what additional pleasures or benefits are enjoyed by those who use it; what sweets follow or accompany its nauseous bitter. It is said to enable people the better to resist the effects of a cold, moist, or variable climate; or, on the other hand, it soothes the heat and languor of a warm and dry one. With some it is the solace of the fatigue of long-continued and exhausting labour; with others it is the soother of idle and unoccupied hours. One takes to tobacco from toothache, headache, or heartache; others from study, from listlessness, or inability to fix the attention. Some extol it on a journey, on the old-fashioned creeping pace of eight or nine miles an hour on the top of a coach; others fill up the long rainy day at an inn with this solitary solace alternated with the perusal of a thrice-thumbed newspaper. The majority, again, snuff and smoke to-day, just because they did it yesterday, the day before, and from time immemorial, because they could not do without it. A few maintain that it is a bad and useless practice, speculate about giving it up, but are afraid of the consequence to brain, eyes, and ears; they think, ponder, resolve, re-resolve, yet die confirmed tobacconists. But we must next consult the chemico-physiological physician. What does he say! The peculiar and highly azotized narcotic principle in tobacco and similar substances appears to afford direct nutriment to the brain and nervous sys. tem, and hence the stimulating and exhilarating effects of such substances; or, after great muscular or mental exertions, the vital power being considerably lowered in action, the chemical and decomposing forces in the system attain the ascendancy. In such a condition, the effect of narcotics appears to be to lull, modify, and restrain such action till the vital energy is again restored and reinvigorated by rest. Having gone the

round of all these inquiries, and no doubt, by some one or other of them, completely convinced and satisfied all our smoking and snuffing friends, let us look into a few other plain and obvious facts, and see whether from them we cannot afford some consolation and satisfaction to our non-smoking and non-snuffing friends.

Perhaps we do not err much when we say that every second or third man and boy we meet now-a-days is a tobacco user; yet, allowing this, we have the other half or two-thirds non-tobacconists, and we have almost all the women in this category. Now, how fares it with you, my friends, who have never tasted the narcotic weed. You seem rosy, healthy, all beautiful. Come forward, Mr Broadface, till I examine you. You have lived to the age of fifty; you carry no silver box in your waistcoat pocket. What is this-a cigar case?--no, a memorandum book. You never use tobacco in any shape? Never. You say you are healthy, you eat and sleep well. Can you stand a shower, and continue to live and be merry in this damp atmosphere of ours? You can stand cold and heat, fatigue, solitude occasionally-in short you need nothing beyond your usual fare to make you healthy, serene, and comfortable. Is it not so Exactly so. We shall next take John Hedger as he returns from his work. You use no snuff or tobacco Never. You know John Cutty? Yes, we have wrought together for the last twenty years. In all weathers, wet, cold, and warm, under days of great fatigue, and enjoying times of rest and relaxation? Yes, all of these. Cutty smokes, does he not? That he does. Is he healthier, stronger, merrier, richer, or in any way a better man than you? He aint, your honour. I'll work with Cutty, or wrestle with him any day. Now, evidences of this kind can be obtained every day in the year in the country, in the city, under the same roof, and under the influence of identical circumstances. we go to other countries, and to extreme climates, we everywhere meet with the same obvious and practical contrasts. Who, then, for a moment, could hesitate to affirm that the use of tobacco, under any form or modification whatever, does at least no good. If millions of men and women who never use tobacco are as healthy, as long-lived, as beautiful, as serene and cheerful, and as patient of labour and fatigue as the millions who use it, then all mankind could be as well if tobacco had never grown out of the earth, or had never been converted to human use. But if the moderate use of tobacco does no harm, why lay it aside? We answer, the use of what is useless by all rules of logic must be an absurdity. But, moreover, the use of such things leads to the abuse. The use of every thing of the kind originates in folly. It generally commences in youth from the love of imitation-the false craving for undue excitement, and the continual tendency of the human mind to shrink from the duties or salutary reflections of the moment, and to grasp at anything which lulls the acute and gnawing edge of ever wakeful conscience. For one prudent person who uses any one stimulant wisely and healthfully, there are hundreds who by such debase and enfeeble their natures. Is it not among savage and rude nations that we find the cava-bowl, the mead, and every narcotic and stupefying draught in greatest repute! But tobacco is not merely harmless, it is prejudicial.

If

Medical men can point out cases of diseased digestive organs, of tremors and affections of the nervous system, which are of daily occurrence from excess of this substance. Amongst the poorer classes, one of the most common causes of inflammation of the eyes, and that particular kind of loss of sight arising from disease of the nerve of vision, are said to arise from excessive smoking of tobacco. A German philosopher is reputed to have lately applied to his medical friend, as labouring under a most deplorable depression of mind, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and general tremors, when the cause was discovered to be an excessive use of smoking and snuff-taking. On laying aside these practices, his, usual state of health again returned. It is a common opinion that long habits of the abuse of stimulants cannot be suddenly stopped without imminent danger to the health. Nothing can be more erroneous; there are abundant proofs of this, the best and most satisfactory, probably, being of daily occurrence in the committal of criminals to jails, where all their bad habits, smoking and snuffing among the rest, are at once cut

off; they are put upon plain but wholesome fare, and, instead of disease and death, renewed health is the consequence. We know several individuals who have had sufficient strength of mind to break off the habit of excessive snuff-taking at once and for ever, though many others again are found to relapse after having gained half the battle. In this, as in other things, happy are they who persevere unto the end.

We may here subjoin an extract from the last " general orders" of the Iron Duke. It is not expressed in the very best English; but the noble Field Marshal is better accus.omed to wield the sword than the pen; and his views, however expressed, are most considerate and paternal:

"The Commander-in-Chief has been informed that the practice of smoking by pipes, cigars, or cheroots, has become prevalent among the officers of the army, which is not only in itself a species of intoxication, occasioned by the fumes of tobacco, but undoubtedly occasions drinking and tippling by those who acquire the habit."

This has

Physical GeograpHY is a science almost in its infancy in this country. It has hitherto been deemed sufficient to acquire a knowledge of the outlines and boundaries of continents and kingdoms,-to learn by rote the names of the chief mountains, rivers, and towns, to tell on what stream a city is built, and for what manufacture or other circumstance it is remarkable. been called Geography. But as to conducting the attention to the grand and harmonious principles upon which the various terrestrial arrangements are so aptly and beautifully contrived, and pointing out the relations which each system or department bears to another, little of this, we are sorry to say, has ever yet found its way even into our highest seminaries. Seeing then, that there is such a defect in one of the most important, and certainly one of the most interesting of youthful studies, we hail with no small satisfaction the appearance of the Physical Atlas, at present in course of publication by the Messrs Johnston of this city. The work is based upon that of Professor Berghaus of Berlin; and his plan, in many respects admirable, has been extended and filled up by the intelligent editor, Mr A. K. Johnston, with the assistance of the ablest men of science in this country. The work is indeed a magnificent one, beautifully engraved and copiously illustrated; and we are proud to think, that the first work of the kind in Britain should have been produced in Edinburgh. It must take its place in every library; and as a work of general reference and interest in almost every subject of natural and geographical science, it might, with great advantage, be substituted in the drawing-room in place of the flimsy and trashy volumes which are there generally displayed.

Physical Geography embraces a view of the atmosphere and its relations to the ocean and the earth,— then it illustrates the depth and extent, the temperature, tides, currents, and shoals of the ocean,-the distribution of continents and islands,-their mean elevations,

mountain ranges, and plains and valleys, together with the distribution of heat and moisture over the earth's surface. Its second department, and perhaps its most interesting, describes the localization of plants and animals in certain groups over the different regions, marks out the prevalence of particular classes and families in certain positions, the correspondence of these over certain hemispheres, and lastly, delineates the localities inhabited by the various races of the human family. All these circumstances are, in the work just mentioned, illustrated by such ingenious diagrams, and condensed and classified with such a lucid order, as at once to convey both to the eye and intellect a most comprehensive and wonderful view of a world contrived with consummate intelligence, and tenanted throughout its remotest bounds with a profuse variety of animal and vegetable existences.

The earth is an oblate spheroid revolving in space, with its surface nearly three-fourths covered with water. The atmosphere is a zone of air surrounding the earth to the height of 45 to 50 miles. Its extreme particles are kept within a definite circumference by the force of the earth's attraction; but beyond the limits of the atmosphere we know of the existence of no matter,--and call this empty space. The air of the atmosphere, besides affording a necessary support to vegetables and animals, is also the medium by which heat and moisture are distributed over the earth. It is continually in motion, and agitated by currents. From the sun are derived light and heat, the prime vivifiers of organized existences. As light and heat are most intense in the torrid zone, and gradually diminish in intensity towards the poles, it is singular and beautiful to mark the corresponding prevalence and decrease of plants and animals. The most luxuriant kinds of vegetation, and some of the largest animals are seen clustering around the tropics,-as the towering palms, the prolific bananas, the majestic elephant, the rhinoceros, the hippopotamus; while, as we

approach the polar regions, both plants and animals decrease in numbers, and generally in size, until at last we come to a point where life ceases to exist. The same arrangement prevails if we take the perpendicular height of elevated land; for the temperature is found to diminish in a certain proportion as we ascend in the atmosphere. Then we have some beautiful arrangements by which the excess of heat and of evaporated moisture are conveyed by atmospheric currents from the equator to the poles, and thus, along with corresponding currents in the ocean, a degree of medium warmth and moisture is distributed over every region. But we do not mean to enter into particulars at present, each of these subjects would require a separate consideration, and the investigation of the laws which regulate each, and conduce to one harmonious whole, may form suitable themes for future consideration.

Now the system of nature, when thus investigated, forms also an admirable basis for a system of tuition. We confuse and repress the young and eager intellect when we attempt to force upon it crude and unconnected facts. What interest or liking for the subject can be excited in a boy's mind when we cram him with mere names of hills, rivers, and towns,-with great Toms of Lincoln, and cathedrals of York, which are to him as so many hard words, without meaning or connection. But take him, for instance, and display before him a well-constructed map, or rather series of maps, of his native district or country; begin him with a skeleton map of Britain, where the outlines of the shore, the mountain-chains, and the river-courses are the sole, or at all events, the most prominent objects;-point out to him how the great Grampian range intersects Scotland from west to east, forming the highest land of the kingdom;—trace out the rivers which take their source from one side of those hills, and then flow northward

and eastwards through the valleys to the ocean, marking out distinctly the natural boundaries of certain districts of country: Direct his eye again to the southern sides of these Grampians, and let him mark how the rivers descend in a contrary or south-east direction; explain to him the cause of this, arising from the wellknown laws of fluids in motion, and you then imbue his mind with a philosophical principle which will take fast hold of it, and remain, while mere words and jumbled explanations will be forgotten or never attended to. Let the same principle be pursued as he rises to the higher branches of the study; carry him onward from the mountain chains of Europe and America to the great laws of atmospheric and oceanic influences already alluded to,-from this to the distribution of plants and animals; and then he will be ready to appreciate the works of man, and be much more alive to localities, to towns and cities, and, if you will, to the great Tom of Lincoln, than ever he was before. Now, for this system we require, in the first place, well educated teachers,men familiar, at least, with the elements of science, and proper books and maps for the purpose. Education is beginning to make some little progress in Britain, and we hope to see the day when every district will have its central institution and well-appointed staff of sufficiently educated teachers.

First of all, however, the present adult public has to be taught, or, at all events, made acquainted with what should be taught, and we know no better means of diffusing light upon this subject than by the study of the Physical Atlas." In so far as our humble pages may be conducive to the 'desirable end of fostering a yet higher range of education, we may here state, that a portion of them shall be from time to time cheerfully devoted to such subjects.

MR BUCKINGHAM is an unfortunate man. Some years ago, when he was in the hey-day of his travelling popularity, he was subjected to the heavy fire of the Quarterly Review, two, if not more of the articles concluding with the complimentary quotations of "So much for Buckingham!" But heavy as the Quarterly artillery was, we dare say he would rather have been subjected to it than to the rifle bullets of Punch. The Conservative organ may have damaged him in the high literary circles, but the jibes and cuts of his hebdomadal assailant have made him a marked man amongst thousands of a class whom Mr Gifford's pen never reached. He answered the Quarterly, and he has answered Punch, but had he judged rightly he would have answered neither. Gibbon has recorded it as his opinion that "no man can refute a sneer;" and the philosophy of the remark is confirmed by daily experience. Facts may be met by facts-reasoning by reasoning, but sarcasm and wit can be repelled neither by history nor logic. Attack and defence must be homogeneous. Cœur de Lion's ponderous sword could not divide the feather pillow, nor could the Soldan's tiny scymitar dissever the iron bar; but each warrior was effective with his own instrument.

Mr Buckingham may pile statement upon statementhe may be stern or he may be lugubrious—but all will not silence Punch, nor stifle the merriment of its readers; and this not "because fools are always on the laughing side," but because there are such things as people laughing with tears in their eyes, and because the perception of the ludicrous lies upon the surface of the human constitution, and will have its sympathies acted upon even at the expense of a little cruelty.

Two courses are open to Mr Buckingham-the first is, to turn the tables on Punch, and pay it back in its own coin-that however we are afraid Mr Buckingham could not do without assistance; and therefore we think the second one would be the best. It is this-if he is satisfied that the British and Foreign Institute (we had almost said Destitute) be really a good and proper establishment, let him persevere with it-for if it be so, we defy Punch or any other periodical to write it down—if it be defective in any one point, reform it there, and regard Punch's strictures as "most excellent oil;" if it be obviously unsuited to the wants of the age, (and from the time it has been in existence this point can easily be settled) then let him " reform it altogether," by abandon