CHAPTER III

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THE HOME OF THE INDIAN WEED

Columbus secures Queen Isabel’s good-will and help—Overcomes all difficulties and sets sail in three small vessels from Palos on his great enterprise westward—Mutiny suppressed—San Salvador reached after three months’ toil—The officers land—Natives friendly—Two captured and brought on board the Santa Maria—A gladsome sight meets their eyes—Cuba reached; the most beautiful island ever beheld—Clothed with perennial verdure—Two of the crew sent to explore—Natives discovered smoking fire-brands—They conceive a passion for smoking—Columbus collects rarities to take with him to Spain—Reports to the king and his consort the achievement of his project—Is received with honour and made high admiral of a new and powerful fleet with which he returns to the West Indies—Gonzalo Oviedo, Inspector-general of the newly discovered country—Fra Ramono Pane sends Peter Martyr the first written account of tobacco and native method of using it—Snuff-taking in France—The origin of the name tobacco—Red Indian’s use of the weed—Oviedo dislikes tobacco—The discovery of South America—The Aztecs of Mexico—The Italian traveller Benzoni describes the plant and its uses among the natives—His strong aversion to it—The origin of the plant related by the chief of the Susquehanna tribe.

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