manufacture. In the common conversation,
which they held, in the Danish ■ language,
with Mr. Jorgensen, they seemed to be much
animated, and had a great deal of action with
their hands and heads; but as often as any
thing was said or offered to them which gave
them pleasure, they made it apparent by
scratching and rubbing themselves violently,
and writhing their body so as to cause it to
chafe against their clothes; thereby indicating
that they were sorely afflicted with a com-
.plaint, said, with what truth I shall not pretend
to determine, to be very troublesome in
the northern parts of our own island. These
poor creatures swallowed the provisions that
we gave them, with a most voracious appetite,
and, by means of their excellent sets
of teeth, our hardest biscuits were soon reduced
to a digestible state. With our snuff
and tobacco* they were highly pleased, and
This passion for snuff and tobacco is prevalent
among all the northern nations. I had frequent opportunities
of observing it, during my tours in the
Highlands of Scotland; and Linnaeus has some curious
remarks on the subject, in his Flora Lapponica, where
he says, p. 310, “ Ceterum apnd innocentissimos Lap-
pos innotuit pessimus mos pulvere Nicotianae nares
even boys of fourteen or fifteen years of
age held out their hands for a piece of
tobapco, whilst I was dividing some amongst
the men. They invited us in their turns
to partake of their snuff, but when they
presented their boxes, we were at a loss
saturandi, ut nec vir nec femina nec puer sit, cui non
in bursa adsit pyxis pro pulvere olfactorio tabaci, pro
tabaco conscisso ad suffumigium, pro eomminuto ad
morsulas. Sed notes velim condimenta; non enim
simplex pnlvis Nicotianae sternutatorius sufficit naso
ditiorum, sed pulvere Castorei saturatus erit, quo
vehementius, gratius, salubrius spiret, licet nullam
in Lapponiit hystericam viderim ; hinc in loco natali
venditur communithr integer folliculus Castorei tribus
florenis, vel, quod idem, unico rhenone.” This custom,
however,, is not confined solely to northern
countries; for, in the town of Leetakoo, in Africa, in
latitude 26° 30" south, (according to the account
written by some travellers who penetrated into that
country, and published by Mr. Barrow,) the practice
of snuff-taking is said to be peculiarly agreeable to
the natives. “ This article is composed of a variety
of stimulant plants, dried and rubbed into dust, which
is usually mixed with wood ashes | of this mixture they
take a quantity in the palm of their hand, and draw
it into their nostrils through a quill, or reed, till the
tears trickle down their cheeks. Children, even, of
four or five years of age, may be observed taking snuff
in this manner.” Voyage to Cochinchina, p. 395..