In Brazil the Portugueze twist the tobacco leaf into ropes, which, prepared in different ways, are either used as snuff, or chewed or smoked. It is incredible how highly this Brazilian tobacco is extolled by medical men, and how eagerly it is sought by Europeans. The Spaniards themselves every year consume an astonishing quantity to provoke saliva. By the traffic in tobacco alone, many millions have been lost by the Spaniards to the Portugueze, the sole venders of an article in such demand. To restrain so great an annual exportation of money to foreigners, it was provided by the Catholic King Charles III. in the year 1765, that the Spanish and Indian Paraguayrians should henceforth prepare their tobacco in the manner of the Portugueze, as being no wise inferior to the Brazilian, and that it should be sold at the price fixed by the royal governours, the whole profits accruing to the royal treasury. The king's order was universally, though unwillingly complied with, the new manufacture costing them much labour, with little or no gain to the labourers. I will give you an account of the whole process:—The tobacco leaves are accounted ripe when their ends turn yellow, and wither, and are plucked before noon, as being moister at that time. They are then suspended from reeds that they may dry a little, and remain some hours under the shade of a roof. The stem which runs through the middle of the leaf is either beaten down with a bat or removed entirely. The leaves thus prepared are twisted into ropes, by means of a wheel, and then rolled upon a cylindrical piece of wood. This cylinder, with its tobacco, is placed under the shade of a roof in such a manner that it may receive the heat of the sun, and yet not be touched by any of its rays. The tobacco, thus compressed spirally upon the cylinder, exudes a black, glutinous juice, which falls drop by drop into a hide placed underneath. This juice flows daily through, and in like manner is daily poured again upon the folds; and when the whole mass is thoroughly penetrated by the liquor, it will be necessary to roll the spiral folds daily back again from one cylinder to another. By this method, the lowest part of the tobacco nearest the first cylinder is transferred on the next to the surface, imbibes the juice equally, blackens, and grows rich like lard. To effect this, the translation from one cylinder to another, and the sprinkling of the tobacco, must be diligently continued for many weeks. The sweetness of the smell will mark the completion of the process. To prevent its drying, it must be kept in a moist place, apart from every thing which might taint it with any other smell. Tobacco prepared in this manner is chopped by the Portugueze into small pieces, which they roast in a new pot placed on the hot coals, and stirring them with a round stick, reduce them to the finest powder—the future delight of every nose in Portugal.