Several of the passengers were English merchants from Canada and one of the number, who reckoned himself “A, No. 1,” and often hinted that he was too ‘cute for any Yankee, boasted so much of his shrewdness that a Yankee friend of mine confederated with me to test it. I thought of an old trick and arranged with my friend to try it on the boastful John Bull. Coming out of my state-room, with my hand to my face, and apparently in great pain, I asked my fellow passengers what was good for the tooth-ache. My friend and confederate recommended heating tobacco, and holding it to my face. I therefore borrowed a little tobacco, and putting it in a paper of a peculiar color, placed it on the stove to warm. I then retired for a few minutes, during which time the Yankee proposed playing a trick on me by emptying the tobacco, and filling the paper with ashes, which our smart Englishman thought would be a very fine joke, and he himself made the substitution, putting ashes into the paper and throwing the tobacco into the fire. I soon reappeared and gravely placed the paper to my face to the great amusement of the passengers and walked up and down the cabin as if I was suffering terribly. At the further end of the cabin I slyly exchanged the paper for another in my pocket of the same color and containing tobacco and then walked back again a picture of misery. Whereupon, the Merry Englishman cried out: “Mr. Barnum, what have you got in that paper?” “Tobacco,” I replied. “What will you bet it is tobacco?” said the Englishman. “Oh, don’t bother me,” said I; “my tooth pains me sadly; I know it is tobacco, for I put it there myself.” “I’ll bet you a dozen of champagne that it is not tobacco,” said the Englishman. “Nonsense,” I replied, “I will not bet, for it would not be fair; I know it is tobacco.” “I’ll bet you fifty dollars it is not,” said John Bull, and he counted ten sovereigns upon the table. “I’ll not bet the money,” I replied, “for I tell you I know it is tobacco; I placed it there myself.” “You dare not bet!” he rejoined. At last, merely to accommodate him, I bet a dozen of champagne. The Englishman fairly jumped with delight, and roared out: “Open the paper! open the paper!” The passengers crowded round the table in great glee to see me open the paper, for all but the Yankee thought I was taken in. I quietly opened the paper, and remarked: “There, I told you it was tobacco--how foolish you were to suppose it was not--for, as I told you, I put it there myself.”