Being inveterate smokers, a pipe full of good tobacco is one of the
most convincing arguments you can employ. While I was at dinner, I
ordered some tobacco to be given to them, and it was proposed they
should put that in their pouches, and allow some of my men to charge
their pipes with their own tobacco, of which they begged their
acceptance.
The Tartars, nothing loth, assented, and each man gave his iron pipe
to be charged, which was duly done and returned to each owner. Smoking
then commenced, and on finishing my dinner and coming outside the
tent, I found the Tartars all in a circle, smoking away, and my men,
some ten yards from them, and above them, and talking to them. They
were also smoking. Thinking nothing of this at the time, I took no
notice, and had my chair brought outside, and smoked my segar. In less
than five minutes I was considerably astonished on hearing a salvo as
of a volley of musketry, and iron pipes flying up and down in all
directions. Then a general shout, and off went the Tartars, as if Old
Nick was at their heels, halloing most fearfully. They did not run
far, but brought up about three hundred yards from where they started,
and demanded their pipes back. I asked them what was the matter; when
they said they would never smoke English tobacco again, for we smoked
with tobacco, and shot with tobacco, and _Sheitzan_ must have been the
manufacturer.
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