The pete-ma of the Omaguas is, no doubt,
the pety of the Guaranos; but the analogy between the Cabre and
Algonkin (or Lenni-Lenape) words which denote tobacco may be merely
accidental. The following are the synonyms in thirteen languages.
North America. Aztec or Mexican; yetl: Algonkin; sema: Huron; oyngoua.
South America. Peruvian or Quichua; sayri: Chiquito; pais. Guarany;
pety: Vilela; tusup: Mbaja (west of the Paraguay), nalodagadi: Moxo
(between the Rio Ucayale and the Rio Madeira); sabare. Omagua; petema.
Tamanac; cavas. Maypure; jema. Cabre; scema.)
The Tamanacs and the Maypures of Guiana wrap maize-leaves round their
cigars, as the Mexicans did at the time of the arrival of Cortes. The
Spaniards have substituted paper for the leaves of maize in imitation
of them. The poor Indians of the forests of the Orinoco know as well
as did the great nobles at the court of Montezuma that the smoke of
tobacco is an excellent narcotic; and they use it not only to procure
their afternoon nap, but also to put themselves into that state of
quiescence, which they call dreaming with the eyes open, or
day-dreaming. The use of tobacco appears to me to be now very rare in
the missions; and in New Spain, to the great regret of the
revenue-officers, the natives, who are almost all descended from the
lowest class of the Aztec people, do not smoke at all.
