164 THE GREAT DENE RACE.

In the south, both Apaches and Navahoes smoke only cigarettes. They
never cultivated tobacco, but found it growing wild. The latter even claim
to be acquainted with four different varieties of the weed. The Apache ciga-
rettes were made in by-gone days by rolling the native tobacco in wrappers
of oak leaves, and according to the old warrior Geronimo, though both men
and women smoke from time immemorial, no boy was allowed the privilege
before he had hunted alone and killed large game. Unmarried women are
not forbidden the use of tobacco, but smoking is considered an act of
forwardness and immodesty on their part}.

As to the Navahoes, they say that they formerly
made use of terra cotta pipes, and their legends repea-
tedly mention such a form of smoking.

The charm the natives find in tobacco is the same
which renders
them so fond of
intoxicants. They
are as much the
slaves of the one
as they would be
of the other, were
they not debarred by law and other circumstances from indulging in the latter

as they are left free to enjoy the former.

The Russians, it hardly needs be recalled, are great smokers, nor do
they despise snuff. Hence both forms of the soothing weed were early intro-
duced by them on the northwest coast of America, indirectly at first through
the aborigines of Siberia, and then directly in the course of their own
cruises to what is now Alaska. The result is that the Dénés of the lower
Yukon not only smoke, but are addicted to the use of snuff as well.

When the latter is wanting, they make some themselves by grinding up
tobacco in small bowls, sometimes prettily decorated and provided with two
ears or handles. This bowl or cup is then held in the left hand, while the
tight grasps a stout round stick, the top of which is weighted with a stone.
They have small oval snuff-boxes of wood or bone, and sniff the powdered
tobacco into their nostrils through a small wooden tube.

Both Dall and Whymper mention snuff in connection with the so-called
Ingaliks. The use of it has not penetrated into the interior. But tobacco
chewing is another custom due to the whites, which was readily acclimatized
in the north. Gum chewing, however, was and remains a favourite pastime
with both sexes, especially the women.

Fig. 25.

* Cf. “Geronimo’s Story of his Life”, p. 21.