le order was
rescinded, and the original one renewed in full force, and, of course,
with similar bad effect, as only those captains who detest smoking--an
invisible minority--or those who look for promotion from scrupulous
obedience to insignificant details--an equally invisible minority--act
up to the said instructions. Nevertheless, so important an element in
naval warfare is smoking now considered, that in the printed form
supplied to admirals for the inspection of vessels under their command,
as to "State and Preparation for Battle," one of the first questions is,
"Are the orders relative to smoking attended to?" If I am not much
misinformed, when Admiral Collier was appointed to the Channel squadron,
he repaired to the Admiralty, and told the First Lord that he had smoked
in his own cabin for twenty years, and that he could not forego that
pleasure. The First Lord is said to have laughed, and made the sensible
remark, "Of course you'll do as you like;" thereby showing, in my
opinion, his just sense of the ridiculousness of such a childish
regulation. So much for folly _redivivus_.

While on the subject of smoking, I may as well say a few words upon
cigar manufacture. In the first place, all the best tobacco grows at the
lower end of the island, and is therefore called "_Vuelta abajo_." An
idea has found its way into England, that it is impossible to make
cigars at home as well as at the Havana; and the reason given is, the
tobacco is made up at Havana during its first damping, and that, having
to be re-damped in England, it loses thereby its rich flavour and aroma.
Now, this is a most egregious mistake; for in some of the best houses
here you will find tobacco two and even four years old, which is not yet
worked up into cigars, and which, consequently, has to be re-damped for
that purpose. If this be so, perhaps you will ask how is it that
British-made cigars are never so good as those from Havana? There are
two very good reasons for this--the one certain, the other probable. The
probable one is, that the best makers in Havana, whose brand is their
fortune--such as Cabanos y Carvajal--will be jealous of sending the
best tobacco out of the country, lest, being forced to use inferior
tobacco, they might lose their good name; and the other reason is, that
cigars improve in flavour considerably by a sea voyage. So fully is this
fact recognised here, that many merchants pay the duty of three
shillings a thousand to emba