Abstract
Smoking in Papua.—Dr. A. C. Haddon, who is investigating tobacco smoking in Papua, communicates to Man for August an account by Capt. G. F. N. Zimmer of a method of smoking tobacco hitherto unrecorded, which is in use among bush natives on and to the west of the Fly River in an area including Shortland River and Lake Murray. The tobacco or a native cigarette is inserted in one end of a tube or cigarette holder—a narrow bamboo tube about nine inches long—and this end they place against a glowing log or fire-brand. When the tobacco is thoroughly alight, the end containing the tobacco is placed in the mouth and the other end inserted in the wider end of an arm guard or bracer which has been removed from the smoker's left arm, this end of the bracer being closed by the right hand, the tube going between the smoker's fingers. The narrower end is closed by the smoker's left hand. The bracer, posiki, is made of nine slats of wood, about 25 cm. long and tapering from 31 mm. to 25 mm. in width. The slats of wood are firmly lashed on both sides with rattan so as to make a very rigid object. The smoke is blown into the bracer through the tube. The tube is then removed and the smoke inhaled by slightly moving the left hand. This method of smoking is usually employed while hunting or when away from the village. It is in no way a freak, but has been observed on many occasions as a regular method in these circumstances.
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Research Items. Nature 126, 255–257 (1930). https://doi.org/10.1038/126255a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/126255a0