1786.—"For two years we have not received a hubba on account of our tunkaw, though the ministers have annually charged a lac of rupees, and never paid us anything."—In Art. agst. Hastings, Burke, vii. 141.
[1836.—"The habbeh (or grain of barley) is the 48th part of dirhem, or third of a keerat ... or in commerce fully equal to an English grain."—Lane, Mod. Egypt., ii. 326.]
HUBBLE-BUBBLE, s. An onomatopoeia applied to the hooka in its rudimentary form, as used by the masses in India. Tobacco, or a mixture containing tobacco amongst other things, is placed with embers in a terra-cotta [chillum] (q.v.), from which a reed carries the smoke into a coconut shell half full of water, and the smoke is drawn through a hole in the side, generally without any kind of mouth-piece, making a bubbling or gurgling sound. An elaborate description is given in Terry's Voyage (see below), and another in Govinda Samanta, i. 29 (1872).
1616.—"... they have little Earthen Pots ... having a narrow neck and an open round top, out of the belly of which comes a small spout, to the lower part of which spout they fill the Pot with water: then putting their Tobacco loose in the top, and a burning coal upon it, they having first fastned a very small strait hollow Cane or Reed ... within that spout ... the Pot standing on the ground, draw that smoak into their mouths, which first falls upon the Superficies of the water, and much discolours it. And this way of taking their Tobacco, they believe makes it much more cool and wholsom."—Terry, ed. 1665, p. 363.
c. 1630.—"Tobacco is of great account here; not strong (as our men love), but weake and leafie; suckt out of long canes call'd hubble-bubbles ..."—Sir. T. Herbert, 28.
1673.—"Coming back I found my troublesome Comrade very merry, and packing up his Household Stuff, his Bang bowl, and Hubble-bubble, to go along with me."—Fryer, 127.
1673.—"... bolstered up with embroidered Cushions, smoaking out of a silver Hubble-bubble."—Fryer, 131.
1697.—"... Yesterday the King's Dewan, and this day the King's Buxee ... arrived ... to each of whom sent two bottles of Rose-water, and a glass Hubble-bubble, with a compliment."—In Wheeler, i. 318.
c. 1760.—See Grose, i. 146.
1811.—"Cette manière de fumer est extrêmement commune ... on la nomme Hubbel de Bubbel."—Solvyns, tom. iii.