When Columbus reached Hispanola in December of 1492, he encountered an indigenous people unlike the ones described by Marco Polo for Asia and India.  During the previous weeks, Columbus had been sailing through Cuba and the Bahamas, and already previously realized that the natives of the area went about naked, did not use any metal tools, were excellent fishermen, and very superstitious.  After years of research, it was revealed that the native Indians were of South American origin.  This fact is supported by similarities in language, use of "tobacco", construction, cultivation of maize (corn) and manioc (yucca), their use of the hammock and ceramics.

Remains of Taino culture, however, are with us today.  "The word tobacco comes from the Indian term cigar".   Also cigar comes from the Indian word sikar which is the process of making, cultivating and growing tobacco. On the other hand, the word Cigar could have come from the Maya verb sikar which means "to smoke". Speculation has it that the word "Tobacco" came from the name of the island Tobago and others from the Mexican region called Tabasco. The Tainos, natives of the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, certainly named it Cohiba or Cojoba, which was a ceremonious process in its own right when the island states joined together collectively in a Cohiba to smoke tobacco. Columbus sent Luis de Torres on an expedition of the island. After a few days of exploring reported the native custom of drying leaves, inserting them in cane pipes, burning them and inhaling the smoke; thus reportedly the first European encounter with tobacco.

Columbus roamed the high seas, the European sailing ships made Puerto Rico the expected supply stop. Here, among other things, the sailors and traders found fresh water, fruits, vegetables, tobacco and sugar.

The early explorers found the indigenous population cultivating, blending, rolling and smoking tobacco.