65
duet and of no use. It consists of such parti-
culars as are found in the fossil produced in this
country, On the whole this sort of charas is not
a pure matter of the plant, nor do the greater
parts of it consist of the matter produced from the
plant.
There are two varieties of ganja. Flat ganja
is imported from Patna, Monghyr, and other
districts of the province of Bengal. It is not
only trodden under foot, but is also pressed under a
roller made of stone. "Ganja pathar" is imported
from Khandwa district and Gwalior State. It is
exposed to dew for a week or fortnight, and is
pressed under stone, so that the agglutinated
flower tops may become adherent. The leaves of
both sorts of ganja are thick and blue. They do
not lose their blue colour. The seed of this plant
mostly resembles with the Indian-corn called
mash (pulse). One can fully distinguish between
the shape and varieties of both sorts of ganja and
bhang. No sort of ganja is called "broken
ganja" in this part of the country. The "chur"
of each sort of ganja is known after the name of
its own kind. The "chur" is not called "pathar"
or "patellar."
3. The hemp plant grows spontaneously in the
districts of Ballia, Basti, Gorakhpur, Naipalganj,
Gonda, and Bahraich. It grows abundantly in
the Bahraich district, where it is used often for
making tattis for houses and also as fuel.
4. The different names by which this plant is
known are bhang, sabzi, thandhai or patti. They
refer exactly to the same plant.
5. To the growth of the wild hemp it is necessary
that the climate should be moist or wet, soil
sandy, rain in abundance, ground low and at the
foot of the hill. It has no special reference to
river. It is only on the bank of the river
Ghagra that these plants grow larger in size on
account of verdure ; otherwise in respect to the
produce in abundance the banks of the river and
other places are one and the same.
6. The growth of the wild hemp is ordinarily
dense.
7. No.
14. (a) Nil.
(b) Nil.
(c) Bhang is prepared of the hemp plant in
the districts of Ballia, Basti, Gorakhpur, Naipal-
ganj, Lakhimpur, Gonda, and Bahraich. It is
abundantly prepared in the Bahraich district.
The extent to which it is prepared can be esti-
mated from the returns of that district.
15. (A) Charas and ganja are used for smok-
ing only.
(B) Bhang is eaten in the following dif-
ferent ways :—(1) Pure bhang (ground). (2)
mixing with other ingredients, such as the seeds
of cucumber (khira and kakri), anise, cardamoms,
lettuce, purslane, endive, pumpkins and pepper.
They are ground and mixed with. (3) Mixing
with sugar. (4) Mixing with dhatura seeds
(ground).
(C) Bhang is drunk in the following me-
thods :—(1) Ground, dissolved in water and filtered.
(2) Mixed with other ingredients, such as the seeds
of cucumber (khira and kakri), anise, cardamom
and pepper, etc., ground, dissolved in water and
filtered. (3) Mixed with sugar. (4) Mixed with
milk and sugar. (5) Ground with dhatura seeds,
dissolved in water and filtered.
Bhang is washed, mixed with ghi and fried in
vol. v.
a pan. When it becomes hard, it is boiled in water
for about five or seven days continually, water
being poured therein at times. When the water
is evaporated in full, the substance is tied up in a
canvas bag and the ghi is squeezed therefrom.
Sugar is mixed with this ghi and reduced in
state of syrup. To make this syrup sweet smell-
ing and tasty, keora water, raisin, almond, pista,
chesnut and cardamoms are mixed therewith.
When congealed, it is cut like barfi (a sweetmeat),
resembling in shape with a rectangle or a rhombus.
It is called majun or majun "falak ser" (elec-
tuary).
16. The cultivation of bhang is generally pro-
hibited in these districts, but it grows spontane-
ously in such places as it is made use of, such as
the kutis (dwelling places) of fakirs. Sometimes
its illicit and secret cultivation is carried on in
ruined sites of houses and compounds. Wherever
this plant grows its leaves are used. No special
preparation is required. Ganja also grows spon-
taneously in places where its seeds accidentally
fall down on the ground. Its secret cultivation is
made in rare cases only. Ganja is used for smok-
ing only. The ganja is not prepared in such
places where it generally grows.
17. Bhang alone grows spontaneously in this
province. The owners and possessors of the land
and men of different castes cut this plant and
manufacture it. Its preparations are not made
by any particular class of people.
18. The more the bhang is kept, the finer it
grows in quality, i.e., its heat is lessened or re-
moved and the effect becomes moderate, provided
it does not rot through carelessness, such as being
moistened with water. Bhang rots if water hap-
pens to pass in the bag containing it. On the
contrary, if the bhang is spread out like the straw
of corn, only that portion which is moistened with
water is deteriorated, and the rest remains in
good order.
The deterioration of ganja commences after one
year only, and the price is diminished. It quite
loses its effect after six years if kept with ordinary
care. The ordinary measures taken to prevent
deterioration are to protect it from air and
moisture.
It should be kept in closed houses. Flat ganja,
which sells very dear, is kept in bags suspended to
the roof of the rooms. Where kept in small
quantity, it is kept in boxes and almirahs. The
causes of deterioration are that air dries the
blooming substance, and it is overtaken by stench
owing to the effects of moisture, and does therefore
rot. If exposed to air and moisture, it deteriorates
in a year only.
Charas remains in good order for a year only.
When the watery substance in it is dried up
gradually, it is reduced to dust in a period of four
years, and quite loses its effect. The cause of its
deterioration is exposure to air and heat. The
measures which can be taken to prevent its de-
terioration are to store the products in moist
places. There are different ways of doing this.
For large quantities a pacca cistern is dug up in
closed houses. The cistern is filled with water,
and the resinous matter is placed on iron bars.
19. Ganja and charas are used only for
smoking.
20. Sadhus, bairagis, Bunmanus or Musehra
(who live in jungles) generally, and among
persons of higher classes—Chattris—often, and
some persons of every class smoke ganja and
charas. The proportion of the people smoking
N