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the city. On return there was moonlight; and
when we came near the garden, we all imagined
and took the sandy plain for a very deep lake, and
were of opinion that we should not pass through it,
because we did not know the depth of the lake.
Consequently one of us, putting his stick, tried to
find out the depth; he found the stick going down.
We also came to the conclusion that there was
quicksand also in the lake. Consequently, we
retraced our steps, and going round about two
miles, we reached the lodging by the other side of
the garden. In the morning we all laughed at our
folly and felt ashamed."
Recently it has been ascertained that at Delhi
on the day of ' Nirajala ekadshi' (a Hindu fast
day) they put up bhang sheds from Chandni Chauk
to the river Jumna, and bhang is given to all who
wish to drink it.
Bhang is an intoxicating drug well known to
make the drinker a fool and a mean man.
A pandit (one learned in Sanskrit) read to the
correspondent a verse in Sanskrit, of which the
meaning was that bhang is a drug which corrupts
senses. Consequently there is a common saying,
" The sense of such and such person has become
bhang," or " such and such person bhanga-gaya "
(corrupted by bhang).
The object of the people who drink bhang in
larger or less quantity is to get intoxicated. Some
people, with bestial and lustful ideas, use bhang
to retard the discharge of semen; but when they
are addicted to it, they feel sorry, because, drink-
ing a little in the beginning, they go drinking
much in the end. The grandfather of the corres-
pondent makes use of bhang, probably since the last
forty years. His physical condition is not good
(i.e., he does not keep good health). If he does
not take his food for two days, it matters very
little to him; but until he drinks bhang, he would
not even bathe, nor would he eat anything. If
delay occurs in drinking bhang, he becomes very
angry, feels much discomfort in the hands and
feet, and becomes peevish, and little things put
him out. He has often been found making com-
plaints that he has become subject to a very bad
habit. " God forbid," he says, " no enemy of his
may contract this habit." He takes precaution
to see that no one in the family should get into
this bad habit; consequently he keeps his appli-
ances of bhang-drinking hidden.
The correspondent has thought over how to stop
the use of bhang, and has finally arrived at this
conclusion. At present the total stoppage is im-
possible, and even it is not practicable, because
bhang grows wild in this country in abundance,
and can be had in large quantity through unfair
means; but should Government gradually try to
stop the practice and adopt means of stoppage, the
correspondent thinks that, ten years hence, Gov-
ernment can very easily put a total stop to the use
of bhang. The means are as follows :—
Where bhang grows the different lands may be
measured by Government, and keeping as much
land as required, the remainder should be ploughed
deep. It is necessary to keep bhang for medical
purposes, the drug taking a part in medical pre-
scriptions. The land kept for bhang should be
managed by Government, that is, heavy duty
should be levied on the produce of bhang, and there
should also be some municipal tax per maund on it,
and thereafter the contractor should receive strict
orders that in one day he should not give anybody
more than half a chhitak ; and to be in possession
of more than a chhitak and a half, it should be
considered a crime. As for majun, it may be laid
down that, excepting the drug contractor, one
should be considered to have committed an offence
if one prepared articles of majun. The contractor
should not be allowed to prepare majun by himself,
and it should be prepared under the supervision of
the Excise Darogha or other excise officers, so as to
prevent the use and mixture of improper things.
The majun should be prepared in the usual way,
and in one day no person should be given more
than a tola of it.
The correspondent, to the best of his ability, has
not overlooked any minute point regarding bhang,
and has tried to do his duty.
Charas.—If, in other words, charas be called
poison (fatal, killing and murdering drug), it is not
an exaggeration of any kind.
Undoubtedly charas is used in India; but, thank
God, it is not prepared here ; it comes from Ladak,
Kashmir, etc. Besides, amongst gangs of ascetics
and saints, ignorant Brahmins, and people living
in temples (pujaris), charas is much used, and
among lower classes too, such as syces, grass-cutters,
shoe-makers, thatch-makers, gardeners, drivers, dooly
and palkee carrying kahars, kahars in domestic
service, chaprassies, and several other menials. If
a man of high class is addicted to this vice, it is at
once considered that he has got the bad habit from
some bad company. The moral status of these
men is generally exceedingly bad and not worth
mention. They are reluctant for labour, industry
and household affairs, and sit idle, being anxious
for eating, that is, they shirk work, and would
get to eat by means ever so unfair and shameless.
Charas-smokers have often been found fond of
eating sweet things. Their moral character generally
is not worth mentioning. In society they are
looked down upon with great contempt, and a
gentleman would not like to sit near a charas-
smoker, nor would he allow his son to sit near a
charsi (charas-smoker).
The correspondent declares upon oath that he
has spoken to several charas-smokers in regard to
charas, and yesterday he went especially to a charas
stage and held conversation with charsis. The out-
come of the conversation is as follows :—
The correspondent is of opinion that in this
world charas stages are specimens of hell. Here
you can see bad-looking, ugly and pitiable crea-
tures, if such men ever can be found in the world.
He saw young men twenty and twenty-five years
old, their bodies reduced to a mere skeleton. When
coughing, they throw phlegm; they are exceed-
ingly dirty; they avoid bathing and general
cleanliness; their mouths stink ; bodies turned thin
and pale, and livers burnt inside ; the blood, which
is made of food, becomes ashes, and within a short
time charsis fall a prey to death,
Abstract, of conversation.
All agree that the habit of smoking charas is
very bad ; rather, it is a great vice to smoke charas.
May God not give this even in the lot of a foe.
Only such people as have bad luck get entangled
in this vice.
Everybody agrees that in the beginning charas is
found somewhat useful for intoxication and for
the purposes of lust; but only in a short time the
state of affairs begins changing. A man turns
idle, becomes like an impotent; it (charas) is
much detrimental to householders, for it makes
one impotent; and devotees smoke it in order to
curb their passion.