20
the hemp plant is grown in Garhwal district for
the fibre, which is used chiefly for making hemp-
clotb (vernacular, name bhangela). A little charas
is made from the female hemp plant, but this is
a purely subsidiary product; the seeds are said to
be sometimes fried and eaten. Oil is said to be
extracted from them, which is used in cooking.
In the central tracts of this district hemp is culti-
vated more commonly than elsewhere. It is
impossible to give the area under cultivation, no
figures being available.
8. The area under hemp cultivation in this
district is probably very constant, neither increas-
ing nor decreasing to any perceptible extent.
9. The description of the mode of cultivation
given on the lower part of page 800, Volume X,
North-Western Provinces Gazetteer, is, I believe,
correct, so far as Garhwal district is concerned.
10. Khasia Rajputs, i.e.,
Rajputs in whose
lineage there is supposed to be some flaw and who
are therefore somewhat looked down upon by
Rajputs of higher degree, and Doms (a collective
term embracing all the lower castes) are the only
castes in this district who grow hemp that I am
aware of; they do not grow hemp for its narcotic
properties, but as remarked above (answer 7) for
the fibre.
11. Ganja is not manufactured in this district
from either the cultivated or the wild hemp, so
far as my knowledge goes.
12. It is certainly not specially cultivated in
this district for the production oil ganja.
13. (a) Not that I am aware of. I cannot say
whether the cultivation is common to all districts
as I only know four or five districts.
(b) and (c) I cannot answer this.
14. I have altered the question, as I cannot an-
swer for the North-Western Provinces and Oudh
as a whole. In the Garhwal district no ganja is
produced that I am aware of. A little charas is
produced in those tracts where hemp is cultivated.
The annual production is not. large. Exact figures
are out of the question. Only a very vague guess
is possible. If I had to make a guess, I should say
that a few maunds of charas were produced every
year. A little bhang is made and consumed
locally. Any figures cannot be given.
15. In this district neither ganja, nor charas,
nor bhang is prepared from the wild plant.
From
the female cultivated plants charas is produced by
rubbing between the hands the leaves at the end
of the twigs and the stalk to which the leaves are
attached. A sticky substance adheres to the hands
which is scraped off. This is charas. It is smoked
in a chillam. Bhang is simply the leaves and
stalk of the hemp plant. They are simply dried,
nothing else. Pounded up, they are mixed with
water and the infusion drunk.
16. (a) In this district, those of the growers of
hemp who prepare bhang prepare it in their own
houses.
(b) In this district it is only prepared from
the leaves of cultivated hemp, out in other dis-
tricts it is prepared from wild hemp.
(c) What can be done I don't know. Nothing
of the sort is done in this district.
17. By the growers of the plant in this district.
18. Cannot answer this.
No ganja or bhang imported into Garhwal
District in 1890-91 or 1891-92.
Mds.
In 1890-91 ..
In 1891-92 ..
23
21
Secrs.
18
21
charas imported into
Garhwal.
Ditto
ditto.
This was Yarkand charas.
No figures for other years available.
19. I never heard of them being used in any
other way.
20. This is a very large question. I imagine
that an enormous number of people in these pro-
vinces smoke ganja and charas, but I am not able
to give any figures.
21. Don't know; never inquired.
22. In the North-Westorn Provinces and Oudh
generally. I believe almost all the charas consumed
comes from Yarkand or regions in that direction.
But little charas is consumed in Garhwal district,
and the bulk of that comes from Yarkand or that
region. The charas produced from hemp plants
grown in Garhwal is said to be dearer and less
intoxicating than Yarkand charas.
23. I never heard so.
24. This question, like No. 20, is one which
I do not feel in a position to answer. I should
say generally that in these provinces a very large
number of persons drink bhang.
25. In these provinces, I believe the use of
these drugs, and specially of ganja and charas, to
be on the increase owing to the dearness of coun-
try liquor, and to the fact that the liquor being
distilled generally at comparatively high strength
and watered down very considerably afterwards
is not palatable. In Benares I have had these
reasons given to me by men who stated that .they
had taken to ganja smoking only of late years.
26. Any answer I give would only be a guess,
and therefore worth nothing.
27. I imagine that all classes of the people in
these provinces consume hemp drugs. Bhang is
probably most widely consumed. Kahars noto-
riously take ganja as a stimulant when they have
a long journey before them. Others no doubt
take one or other of these drugs as a stimulant or
to get a little exhilaration. Others no doubt get
into the way of taking them because their friends
take them. Some again no doubt take them simp-
ly to get intoxicated.
28. I have no time, I regret to say, to enter in-
to elaborate calculations so as to answer this que6-
tion completely. Moreover, everything depends
upon what you call "excessive" and what "mode-
rate." In this district a man could get a little
'nasha'
on one pice worth of charas daily=about
8 annas a month. He might be called an habit-
ual moderate consumer. An habitual excessive
consumer ordinarily might take lour or five times
as much.
29. Tobacco with charas and ganja; occnsional-
ly spices of various sorts, I believe, with bhang.
Never beard whether dhatura is used. Charas
and ganja would, I presume, be too potent to
smoke unless mixed with some thing, and tobacco
would naturally be the thing chosen, as every-
body smokes it.
I know of no preparation such as bhang mas-
sal a.
30. (a) Nearly always consumed in company,
I should say.
(b) In my opinion mainly confiued to the
male sex and to men of over 20 or so.
(c) Not in my experience.
31. (a) Yes; I think so; especially with bhang.
(b) It probably is when the habit is thoroughly
formed.
(c) I fear that there is with ganja and
charas.