318
Mahals, but it is not so much useful as that culti-
–vated.
4.I do not know any other name of the plant.
5. Wild hemp does not grow in this district,
and so I know nothing of it.
6.Not known.
7.(a) and (c) Most of the Uriya people culti–-
vate the hemp plant in their yards. Ft is greatly
cultivated in the Agency tracts and in some
zamindari villages. In my opinion more than
Rs. 5,000 of ganja is cultivated in a year in the
district together with the Agency tracts.
8.There is increase in the area under cultiva–-
tion in the Agency tracts and decrease in the
plains. The reason for the former is that, there
being no license, the inhabitants cultivate, import,
and. sell freely in the public markets; and for the
latter, that they cultivate to such an extent as is
sufficient for their own use, and some cultivate
very secretly.
9.In the commencement of the rainy season
seeds ar e sown i n wel l –manur ed gr ound. Af t er
the plants grow nearly a foot in height, they are
removed and transplanted at a distance of 2 1/2 to
3 yards to one another. Manures of cattle and
fowls are then put at the roots of the plants for
strengthening them; but the water made dirty by
fishes having been washed with it is preferable to
the above manures. After they reach a height of
more than a yard, they are twisted occasionally
and the small branches are smoothly rubbed with
palms, by which means the big leaves will fall off.
The seeds will not be too many, and the flower tops
will, as a rule, he larger. Before these flowering
tops are formed, some people, who desire more in–-
toxication, split longitudinally the stems of the
plants, insert opium, and then tie them well with
a string, so that union will take place; and some
get the plants poisoned by cobras.
In the middle of the cold season, when the
plants are well ripened, they are cut down and
exposed to the sun during the day-time and to
moist during nights for five or seven consecutive
days : by this means some resinous matter will be
formed in the flowering tops. Those that require
still more intoxication sprinkle well the juice of
the dhatura leaves and seeds before they are so ex
– p o s e d . B y ( h i s e x p o s u r e t h e p u n g e n t o d o u r o f
these new green plants will evaporate. They are
then lightly tied up into bundles in order to be
well compressed, rolled in straw, and preserved.
10. The persons who cultivate hemp do not
form a special class. A person of any class could
cultivate.
11. I do not know anything about wild hemp.
12.I know nothing of wild hemp.
13.It is not restricted to this province only.
The cultivation is common to almost all the
districts in the presidency. Places of cold
climate, black soil, having rainfall above 60
inches, elevation above 500 feet above sea level,
are favourable to the growth of hemp. Its culti-
vation is, I think, impossible in sea shores, sandy
and rocky places.
14. (a) and (c) are prepared in this
sub-div–susion. They are prepared largely in Agency tracts
and in zammdari Uriya villages. About Rs. 2,000
worth of ganja and bhang are prepared in this
sub-division.
15. The preparations of the cultivated hemp
are (A) smoking, (B) eating, and (C) drinking.
(A) The methods used for smoking are as
follows :
—
(i) A few agglutinated flowering tops are
taken, put on the palm of one hand and rubbed
well by the thumb of the other. The seeds and
pieces of sticks are separated ; a few drops of water
are then added to make it pasty and to prevent
its consumption soon, and nearly equal quantity
of tobacco is mixed to promote its strength. It
will then form a gummy lump. A small pebble
is put into a chillum (earthen thing resembling a
straight pipe), or a leaf made like it, to prevent
any portion of the lump coming to the bot
– t o m , a n d t h e n t h e h e m p i s p l a c e d o v e r i t . A
little fire is placed ever it, and the consumer,
wrapping a piece of wet cloth to the lower and
narrow end of the pipe, holds it in one hand, and
putting the other over it in such a way that the
hole of the lower end is between the thumb and
the index finger of the latter, and also that the
smoke is not allowed to escape. He then begins
smoking. The reason of wrapping the wet cloth
is to prevent scalding to the fingers, to purify the
smoke, to prevent any portion of the lump coming
into the mouth, and not to allow the smoke
rushing at once into the air passages. This is
the worst and most injurious method of smoking,
but it is very commonly used.
(ii) Some who desire the smoke well purified,
use it in a huka or gudgudi in which they keep
water through which the current of smoke passes.
By this the smoke is better purified than the
above method.
(B) Different methods of eating :—
(i)As mabajum or majinum:– this is prepared as
follows, and sold ordinarily in bazars : Ganja and its
leaves are well dried and powdered, jaggery or
sugar mixed with a little water is melted until it
becomes gummy, and the powder is then propor-
– t i o n a t e l y a d d e d t o i t . A f t e r w a r d s i t i s w e l l
stirred till it becomes one mass. Of that mass
small lumps are taken out and made into balls,
each wei ghi ng ½ t o 1 t ol a. Thi s i s us ed by
ordinary people.
(ii) Modaka, madanakameswara, and meena–-
ketana are prepared by native doctors according
to their formulæ laid down in books. In these,
besides hemp, bazaar spices, such as cloves,
cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, ajwain, poppy seeds,
etc., sugar, ghee, some drugs of vegetable king-
– d o m , a n d s o m e o x i d e s a r e p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y a d d e d ,
made into balls, each weighing about ½ tola or so,
and used. This is taken by somewhat richer
class of people who could afford to procure them.
(iii)Ganja is proportionately well boiled with
milk, well squeezed and strained, the refuse being
thrown away. By ordinary process ghee is taken.
out from this milk. This is used by the richest
class of people.
(C) Drinking :—
(i)Generally the leaves of hemp plant are well
washed with water, ground well with certain
spices (such as pepper and some of the above
–mentioned spices), and the mass is then proportion-
at el y mi xed wi t h sugar–wat er or mi l k and sugar,
or both, as the person drinking it could afford,
and the mixture is taken. The mixture is
strained by some before drinking, and by others
it is not, according to choice.
(ii)Some delicate people who require slight
intoxication tie up the above said things in a
piece of muslin or thin cloth, put in a sufficient
quantity of milk, boil it for au hour or so, then
the bag is taken out and squeezed and the milk