509
and Ladakh, the charas arrives at Hoshiarpur by
October. Up to March, in the winter months, it
keeps good. After the hot season and the rains till
the October of the second year or still the October
of the third year, it keeps fit for use. After that it
goes bad. But the period for the charas is four
months. But for this reason that it comes once a
year it should be considered good for one year. In
the next year, on account of the cheap rates, it is
sold to poor people to whom the buying of the new
charas at twice the rates of the charas of the former
year is distasteful. In the third year it is only
slightly intoxicating and is not liked generally. The
effect is of the climate. The charas produced in
Bokhara can be kept for six years in India without
going bad.
Bhang is cut in April and May. After the rains
and the cold weather in the next May and April,
it is excellent. In bhang, freshly cut, till such time
as the rain does not come, there is a peculiar smell,
but it produces great heat and is very intoxicating.
In the third year the intoxicating qualities are less-
ened, and it goes bad. But if in the first year it
becomes damp, it goes bad. No preventive action
on account of climate can be taken.
19. Ganja is smoked in the chillum. Another
way of smoking is by placing the chillum on the i
huka. This is also the prevalent method for charas
in Bengal, in the East, and probably in the Punjab,
and all over India.
20. Except the Europeans and the Parsis, the
inhabitants of India of every class and (kamnasib)
community, who may be considered ill-fated, make
use of it. In India generally, somewhere four,
somewhere five ; but in Allahabad, Bareilly, Cawn-
pur, Fyzabad, Muradabad, and in other places where
there are numerous Hindu temples, the proportion
should not be considered to be less than ten per cent.,
rather more.
21. Ganja is smoked in the chillum. Flat ganja is
the best. I do not know much about it. In Bengal
it is largely used.
22. Foreign charas is brought from Arakan, which
is in the province of: China.
23. As an exception some pauper fakir, who is
habituated to intoxicants, hushes off the dry leaves,
mixes it in the tobacco and smokes it in the chil-
lum. Such smokers could not be more than twenty
in all India.
24. In Muttra, the districts adjoining Muttra,
at Jaganuath, and where there are Hindu temples,
the proportion of smokers is 50 per cent.; in other
districts, and in the province, the proportion is from
2 to 5 per cent. Those who are greatly addicted to
it grind the bhang and make it into cakes. This
they keep, and when they want it, they eat it.
Some people who would give their life for bhang,
and are inveterate habituals, chew the dry leaves.
25. The use of the Yarkand charas is on the in-
crease. The reason is that for some years the pro-
duce of India has been exported to Europe, and on
account of the dearness of the prices of grains, drunk-
ards, who are poor, have begun smoking charas.
Another reason is that in some parts of provinces of
India liquori is stealthily distilled and brought to
use. Now very good preventive arrangements have
been made, and those people are not able to drink
the legal liquor. They too use charas.
26. Taking a hundred consumers, I give the
following proportions:—
(a) 75 per cent.
(b) 15
„
(c) 8
„
(d) 2
„
One per cent. of the total number of consumers are
generally Hindustani.
27. From all Hindus and Musalmans. The
habit is acquired from companionship and from
propinquity to drug shops.
28. (a) From one to two pie.
(b) From three pie to one anna.
Some people, who are habituated to taking it in
excess, spend from eight annas to one rupee a day,
but of such the proportion is only four in a lac.
29. Ordinary tobacco is mixed with charas or
ganja; exceptionally one person in a lac mixes
dhatura with bhang, charas or ganja.
(1) The poor generally, the habitual average
consumers, and excessive consumers mix pepper.
(2) The average fancier mixes cardamoms, poppy
seed, cucumber seed, charpoza seed, and rose-water
(gul gulab) and pepper.
(3) Well-off folks, besides the ingredients men-
tioned in (2), mix sugar, nutmeg, keora juice,
almonds, and cow's milk.
(4) The rich rais and well-to-do mix, besides
those mentioned in (2) and (3), abtar ashp in the
hot weather and in the rains, and mashk.
Those under (3) and (4) use very little of the
admixtures with the bhang leaf, and in every
season they profit by its consumption.
30. Charas and ganja are consumed in company,
and the larger the gathering the more the consump-
tion. Bhang may be consumed both in solitude
and in company. Some harlots, who are unable to
procure liquor, especially the pauper prostitutes of
soldiers, or shameless prostitutes, consume these
drugs. Otherwise other women, whether rich,
respectable, or poor, do not make use of it.
31. The habit is easily acquired from com-
panionship, and it is not difficult to break off. It
is akin to going to excess in liquor from drinking
a little.
32. There in no social or religious custom. In
the month of Sawan these drugs are offered to
Mahadeoji. In villages where there are no shops,
dhatura alone is sufficient.
33. It is generally considered very bad, and with-
out doubt they are injurious to human beings.
Some poet of some age has written against drugs,
which is written in Nagri character, so that it may
be read word by word. It has been explained in
Urdu below.
Besides fakirs, is not customary with any class
or religion.
" Huqqe to luqque piwain afyam jangli
khain ;
Bhang pain so baore at posti jain."
(Shaikheebaz smoke hukas and eat jungly
opium;
Those who smoke bhang are mad, and those ad-
dicted to opium are childless.)
" Ut posti jain charas ki piwan hare ;
Ghul ghul kar marjain maha papi hatyara."
(The childless are indolent persons as also charas-
smokers ;
They lose their powers and die, the great sinners.
" Kahen Girdhar Kab Rai unhon men ek na
achha;
Karke madhra pan bat men loten bachha."
[Girdhar Kabra, the poet, says no one is better
among those;