238
tion, therefore, never, increases beyond the farmer's
requirements.
9. Being dissatisfied with my subordinates'
reports on the methods of cultivation, I sent for
two landholders who regularly cultivate, small
areas with hemp. Their accounts varied very
slightly, and were as follows:
—
Hemp is usually cultivated with well irrigation ;
but sometimes the land is irrigated beforehand
with canal water, and the crop is then grown on
its inherent moisture. This class of irrigation in
Sind is known as " bosi," or to use the technical
survey term, "artificial inundation." Seed is sown
either along the side of raised earthen ridges in
" chungyun," i.e., pinches, what the top of the
thumb or two first fingers will hold, viz., five
or six seeds, or it is sown broadcast. The latter
method is, however, confined entirely to the land
artificially inundated. In well cultivation the
ridges are always used. The land is highly man-
ured, goats' dung being the best kind. It is
ploughed four or generally five times, and then
rolled with a heavy log of wood called a " sahar"
until the earth is quite soft, a quality which is
indispensable for the crop. The seed is sown in
the late autumn, and even as late as the beginning
of January, and the crop is reaped in April or May.
The extent of cultivation on a well ranges from
seven to ten jaribs, but the area, when the land
has been artificially inundated, may be more. All
the male plants are rooted up and thrown away as
useless. When the crop is ripening the upper
portions of the stalks to the length of 1 to 1½ feet
are cut off, and these are kept separately, and are
the tit-bits of it. They are dried with the seed
and stalk in them, and these pieces are called
ghundyun, and are said to be more intoxicating
than the rest of the plant, which, after being cut,
is dried in the sun for several days, and is then
threshed with sticks until the broken leaves and
seed are separated and form the common bhang,
as it is sold to the farmer, who, however, cleans it
carefully by sifting, and sometimes separates the
seeds before retailing it to his customers. Small
portions of the ghundyun which break off occasion-
ally are also preserved separately, and are called
dodo or dodi. I am sending a box containing speci-
mens of the ghundyun, dodo, and the seed. The
actual sowing of the seed, the ploughing, weed-
ing, and bird-scaring, etc., is always carried out
by banias or Hindu cultivators, the Muhammadan
cultivator supplying the bullocks which work the
well and the zamindar giving the land. The
bania supplies the seed, but the manure is given
in the same proportion as the produce is divided,
i.e., one-fifth to the bania and two-fifths each to
the raiyat and the landholder. The zamindar also
gives takavi or an advance in cash to the raiyat.
The amount of seed sown varies according as the
cultivation is on well or artificially inundated land,
the quantity used in the former being naturally
less. One cultivator said that he used on his well
three seers a jarib or about six per acre, whereas the
second said that one seer was enough when the
seed was sown in ridges, and from two to three
if sown broadcast. The produce is estimated at
from 10 to 20 maunds per jarib.
10. The persons who cultivate hemp do not
form a special class.
14. Ganja and charas are imported ; the former
from Amritsar, where it is said to have been previ-
ously imported from Yarkand, Khorasan, and
Thibet. The latter drug comes from Kutch
. Bhang is prepared in the district, and as the aver-
age area cultivated is 164 acres, the quantity
prepared may be roughly set down as 5,000
maunds. Bhang is not prepared by the people in
their houses. It can be prepared from the hemp
plant wherever, grown.
15. I have described the method of preparing
bhang in paragraph 8 of the last chapter. The
bhang, ghundyun, and seed are sold to consumers
exactly in the condition in which I have de-
spatched them. They were supplied me by the
farmer for the district. Bhang in Sind is used
only for drinking, while charas and ganja are
smoked. Bhang is manufactured in the field; but,
as before stated, the licensed farmer subsequently
cleans it.
17. The ordinary Hindu and Muhammadan cul-
tivators prepare the bhang, not any special class
of people.
18. Bhang can be kept several years without
deterioration unless attacked by insects or wetted
by rain. After three or four years, however, it is
said to lose its intoxicating effect.
19. Ganja and charas are used only in smok-
ing.
20. Sindhis as a rule do not smoke ganja and
charas ; but fakirs, jogis, and travellers from other
parts, specially the north of India, use charas and
very rarely (as the statistics show) ganja. The
places of its consumption are the fakirs' and travel-
lers' halting and resting places.
21. I enclose samples of the kinds used.
23. Practically bhang is never used for smok-
ing, but it is said that excessive consumers
will rub the fresh leaves of the male plant in their
hands and place it in their pipes with their to-
bacco.
24. All classes of the people drink bhang, the
proportion among the Hindus being, however,
larger than among the Muhammadans. The late
Rai Bahadur Diwan Navalrai whose wide ac-
quaintance with the customs of the people renders
his opinion a very valuable one, said that 80 per
cent. of the former and 60 per cent. of the latter
drink it; but another experienced officer fixes the
proportion at 60 and 20.
It is used everywhere for smoking, but scarcely
ever for eating, although a few people are said to
cook it with their vegetables.
25. The figures of retail sales for the district
given below, viz. :—
Mds.
Srs.
1888-89
.
.
.
. 3,065
39
1889-90
.
. .
. 3,041
7
1890-91
.
.
.
. 2,691
19
1891-92
.
.
.
. 2,779
23
1892-93
.
.
.
. 2,902
32
tend to show that the use of bhang is not on the
increase. Taking the average sales to be 3,000
maunds, the consumption is 10½ tolas per head of
population. There is no reason to suppose that
the consumption of ganja and charas is increasing.
26. The consumers may be divided as follows :—
(1) Habitual moderate
.
.
.
70
(2) Habitual excessive
.
.
.
20
(3) Occasional moderate .
.
.
7
(4) Occasional excessive .
.
.
3
Total
. 100
This was the estimate of Mr. Navalrai, and
strikes me as a good one. The great majority of
bhang drinkers drink it in moderation, just as an
ordinary Englishman drinks his beer.
27. The moderate bhang drinkers belong to all
classes, and the excessive drinkers are for the