The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-09-28
To which a lady rcnli.. as fo,lows:
Islc .tashis!s.


4 writer in Ciomjer'S J0urn0I,
(says the Literary World) recalls
attention to the singular effects Of
this drug, the produce of the Indian
Hemp, Which, particularly in France
since 1916, has been matter of in
tercst init connection with mcdi-
cine. French authors Of distinction
have published memoirs on the sub
ject, NJ. Nirey attempting TO prove
it the Ncpenthe Of Homer; Sylyes-
ter D'Sacy finding it in The charms
prac;ised by the Assassins. But
the author, Theodore Gausicr, has
given tie must wonderful account
of It's cAccts-lrom his opn sensG-
toms.
The Orientalists," says he,
shave, i'll consequence Of the inter-
diction Of wine, sought that species
Of excitement which the western
nations derive from alcoholic drinks.
The love Of the ideal is 50 dear to
man, that he attempts as far as lie
can, TO relax the ties which bind tie
body to the soul and as tie means
of being II an cXtatic state are not
in the power Of all! one person
drinks for gaicty, another smokes
for !orgetlulncss, third devours a
momentary madness one under the
form Of wine, the others under that
Of tobacco and hashish." He then
proceeds TO say, that a few minutes
after swallowing some o! the pre-
paration, a sudden overwhelming
sensation took possession Of him.
1t appeared to Him that his body
was Dissolved, that lie had become
transparent lie clearly saw in lis
chest the hashish he had swallowed,
under tie form of an emerald, from
which a thousand little sparks issu-
cd. His eyelashcS were lengthcn-
ed out indefinitely, and rolled like
threads Of gold round ivory balls,
which turned with an uncomfortable
rapidly. Around him were spalk-
limgs Of pre- cious stones of all co!ors,
changes ctcrua.!y produced, like the
Kaleidoscope. He every now and
then saw lis friends around him dis
.igured-halt man, half plants, some
with the wings of al ostrich, which
they were constantly shaking. So
strange were these, that he burst in
to fits Of laughter; and to Join in tie
apparent ride ulouSness Of the affair,
lie began throwing the cushions in
the air, catching and turning them
with the rapidly Of an Indian Jug
gler. One gentleman spoke to him
in Italian, which the haSliSh trans
posed into Spanish. After a few
minutes he recovered his habitual
calmncSS, without any bad effect,
without headache, and only astoniSh-
cd at what had passed. Half an hour
had scarcely elapsed before he fell
again under the influence ofthc drug.
On this occasion The vision was
more complicated and more extra.
ordinary In the air there were mil
lions of butterflies, contuScdly lum-
inous, shaking their wings ike fans.
Gigantic flowers, with chaliccs of
crystal, large pconics, upon beds of
gold and silver, rose and surrounded
him with tho cracking sound that
accompanies the explosion in the air,
of fireworks. His hearing acquired
new power; it was enormously de-
veloped, lie heard the colors.--
Green, red, blue and yellow sounds
reached him in waves. a glass
thrown down, the cracking of sofa
a word pronounced low, vibratcd
and rolled with him Ike pcals of
thunder. His own voice sounded so
loud that he feared to speak, lest he
should knock down the walls, OF
explode like rocket. More than
five hundred clocks struck the hour
with llccting, silvcry voice, and cy-
cry object touched gave note like
the harmonica, or the Nolan harp
He swan in an ocean Of sound
where hoatod, like isles of light,
some of the airs of "Iucia q Lam.
mermoor,' and the "Borber of Sew.
ille." Never did similar bliss over.
whelm him with its waves; he was
lost in wilderness of sweets; he
was not himself; he was relieved
from consciousness, that feeling
which always prcvadcs the mind
land (orthc first limo he comprehrnl