New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-03
An Opium Factory.

went down TO the "opium 60 downs" stores. The
atmosphere of hot and windy day OF Gha1eepore
should ever be thought suitable for invads or others
may be Inhaled in England by any one who VIII stsn1
the open door Of oven and breathe fog OF fried
SEND cunningly blown therefrom. After a two miles
drive through heat and wind and sand and oderilerous
bazsr wo-I and two friends-found our wsy 10 prac
tcabe breach gateway in high railing by which the
stoI ehouse is surrounded faint scent as OF decaying
vegetable mater sssGiled noses entered the
court of the gOdown as for the go-down ITSELF IT was
group Of long buildings fashioned in the common In.
dian style, Venetian doored, and having great deal
more door than wall In and out and about these doors
there movement of scanuly clad coolies (portcr
benrn2 their heads large earthen vessels the5o YES
ses carefully sealed, contained opium fresh out oil the
pOpIy district. Poppy headed mean red turbanei-
acc Ounlants bu,ted about, while Blrkunday OT police
mem whose brains appeared 10 be as full OF drosneSs
as any jar in the go-down were aziy lounging about
with their swords beside Them or else astened IN sleep
beside their swords.
The doorway was shown to through which wo
ghould get at tie Sahib" officer duty Entering
tie doorway, wepuhed through crowd OF natives INTO
an atmosphere drugged powerfully with the scent Of
opium The members of the crowd were al carrying
tin vessels each vessel haffull of opium in tho
form of black, sticky dough, and contained also
ticket showing the OF the grower, specimen OF
whose opium therein presented with the names OF
the village End district In which II was grown.
Tie cerbeaers eager cannibals, all crowded r1un1
desk, at which their victim the gentleman on du'y
sat Cans were flowing in from all sdes On the rigit
hand OF the Sslib stood native Mephlstophele' with
sleeves tucked up, who dercd his hand into the mi tue
OF eech can ns came near, pawel the contenS VIVA
myfterious rapidly extracted bit Of the bnck dough-
carried bIky 10 his nose and Instantly pronounced
in English number which tho Sah5, WAC mas intn Ii
his familiar inscribed at onco in red inA on tho cS'
A. | approached, Mephstopheles was good enough to
hold uairty norsel to my nose and cali upon me 70
express the satisfaction of gourmand twas lump
OF the finest told. SO readily can thus n'tlve tell
by the feel Of opium whether foreign substance mas
been added ard 20 readily cHn be ntingul by the
sme its quality, that this test by Mcphtophees Il rare
" found differ much in ito result from the more eip
oIa:o tsts presently o. be described The European
ofhcitI who was working with the thermometer at a
hundred would be unable to remain Ion GER than four
hours IL his desk at tho end of that time another would
corne 10 release him. and assume his place.
Out Of each crp, when it was presented 7 the hr-t
rouph tst mall portion Of the dough wa taken, 10 De
carried of il to another Into this 70 IN We rs
Introduced I'd found the herm meter working its way
I'D from 10 degrees 10 100 On our ei as we ehercI
was n tal L. whereat about hslfadozen natives sal
weld DC out in ne suI ed portions OF one hundiei
man the specimens that had been Just sent to them
out OF the chmber OF CAM EccA portion OF huhuTed
otals was placed was weighed upon SIN al pate
ty itself with its own proper ticket by Its side Ids
plates were in the next place carried 10 another part Of
lie chamber fitted up with steam baths-not uluNe
table. In appcaranceand about these baths or tables
btys were sttng, who, with fpatulas, industrou'ly
rIcad the opium each plate rs though the pa,c
were bread, and the opium upon were piece o, Da
ter This being done over the steam bath, caused tne
water 70 depart ont of the drug and LETT upon the pare
tledry powder which, being weighed md found 70 b,
about twenty three grains her by the loss Of moisture
Is called standard opium Ii the hundred grains after
evrroTaon leave residuo OF more than seventy
the manufacturer is paid higher price for his more
valuable sample: if the water b. found In excess me
pce Iad for the opumdough is Of course lower tnan
the standard thought quaint sight when watched
the chlterng Young chemists naked 10 the waist, AZ
work over their heated tables grinding isoroy with
their blunt knfeblades what appeared to be very
dry sc, CT CEee cplates But the heat of this room was
60 great that We tlt in own bodies Whist taxing
place about us and before there had been t;ne for the
reduction OF each hundred grains OF our flesh 20 the
star daId seventysever, we beat retreat from the
chamber Of explorations.
With the curiosity OF Buebeards wives we proccedet
TO ir,psct the mysteries Of the mex chamber IL was
full OF watts and the watts opium, and over the vat,
ropes depending from the ceiling and depending
FRI IN the ropes were naked observation-disclosures
somewhat opium csored kicking and stamping Justify
within the watts upon opium and each vat wa IN
fact mortar, End man living pestle, AM IN 'ils
nom quantity OF op inl-worth more laos OF up
than have ever had between my hngers-was oeihs
mixed and kneaded by the egs OF men, preparatory 10
being made UP into pills From the chamber oil pese
with curiosity unsated, we went forward 10 peep lnIo
tie chamber Cf the pills .,.
ush of ps in the tight brown dresses furnished 10
them grstuscusy by their mother Nature each imp car
wing bos IN his hand Of about the size OF ior!t"o
pound shot encountered US. and smosts lad us proa c
- we ,nt,yed Thistle tourth--chaInbsr was lon5
and narrow room quite full of busy natives every
tongue indusriousy talking and every niger hunoie
over work Around the walls ofthis room there are 10"
sico puced az even distances and upon eaca stool
workman rather squss than sits. having before nun
brass cup of which the interior would ht one nan Oh
bolus Before each upon stool there STANDS usa
without a stool and a boy with saucer lhe man VIII
cut stool has Nv his side number OF dried poppy
lee,es Of which he takes few, snd having mostenea
item IN dark gummy liquid which u simply composer
OF the wsshng of the various vessels used 10 e e'ts
h.l ment he hsnds the mostened poppy leaves 70 'he
man upon the stool who sits before the cup Inc nj u
upon the STOOL who has been rubbing the same qaid
gum with his fingers Sver the inner surface OF the
ss htasekespers, suppose, butter their lily moaS-
proceeds 10 NJ in two three leaves then, with MS
myers spreads over them gum then adds few
ea'es more and ts them neatly with his closed hand
round ne bottom Of the cup unn he has made good
nnins 10 ~ Ills companion without the stool has III the
meantime, brought TO his hand fixed quantity of opium
mas weighing two pounls and this the genius OF the
stool puts into The cup leaves then added the
top OF H. and by series Of those dexterous and nscru
tally rapid twists of the baud with which all cunning
oikmen are familiar he rapidly twists OF hs cup
hall Of opium, within ycovish brown coat ofeaves
resembling IS have already said, iorty-two pound
,hot He shoots suddenly into the eahen saucer held
,ut by the boy and instantly the boy takes his heels
md sc, uopers oa with his big pill OF opium which Is 10
be ak into the yard and there exposed to the air until
!, hsTl tsye dried These pills cslled cake- bu,
49, he. nc evidently 20 the class OF unwholesome con-
Ssc;;onsrv A workmsn Of average dex,erity makes
se,rntx .ueh cakcsn day During the manufacturing
Ibis frctory turns daily from six thou sand FIVE
tnnS,, y, seven cakes the number OF cakes
made in the came factory in season being altogether
ahor, ,,ysny.seyen thousand A large proportion ol
,bs c,kc are inside for the Chinese but they do not n
an sree with the Chinese digestion The manufacture
of the opium is nof hurtiul tothc neaba "a ~io77
49,