The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-08
COLLECTORS OF AcoNITE.
Laborions Task OF the CATERERS OF
the Drug in India.

u
! journey to their country. Bhutan. a con-
tributor says: OF the deadly nightshade
tribe, the aconite is a plant which yields
to none in the virulent poison Of its roots.
II is to be found growing at an elevation
Of 1000 feet above the sea level. and
among other places on the Singaililas. a
mountain range which is the watershed
boundary between Nepal and British ter
ritory northwest Of Darjiling. Here two
classe Of aconite, aconitum palmatum and
napellus or nepaluss grow freely.
Aconitum palmatum is collected in
abundance at Tongloo. the southern ter
minatiOn Of the Singalilas; but nepalus.
the more poisonous variety, requires a
higher elevation in which TO thrive. 1t
takes kindly TO the bleak, rugged crags
Of SundakphoO Q2,929 feet, and is to be
found under the rhOdOdendrOn covers and
cold, shady watercourses. II seldom
grows taller than feet, a single stalk
with blue flowers springing from each
bulb or root The natives, especially the
hill tribes, take aconite in it's crude state
as a remedy for various ailments, and
every Bhotiah has a few dried roots put
away in some secure corner of his hut.
Early in October, when the aconte
root has matured, one OF the leading men
Of the village organizes a party, COM
prised Of both sexes. He, for the time
being, becomes thier leader, settles all
disputes and quarrels while out in camp,
and, while keeping an account Of the
general expenses, supplies to each the
daily requirements OF the way Of food
His first step is to take out a permit
from the forest department, which costs
10 rupees. Of the party is proceeding to
the Nepal hills no permit is required,
but a toll is charged at each station on
every load) He wraps the pass up in a
rag, and places it in his network bag Of
valuables. collects his band together and
sets out for the higher ranges They
travel as lightly as possible each carry
ing thumsi, or large bamboo basket
which contains a brass pot for cooking,
fiat iron spoon to help out the rice,
with a sufficient quantity OF rice and
vegetables to last five or six days. They
also carry a thick Bhotiah blanket. with
the Indispensable kukri or hatchet-
knife used also by the Goorkhas, fas-
tened through the waistband. A strong
saplihg serves as a walking stick and as
a support for the basket, which is not
unstrapped from the back until a halt is
made. When tired, they relieve them
eelves by balancing their load on the
stick.
The first stoppage in their march is
generally made near running stream,
when they remove the burdens off their
backs and light fire or two of brush
wood BY the aid of flint and steel car
ried IN the sheaths Of their kukris. They
do not drain the water off the rice, as is
generally done, but eat il in a moist mass
on big leaves fetched out of the Jungle
with vegetables fried IN oil, and an
amazing number Of hot chillies. One
hour sees them through their meal and
ready TO continue the march again. When
evening comes on they make a second
halt in some desirable place to spend
the night, where they knock up tempo
rary shelters made Of bamboos, to keep
OF the night dew, squat round the fires
they have lighted, crack jokes and re-
I late adventures they have met with
! The head man. who is usually center
/ Of attraction, has a fund of stories at
/ his command. or If a lama-as is not
untrequently the case-is the leader of the
party, he gives extracts out Of their re-
! ligious writings. IL is an interesting sight
/ to see him perched on a raised bit Of
ground, with his followers lying around
him in all postures, gazing with rapt at
tcntlon while he gives episodes out of
! their sacred books. The Bhotiahs are of
the Buddhist religion, and own as their
spiritual head the Great Lamar Of Thibet;
/ but the Buddhism 10 which they adhere
/ IS much interviewer with demon worship
As night advances and the party thinks
! IL - TIME 70 retire. tneg disappear within
/ their bamboo shelters, taking the precau-
1 ton to put their kukris under their heads
( IN case of night attack from the robber
/ tribes who hover about the frontier
/ Some of the harder of the Sirbas sleep in
I the open air, with a blanket about them
( Needless of the cutting wind and a Their
I mometer at zero. They are generally fol-
/ lowed By a big, woody Tibetan dos a
\ fierce looking animal, resembling a bear.
with large blue eyes. 1t sleeps during the
day, and keeps watch at night, giving low
/ growls every now and again.
As soon as the party has arrived at the
/ slopes where aconite is plentiful they
/ build bamboo huts about five feet high
with leaves for the roof. and make their
/ place generally habitable After their
morning meal each shoulders his basket
and takes spade, for which a handle has
/ been made from a jungle saphng They
/ start for the slopes lower down, leaving the
/ dog and one of the company behind in
/ charge of the camp. Before beginning op-
/ erauons ceremony has 10 be performed
] The Nepaiese seldom take up the trade
/ of aconite collecting, as they have a SUI
perstition that the presiding demon of
/ the hills imprisons evil spirits in this
4 plant, which Fly out as soon as it is dug
/ up, and inflict dire calamity on the dig
ger. Bhotiahs have this superst ition also
I with remedy. They always have in
I their party a destroyer of these spirits:
/ anu every morning after digging, the
I lama, standing on "A convenient hill with
\ his crowd around him. makes a fire ana
! burns some dhuna, a sort of resin, then
I putting two fingers in his mouth he
( gives several shrill whistles. All wait in
[ GREATNESS silence till an answering whistle
| is heard. an echo, the cry of a bird
; pheasant as rule-from the gorge be-
I low, or the soughing of the wind among
/ the pines, which they take as the dying
1 dirge of the spirits.
1 Thus satisfied they commence the dig
I ging, take out the mud and throw the
/ roots into the basket. BY evening you
I can see them climbing up the hilsides
/ from various directions, making for the
/ encampment, where they empty out the
contents OF their baskets in heaps and
cover them with bamboo leaves, too keep
/ out the heavy frost of the night The
( collectors work in couples and during
1 the day the roots are spread out to dry
! in the sun. When q sufficient quantity
/ is collected and dried, bamboo frames
I are made. with a fire below, on which
/ the aconite is placed when the flame has
died out. Three to four days over this
artificial heat dries up the root While
/ the firing process is going on. the man