PAPAVERACEM. 79 
be caked one or more degrees above standard, but under such 
circumstances the standard weight of opium 1 seer 73 chittacks 
must be placed in each cake, no reduction in weight being 
- allowed for increase in consistence. Taking the Benares Agency 
for example, where the daily manufacture of cakes amount to 
about 20,000, to cake at one degree above the limit would entail 
a loss to Government of Rs. 1,260 a day. 
The opium received into the head factories is employed for the 
‘manufacture of China provision, abkari, and medicinal opium, 
_ while at Ghazipur certain varieties are used for the extraction 
of alkaloids. ig 
To prepare opium for the China market a certain number of 
vats are selected, and samples assayed for moisture. The con- 
tents of those vats which will give when mixed together in 
certain proportions opium of 69°83 or 69-4 degrees for Benares, 
are equally distributed over other vats, called alligation vats, 
the opium is well mixed by men walking about in it and knead- 
_ ing it with their feet and with rakes. The opinm is then 
_ removed to the caking vats, and is again kneaded on the 
_ following morning, when samples from each vat are assayed ; 
should the whole of the assays come out above 69°5° and ander 
70°50°, the opium is ready for caking, 
The manufacture for the China market consists in enveloping 
a portion of standard opium in leaves agglutinated by a mixture 
of opium and water called lewa (ar). Lewa consists of dirty 
but otherwise pure opium broken down in water in which the 
opium vessels have been washed, and which is technically _ 
called dhoi (a), about 8 per cent. of pasewha being added to _ 
render the lewa glutinous. Lewa contains from 52°5 to 53'5 per 
cent. of solid matter. The opium, leaves, and lewa are 
3 accurately weighed for each cake.* The finished cake resembles mo) 
1 @ Dutchcheesein sizé and shape ; itisrolled in alittle fine trash 
7 * At Benares the following materials are used for making a cake :—Stan 
_ dard opium at 70 degrees, 1 seer 7:5 chittacks ; Lewa at 53°, 4-5 chitta 
_ Leaves, 5 chittacks ; Water, ‘6 chittacks; Trash, ‘25 chittacks—Total ¥ 
on day of manufacture, 2 seers 1:75 chittacks, ssn Sites 
