OPIUM. CULTIVATION. BATHING. 201 



valley of the Hoang-ho were planted in the midst of 

 thick cane brake and tall rushes to hide them from 

 official scrutiny. Not that the officials destroy the 

 foHDidden crop, they only extort a large bribe from 

 its owner as a penalty for his contraband cultivation. 



The custom of smoking opium has spread 

 rapidly from the Chinese to the neighbouring Mon- 

 gols, but has not yet penetrated into the remoter 

 parts of Mongolia. Opium-smokers have such a 

 passion for their poison that they cannot exist with- 

 out it even for a few days. It inj'uriously affects 

 the whole organism. Every opium-smoker may be 

 at once known by his pale, prematurely old face and 

 attenuated body. I myself once tried smoking a 

 little opium : it produced no effect whatever on me, 

 and its taste reminded me of burnt feathers. 



From our camp on the bank of the little river 

 Tahilga we daily sallied forth on scientific and 

 shooting excursions, and in the hottest weather 

 rested and often bathed. Our Cossacks were afraid 

 of indulging in the last-named pleasure for fear of 

 the river-tortoises. ^ The Mongols attribute peculiar 

 magic powers to these creatures, and in proof of 

 their assertion show you some Tibetan letters which 

 they say are marked underneath the body. They 

 frightened our Cossacks by telling them that the 

 tortoise fixes on to the bodies of persons bathing 

 with such a firm grip that it is impossible to make 

 it let go. The only remedy in such case is to 



^ The same kind of tortoise as we had seen in the Hoang-ho, 

 Trionyx, sp. 



