ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 245 



The water is raised either by a rude Persian wheel or "by a 

 leathern bag worked with a long rope over a wheel fixed above 

 the well. The Persian wheel is simply a drum, over which 

 passes a chain of earthen pots attached to a rope : these fill 

 as they touch the water, and on ascending, empty themselves 

 into a trough, whence the stream passes on to the land to be 

 watered. 



As the poppies come into flower the fields present a very 

 gay appearance. Some cultivators prefer one colour white, 

 red, or purple others go in for variety. The irrigations are 

 repeated about eight times during the growth of the crop. 

 When the flower falls the work of collecting the opium com- 

 mences. 



Armed with small instruments having three short steel 

 points, the cultivator and all his household go over the whole 

 field, carefully scoring each poppy-head. From the wound 

 thus inflicted a milky juice exudes, and in a few hours assumes 

 a dark colour, and becomes consistent. This is then scraped 

 off with a small blunt knife, and the opium thus collected is 

 carefully stored. Each poppy-head is scored and scraped 

 three times. When dry, the heads are collected, and the 

 seed shaken out. Much of the opium is consumed in the 

 country, but the greater part is exported to China. Previous 

 to its transport to the coast a high duty is paid to the British 

 Government. This duty varies according to circumstances. 

 It is now 60, and has stood as high as 70 per chest of 

 140 Ibs. 



In Bengal, licenses to cultivate opium are granted on the 

 understanding that the juice is to be delivered at a fixed price 

 to the Government factories at Patna and Benares. It is 

 there manufactured, previous to being sent down to Calcutta, 

 where it is disposed of, at monthly sales, by auction. 



