254        ON  THE  PRODUCTION  OF  OPIUM  IN  ASIA  MINOR. 
cognise  more  than  8  per  cent,  interest  of  money,  and  none  at  all 
when  advanced  against  produce,  the  interest  is  added  to  the 
amount  of  the  bond.  The  peasants  are  not  bound  to  give  their 
opium  to  their  creditors  provided  they  can  find  buyers  at  a  high- 
er price  than  that  fixed,  nor  are  the  merchants  compelled  to  take 
opium  at  the  fixed  rate  if  no  one  will  take  it  off  their  hands.* 
The  duties  levied  are  heavy:  10  per  cent,  are  paid  by  the  peasant 
for  tithes,  9  per  cent,  by  the  buyer  on  arrival  at  a  shipping  port, 
and  3  per  cent,  more  when  shipped. 
After  the  opium  is  purchased  in  the  interior,  it  is  put  into  thin 
cotton  bags  (which  are  sealed,)  and  these  bags  into  circular  bas- 
kets, 80  to  100  chequees  (130  to  162  lbs.)  being  the  usual  weight 
of  each  ;  to  most  of  these  baskets  a  proportion  of  Chicantee  or  in- 
ferior adulterated  opium  is  added,  usually  about  5  per  cent.;  this 
Chicantee  is  opium  mixed  with  sand,  pounded  poppy  capsules, 
half-dried  apricots,  and  in  some  instances  turpentine,  figs  or  gum 
tragacanth  of  inferior  quality.  The  baskets  are  then  sent  to 
Smyrna,  two  on  each  mule,  and  upon  arrival  are  stowed  in  damp 
warehouses,  to  avoid  loss  of  weight ;  they  are  sold  without  being 
opened,  and  it  is  only  when  they  reach  the  buyer's  stores  that 
they  are  opened  in  presence  of  the  seller  and  of  a  public  exami- 
ner. 
The  examiner  then  seats  himself  on  the  ground  with  an  apron 
on  and  armed  with  a  strong  knife,  an  assistant  emptying  the 
baskets  of  opium  before  him  ;  he  then  examines  it  piece  by  piece. 
*[Note  by  Mr.  Wilkin.] — Money  is  advanced  to  the  opium  growers 
upon  the  security  of  standing  crops,  and  it  is  stipulated  in  the  bond  that 
when  the  produce  is  collected  the  debt  must  be  liquidated,  either  in  money 
or  produce,  at  the  opening  prices — it  being  optional  on  the  part  of  growers 
to  refund  in  money  or  produce.  It  is  usual  when  crops  have  been  collect- 
ed, for  the  authorities  to  call  a  meeting  for  the  express  purpose  of  fixing, 
or  as  it  is  termed,  cutting  the  prices,  at  which  meeting  growers  and  buyers 
are  present.  Supposing  the  price  named  at  the  meeting  does  not  meet 
the  approval  of  growers;  but  that  the  latter  are  not  prepared  to  pay  up  in 
money,  then  buyers  of  their  produce,  at  a  higher  rate  than  that  proposed, 
must  be  forthcoming,  who  will  engage  at  once  to  take  the  produce  and  re- 
deem the  bonds,  otherwise  they  (the  growers)  must  submit  to  the  prices 
offered  by  their  creditors.  In  the  event  of  any  competition,  however  the 
parties  who  have  made  advances  are  entitled  to  the  preference,  at  the 
prices  actually  fixed  at  the  meeting. 
