247

to consumers in that territory at the rate of
Rs. 4 or Rs. 5 per maund, and in times of scarcity
at the rate of Rs. 9 or Rs. 10 per maund. It may
safely be said that the retail rate prevailing in the
Khairpur territory is Rs. 5 per maund, while that
in the British territory of the Hyderabad district
is Rs. 50 per maund. The difference between the
prices in the two adjoining countries is so great
that people have strong temptations in their way
to illicitly import hemp from the Mir's terri-
tory into the Hyderabad district. The Political
Agent has further informed me that the retail
sellers pay only one rupee per maund to the
State.

    The Khairpur territory is bordering along the
Shikarpur, Hyderabad and Thar and Parkar dis-
tricts, and as long as this great disparity of rates
continues, there is a great danger of illicit im-
portation of the drug. The number of patrols,
who have to guard the borders of the Mir's
territory for the purpose of suppressing and
detecting crimes against the salt and excise laws
is far from sufficient.

    60. Ganja is not produced and manufactured
in this province.

    61. Charas is not produced and manufactured
in this province.

    62, 63 and 64. In answering question 59 I have
answered these questions.

    65. I would adhere to the present system of
selling the right of bhang, charas and ganja by
public auction, but would insist on a maximum
price for retail sale being fixed by Government,
as is done in the case of opium, and I think the
present retail rates at which bhang, ganja and
charas are sold are very high.

    66. I need not answer this question.

    67. I have answered this question while answer-
ing question 59.

    68. There are shops for the retail sale of these
drugs; but the drugs are not consumed on the
premises.

    69. The wishes of the people are consulted before
a shop is opened in any locality. The Collector
has power to determine how many shops and in
what localities are to be opened, and before fixing
their number and locality the wishes of the people
are consulted through the mukhtiarkars of the
talukas. I think that local public opinion should
always be considered on this point.

    70. While answering question 59, I have point-
ed out the different rates at which bhang is sold
in this district and in the adjoining native terri-
tory of Khairpur, and as long as this disparity of
rates is not removed, the danger of illicit import-
ation of hemp cannot disappear. Otherwise duty
is paid on all these drugs. I may further say
that in some instances the excise and salt estab-
lishments have succeeded in detecting cases of
illicit importation of bhang from the Khairpur
territory into this district, and the offenders have
been dealt with according to law.

5. Evidence of S. SADIK ALI SHERALI, Deputy Collector and First Class
Magistrate, Frontier District of Upper Sind.

    1. My own personal experience, gathered by the
use of hemp in its liquid form on three or four
occasions, from personal association with consumers
of bhang and charas, from my rational age, and
also from inquiries made from persons who drink
bhang and smoke charas, from contractors in this
district and in Shikarpur, Sukkur and Rohri, from
observations made during the time I was on
three mouths' leave from 3rd August to 2nd Nov-
ember 1893, and from inquiries made in Saharan-
pur district, and also during the course of my
service extending over a period of twenty-one
years.
    2.  In Sind bhang is not known by the name of
siddhi, but is called by the following names:—(1)
bhang, (2) sabzi, (3) sai, (4) ghundiun, (5) bhang
kuto or chur. Its other names are given in
Appendix A.

    Charas is not only the resinous matter, but
consists of resinous matter, deposit of dust upon
the leaves, and leaves all crushed and compounded
in balls or lumps or cakes. For detailed process
of manufacturing charas please see Appendix B.

    Ganja is rarely smoked in this country; but the
definition of it given by Dr. Prain may be accept-
ed. Its process of manufacture, as known in
this country, is given in Appendix B.

    3. It grows spontaneously in the Saharanpur
district, North-Western Provinces. It is known
to grow spontaneously, and I have myself seen it
grow in my own village Ambahta, also near
Rurki and Piran Kaliar in the Saharanpur
district.

    4. It is known only by the name of bhang. I
have not heard it called by any other names.

    5. No special conditions are necessary except
rainfall. In Sind I have not seen wild hemp
grow in places where no rain falls. It is said to
grow in the hills in the Karachi district and the
Kelat territory.

    6. It is scattered, as I have seen it in the
Saharanpur district.

    7. (a) and (b) No.

    (c) and (d) Yes.

    I have got statistics only for the Thul and Kash-
or talukas, of which I hold charge. In the Thul
taluka no hemp was cultivated during the past
nineteen years; only eight acres of land was cul-
tivated in that taluka in 1873–74. In the Kash-
mor taluka the following areas were sown in the
past twenty years: —