When weighed into store, the opium is kept in large wooden boxes, holding about 10 cwt. ; if below the standard, it is occasionally stirred up, to favour its thickening ; and if very low, is placed in shallow wooden drawers, and constantly turned over. Whilst keeping, it becomes coated with a thin blackish crust, and deepens in colour according to the degree of exposure to air and light. From this general store (malkhana), it is taken daily, in quantities of about 250 maunds (of 82. lb.), for manufacture into "cakes." Various portions are selected (by test assay) so as to ensure the mass being of the standard consistence, and these, weighing exactly 10 seers (21 lb.) each, are thrown promiscuously into shallow drawers, and rapidly and thoroughly kneaded up together. The mass is filled into boxes, all of one size, from each of which a specimen is drawn and assayed. The mean is taken as the average. Before evening, these boxes are emptied into wooden vats, 20 ft. long, 3 ft. wide, and l ft. deep, and the opium is further kneaded and mixed by men wading knee-deep through it from end to end, till the consistence appears uniform.
Next =ruing the manufacture of the cakes commences. Each cake-maker sits on a wooden stand, and is provided with a brass cup and a graduated tin vessel (Fig. 1000). The " leaves " for forming the shells of the cakes are weighed out over-night, tied in bundles, and damped to make them supple ; and boxes are provided containing lewa, for agglutinating the " leaves " to form the shells of the cakes. This lewa consists of an admixture of inferior opium, pasewa, and the washings of vessels that have contained good opium, forming a semi-fluid paste of such a consistence that 100 gr. evaporated to dryness at 931° (200° F.) leave 53 gr. residue. The tel•a, "leaves," and opium are accurately weighed out for each cake. In his brass cup, the operator rapidly forms the lower sement of the shell of the cake, pasting " leaf" over " leaf," till a thickness of in. is reached, and allowing a certain free portion of the most external " leaves " to hang down around and over the sides of the cup. The cake of opium brought from the scales is now inserted, and held away from the sides with the left hand, while one " leaf " after another is tucked in, well smeared with lewa, and imbricated oue over the other, till the circle is complete. The free portions of the "leaves "left hanging over are drawn up tightly, and the opium cake is well compressed within the casing. A small aperture remains at the top ; this is closed by adding more " leaves," and finally the cake is completed by applying a single large " leaf " to the entire exposed half. The finished ball or "cake" resembles a Dutch cheese in size and shape. It is rolled in a little finely powdered poppy-trash, which adheres to its surface, is at once placed in a small earthen cup of the same dimensions as the brass cup used in shaping it, and is carried out and exposed in small dishes to the sun. It is so exposed for three days, and is meantime constantly turned and examined ; should it become distended, it is opened to liberate the gas, and again tightly closed. On the third evening, still in their earthen cups, the cakes are placed on the "frames,"—open battens allowing free circulation of air. The operation thus far is terminated by the end of July. The constituents of the averaae perfect cake are :— The number of cakes made by one man in a single day is about 70, though some can turn out 90-100. After manufacture, the cakes require much attention, and constant turning, on account of
the mildew which attacks them. This is removed by rolling and rubbing in dry poppy-trash. Weak places are also looked for, and strengthened with extra "leaves." By October, the cakes are perfectly dry to the touch, and fairly solid ; they are then packed in chests, furnished with a double tier of wooden partitions, each tier with twenty square compartments for the reception of so many cakes, which latter are steadied and packed around with loose poppy-trash. The chests must be most carefully kept from damp for a length of time ; but ultimately the opium in the cake ceases to yield any more moisture to the shell, and the latter acquires extreme solidity. Each case contains 120 catties (about 160 lb.). The foregoing remarks refer exclusively to the Government-prepared opium for the Chinese market, which includes the great hulk of the entire product.
Bengal opium intended for internal consumption, and known as abiari opium, is prepared in the following manner :—It is inspissated by exposure to direct sun-heat till its standard is 90 per cent., and its consistence resembles wax. It is then moulded into square bricks weighing 1 seer each, which are wrapped in oiled Nepal paper, and packed in boxes furnished with compartments for their reception. Put up in this way, it has not the powerful aroma of the "cake " drug, but it is more concentrated, and more easily packed. It is sometimes also made into flat square tablets.
In Malwa, the cultivation and preparation of the drug are entirely in the hands of the natives. The details of cultivation are much the same as in Bengal ; not so the preparation. The crude exudation (chick), as collected, is thrown into an earthen vessel, and covered with linseed-oil (2 parts oil to 1 part chick), to prevent evaporation. In this state, it is sold to itinerant dealers. Quantities of 25-50 lb. are tied up in double bags of sheeting, which are suspended from the ceilings, out of the light and draught, while the excess of oil drips through. This operation terminates in 7-10 days, hut the bags are left for 4-6 weeks, by which time the oil that has not escaped has become oxidized and thickened. The whole process lasts from April till June-July, when the rains begin. The bags are then taken down, and their contents are emptied into shallow vats, 10-15 ft. across and 6-8 in. deep. Here the drug is worked up with the hands for 5-6 hours, until its colour and consistence are uniform, and its toughness enables it to be formed into balls of 8-10 oz. These, as formed, are thrown into a basket containing chaff of the seed-pods. They are then rolled in leaves and stalks of the poppy, left there for a week or so, and turned over occasionally till hard enough to hear packing. In October-November they are weighed, sent to market, and packed in chests, about 150 balls in each, the weight of each chest being as nearly as possible 1 picul (1334.1b.). The petals and leaves of the plant are used in packing the balls in the cases, but are not formed into " leaves " for enveloping the balls as in Bengal. The quality of Malwa opium is very uncertain, and much inferior to the Government-prepared article. The production is said to he about 20,000 chests annually.