Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
as couches and were covered with carpets, while cushions were placed here and there so that
the customers could rest their heads on them. A few Chinamen were lying there, mostly in
couples, smoking and chatting in low tones, whilst an attendant at their feet rolled the opium
pills for them.
My friend was obviously known in the place, for an oily-looking Chinaman, probably the
boss, came shuffling up and greeted us with a foxy smile and rubbing his hands, whilst he
bowed as if we were Eastern potentates. We lay down on the boards, and an attendant came
with the various instruments necessary for smoking opium. On a small silver tray he had a
lamp, covered with a thing that looked like a big drinking glass upside down and with a hole
at the bottom. In a saucer resembling a diminutive ashtray there was something like very dark
molasses, and to my surprise I was told that this was the opium. On the tray I also noticed an
instrument like a crochet needle without a hook. The pipe was about two feet in length and
elaborately carved and inlaid with gold, silver and ivory, but when I looked for the opening
where I had thought powdered opium would be stuffed in, like tobacco into an ordinary pipe,
I found that there was only a very small hole, about the size of a pin's head. Being puzzled,
but not wishing to show that I was a novice, I waited for things to develop, in order to learn
by experience rather than by asking foolish and, to these people, childish questions. Once the
attendant had settled down at our feet he heated the point of the needle over the lamp, and
when it was hot enough he dipped it into the semi-liquid opium in the little saucer. A certain
amountstucktotheneedle,andthenhehelditovertheflameagainuntilitboiledandbubbled
like sealing-wax. Again and again he dipped the needle into the liquid and held it over the
flame until sufficient opium had collected at the point to roll a small pill. When this was done
the servant placed it on the small opening on the pipe and pushed the needle through to make
a small hole through the pill, and then the pipe was ready for smoking. My friend, who was
an expert, held it over the flame, and when the pill began to melt and smoke he inhaled the
musty-smelling fumes, and without stopping he smoked until all the opium was burnt. Once
more the attendant rolled a pill, and then it was my turn, but as I was a novice I did not know
howtosmokeevenly,andinconsequence theopeningofthepipeclotted upseveral times and
the attendant had to help with the needle. The taste was so repulsive to me that I only took a
fewpuffs,andthenleftmyfriendandtheattendant tofinishalltheopiumwehadbought,and
whilst the couple smoked and chatted away in Chinese I had a good look around the place.
StrangeChineselotteryticketswerebeingsold,andasIwascurioustoseewhattheywerelike
I bought one. Instead of the usual numbers there are series of words printed on them and the
buyerhastochoosesome,whicharemarkedwithChineseinkbytheseller.Thepriceofthese
tickets varies according to the number of words one picks, and in the same way the prizes are
paid to the gamblers who have picked most words and have them all correct according to the
drawing.
Whenmyfriendwasreadywereturnedhome.Iawokenextmorningfeelingnonetoowell,
and could still taste the opium. My stomach was badly out of order, and it took me two days
