128 
cup, a whole leaf is applied to the top, and tlie cake 
is now finished. 
It is a sphere of about the same size as a 24 lbs. 
spherical shot; it is removed frora the mould and 
dusted with a little coarsely powdered poppy trash, 
so as to prevent its adhesion to the cup, made of 
burnt unglazed pottery, which is of the same shape 
as the mould in which the cake was made. It is now 
carefully placed in the cup wliile still soft, and it is 
carried out by the cake-maker’s boy, who puts it in 
the sunshine on a little square of brick flooring, 
which has been allotted to the cake-maker whom he 
serves, and where a small board Stands bearing his 
master’s number. 
Before removal a paper ticket is pasted on the cake 
bearing the cake-maker’s number, and the date on 
which it was made; every cake has its ticket, so that 
we can at any time traee its history, and by this 
means we can hold every cake-maker responsible for 
the careful manufacture of his cakes; by means of 
these tickets, should anything be found wrong with 
any cake, it can be brought home to the man who 
made it. 
The caldng begins generally at 10 a.m., and lasts 
tili half-past one or two o’clock in the afternoon; 
usually 20,000 cakes are made daily. 
The cakes. are on the evening of the second day 
counted and sent to their destination in one of the 
pake godowns, where they and their cups are stored 
in racks. 
The great object to be attained is to make the cake 
as carefully and compactly as possible by one Operation 
to have the shell even in thickness throughout, and 
to spread the lewah uniformly between the leaves. 
This can be attained by good cake-makers under 
strict supervision; cake-makers usually make 60 
cakes a day; every good cake-maker gets 20 or more 
additional ones to make, for which they receive an 
extra allowance. 
The flower-leaf forms an excellent covering ; it is 
in every way suitable, but it has its drawbacks. It 
is affected by wet, and is liable to be attacked by 
mildew, borers, and white ants, wliile it will not 
resist hard pressure applied to any small area of its 
circumference; however, it certain'ly most effectually 
retains the moisture and aroma of the drug enveloped 
in it, and by its own fragrance adds to that which 
the opium per se contains. 
The cake godowns are large and high brickwork 
buildings, with galvanized iron roofing, well venti- 
lated by numerous Windows and doorways. The 
Windows have iron gratings fixed in the masonry 
outside, and skeleton doors are provided for the best 
godowns to admit of the entrance being closed while 
free perflation of air is not interfered with. All the 
doors and Windows of the beider dass godowns are 
further secured from thieves by galvanized wire 
netting, so that cakes cannot be cut up and passed 
out in large pieces. 
Inside the godowns are wooden racks, extending 
nearly up to the roof; there are intervening rectan- 
gularly-placed passages traversing the frames to 
permit of Ventilation. In these racks the cakes are 
stored in their cups. 
Every third day the cakes, wherever placed, come 
down to the ground, are lightly hand-rubbed with a 
little trash, turned, replaced in their cups, and sent 
up again. to be placed in the racks. The object of 
turning is to allow the shell of the cake to dry 
evenly. 
The packing takes place only in dry weather, and 
after the morning dew has been dispersed. 
Into a strong mango-wood ehest, one yard long 
and two feet four inches wide, 40 cakes are packed 
in two layers of 20 each; the balls are prevented 
from rolling about by each one being placed in a 
compartment; and in these chests, varying in num 
ber according to the year, the opium cakes find their 
way to Calcutta, whence they are shipped to China 
at the close of the annual Government sales, each 
ehest realising as much as 131., or in other words 
1,300 rupees, in an average good season. 
The following specimens are exhibited by the Opium 
Agent of Benares. 
4,237-8. Ball or provision opium. 
4,239-40. Abkaree opium. 
4,241-2. Coarse poppy trash. 
4,243-4. Fine poppy trash. 
4,294. Canvas and nails used in packing opium. 
4,254. Opium moulds for raaking balls. 
4,246. Poppy flower petals. 
4,248. Lewah or opium paste. 
Exhibited by Berar Local Committee. 
82/. Opium. 
Exhibited by the Indore Local Committee. 
880. Opium. 
Exhibited by the Commissioner of Benares. 
7,913. Ball opium. 
990. Opium, from Nagpur.