QUEER WAY OF TAKING DOPE

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14765, 3 October 1921, Page 7

QUEER WAY OF TAKING DOPE

AFRICAN NATIVES AND DAGGA. i It. is not only among war-wearied I people in big cities that drug-taking is ! prevalent.' i The natives of South Africa cultivate —surreptitiously, because there is a huge fine, if the authorities find them out —a herb called dagga. Dagga in Africa is what opium is to China. It is smoked—but smoked in a strange way—and the native smokes it only in the very early dawn or very late at night, when he can do it secretly. He scoops a hole out of the hard j ground three or four inches deep by three inches wide- A foot, or so away from this he, scoops another hole, and he then bores a small channel underground from one to the other. There is thus a free air passage connecting 1 the two little excavations. He places some dried dagga leaves in the first hole, lights it, and covers it over with moist clay. He pierces this clay with a sharpened piece of wood to allow a draught to go through. Into the other hole he inserts a small hollow reed—this is the pipe stem—squeezes moist clay round it and on his knees begins his smoke. A cupfulof water is at his side, and after each "draw" he cleverly lets a mouthful of water in without letting any smoke escape. Then, in some marvellous manner, he ejects the water in a long thin stream, and the smoke slowly follows. Rending low over the reed and sitting back on his heels, this is repeated time and time again. His eyes stream wth tears and soon get very bloodshot and swollen. He becomes excited; he feels elated, buoyed up in some wonderful way. All his cares and troubles are forgotten, and in their place has come an exquisite feeling of supreme content and happiness. He begins to talk, and the occupants of his kraal hear great talcs, tales of daring deeds of his youth—fold with much demonstration and wild enthusiasm, Tales of his early fights—tales of battles and of victories —always of victories. Tales of great horsemanship —and wonderful Journeys—of old forests and young loves. But the influence of the dagga dies nut. The native's eyes are screwed up small, his head ache-,, his limbs and face become inert, and in a short while ln< is just a huddled mass of heavy sleep. | His joy in life has lasted just about an hour, and in the dim dawn he awakens feeling a fearful "wreck." Hut lie believes in "n hair of Hie dog thai nil him." and so—another pipe before work—By Leonard hemming in London Daily Mail.