Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/273

 valley of the Hoang-ho were planted in the midst of thick cane brake and tall rushes to hide them from official scrutiny. Not that the officials destroy the forbidden crop, they only extort a large bribe from its owner as a penalty for his contraband cultivation.

The custom of smoking opium has spread rapidly from the Chinese to the neighbouring Mongols, but has not yet penetrated into the remoter parts of Mongolia. Opium-smokers have such a passion for their poison that they cannot exist without it even for a few days. It injuriously affects the whole organism. Every opium-smoker may be at once known by his pale, prematurely old face and attenuated body. I myself once tried smoking a little opium: it produced no effect whatever on me, and its taste reminded me of burnt feathers.

From our camp on the bank of the little river Tahilga we daily sallied forth on scientific and shooting excursions, and in the hottest weather rested and often bathed. Our Cossacks were afraid of indulging in the last-named pleasure for fear of the river-tortoises. The Mongols attribute peculiar magic powers to these creatures, and in proof of their assertion show you some Tibetan letters which they say are marked underneath the body. They frightened our Cossacks by telling them that the tortoise fixes on to the bodies of persons bathing with such a firm grip that it is impossible to make it let go. The only remedy in such case is to