“ ‘ “It is impossible to give, with any exactness, the number of persons present at these customary festivals; but seeing that every guest has his portion of opium served out to him, it may be taken for granted that no one who has the slightest right to be present, fails to avail himself of it. At the opening of every cave eight kedawangs are served out, and when the ropes are fastened another eight kedawangs are paid.”
“ ‘During the ingathering of the nests—but how shall I get through it all? Let me try to be brief. The loerah of Goewah Jedeh gets 76, the loerah of Goewah Dahar gets 64, the one at Goewah Mandoe Loro 44, and the other loerahs receive 40 kedawangs apiece. The toekans of these caves receive each 54, the bekels 24, and the sekeps each 12 kedawangs of opium.
“ ‘But even this is not all. The dessas in which the ladders are made are paid in opium, the persons appointed to mount guard over the nests when they are gathered receive their pay in opium. The transmission of the produce, the carrying to and fro of orders, the return of the ladders, the guarding of the caves—everything—everything—is paid with the same fatal drug. In one word, the entire thing is simply an opium debauch on a colossal scale; and it is the surest means of accustoming the people to the use of the deadly narcotic. But—why should I further dilate upon this matter, my letter is already, I fear, too long and I have still to communicate to you certain things which I know will be of the greatest interest to you.’ ”
“Is there much more of the letter?” asked Grashuis.
“Yes, I have some pages more to read,” replied van Rheijn.
“You have given us quite a budget already,” remarked van Beneden.
“True; but it is extremely interesting,” said Grenits.
“By Jove, those Poles know how to make use of their eyes.”
“He has learnt that lesson from the Germans, you know they steal with their eyes.”
“True, witness the Franco-German war in which the Teutons proved that they knew more about France than the French authorities themselves.”