The situation in this district as regards the growing of opium is much better than reported in our last letter. The official has issued some very strong proclamations. He was out in the country to the south of the river for about six weeks. It is reported that he had two objects in view. One was to root out the opium which had been planted and the other was-to collect money for the troops. He is said to have been very successful in the latter object and that the military are well pleased with him, and don't want to see him leave the place. While he was out to the south, the judge was out to the north. Very little opium has been planted to the north of the river. I have travelled both to the north and the south of the river in this district and have not seen any growing. There does not seen to be much effort made to stop the smoking, however. On a recent trip to the country in a small town I went through a building containing number of beds where they wera smoking the drug Pipes and lamps are constantly seen on the streets here for sale.
The reports of robbers are more and more frequent although the condition of the country is better than it was a year ago. There seem to be more robbers in the winter time. A few cases of people wrounded by bandits have passed through the hospital lately.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.