Searles & I, hearing that “Manuel”, a Chino merchant, was going to be pinched for running gambling house, gave him warning so that when Lt. Dent and his little squad arriaved all he found was a few Chinos sitting around talking. As a consequence we, Searles & I, are little tin gods among the Chinos and in proof ther of were invited to hit the pipe, and in accordance with my policy of trying everything I came across, I accepted the invitation and almost Choked to death. Don’t think I ever will be an opium Fiend. The pipe (quaco) lookes like a top stuck On a section of fish pole. The opium is stuck on the top of the “bowl?” in the shape of a cone after being cooked. To cook the opium a long wire like a knitting needle (yen hock) is dipped in the liquid “dope” and then held over the flame of the camp until it bubbles when it is rolled down on the thumb. This operation is repeated until a “pill” the size of a bean is cooked and is then stuck on the bowl. It is pressed into a cone with the thumb and finger; The wire pulled out and it is then ready to smoke. The smoker lays on his side holding the pipe just far enough from the blaze to keep it from blazing and inhales the smoke of the smoldering, bubbling, pill, exhaling it through the nose in a steady stream.
