MDDM: ch. 67 "Garden Pests"

[Terrance]

> The narrator's elaboration of Dixon's comment that "*Dagga* hath many
> mysteries" implies that there eventually is a bit of a pot ("peace-pipe"?)
> session between the "Indians!" and the two surveyors, and which is what ties
> it back to the scene at Mount Vernon. The narrator sez: "One [mystery]
> being, that talking about things, while not exactly causing them to happen,
> does cause something,-- which is almost the same, though not quite. Unless
> it is possible to smoke a Potatoe." (655.26-29) This is yet another example
> where the narrator is fairly obviously not Wicks, imo.


I think Wicks narrates the chapter up to this point. Once the dagga is
introduced another narrator takes over. The attitude, the syntax, the
punctuation, the religious ambiguities, lots of clues tell me that his
dagga episode is not narrated by Wicks. 

I think the boys smoke dagga. The talk is pot head talk: giant buds and
people living on pot plants and the like. Consider what is happening to
these boys, they are at the edge of something and on edge, all are a
bit  paranoid and trust is breaking down, crew members are "deserting"
and the boys are engaged in some pretty serious (although Dixon is
trying to lighten things up with his skyfishing) talk about god/gods and
the soul...and this dagga fantasy seems to provide, if only temporarily,
some relief. Although it doesn't help poor Mason all that much. 
Poor Charles, the magic round him only erupts volcanically in his dreams
and when the wind blows him mad.