A group of famous French writers and artists, including Théophile Gautier, Charles Baudelaire, Eugène Delacroix and Alexandre Dumas, experimented with hash in Paris in the mid-19th century. They had heard about the drug from French soldiers who had been stationed in North Africa. The exotic drug was also described in detail in the incredibly popular stories of the One Thousand and One Nights. This artistic elite was curious about mystical experiences, the dream world, and the ability to transcend reality by eating or smoking hash. They called themselves the Hashish Club and produced accounts, both positive and critical, of their monthly sessions in various articles and books.