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CHAPTER XV.

Opium-Gambling-Dishonoured merchant at Shang-hae-Dishonesty in traders-Moral and physical effects of the trade-Punishment for violation of law-Opium clippers-Opium a revenue to Hong-Kong— Consumption and cultivation of Opium-Religious and moral obligation of England.

THE trade in opium is of the most fearful nature, degrading to all who are engaged in it, and the pursuit of which is violation of every law, both human and divine. It fosters and developes every evil passion the human breast is heir to, amongst which gambling, lying, and fraud, are the most glaring, and according to the Chinese proverb, "Misfortune and poverty, sooner or later, overtake all those engaged in it." The horrors and evils of this traffic are such, as to render it unbecoming Great Britain, as a Christian nation, to sanction, encourage, or permit its continuance, whatever may be the apparent profit to her merchants. To furnish poison to the multitude, be the gain what it may, is a crime against humanity, which cries aloud to those in power to prohibit, and arrest the destroyer: and woe be to the mighty, if they put not forth their strength to stay the human sacrifice.

It is no less incredible than true that men of correct

moral sensibilities and enlightened minds, should become so morbid through habit and the love of gold, as to embark in a smuggling trade, the magnitude of which alone lends dignity to the undertaking, and which if attempted by uneducated individuals, and upon a smaller scale, they would be the first to condemn.

Before the article reaches the Celestial Empire "Great gambling is carried on in India in the drug, —some speculate for a rise in price, others for a fall, -similar to Stock Exchange gambling here. The opium sale at Calcutta on the 30th November (1846) was stopped by two natives bidding against each other, until the price rose, it is said, to 130,995 rupees per chest! such is the Christian government we have in India."*

A disgraceful occurrence, which recently took place at Shang-hae, will show how all feelings of honor and probity, when the trade in opium is carried on, are sacrificed. A merchant, formerly connected with the corporation of the city of London, commenced building a fourteen-oared boat, which, from its peculiar construction, was suspected by the mandarins to be intended. for the smuggling trade, as it was a description of boat rarely used for any other purpose. The mandarins complained to the British Consul, who immediately sent for the merchant in question, and informed him of the charge which had been preferred against him. He at once declared, upon his honor, that he was only building a pleasure-boat; the Consul therefore felt satisfied by this declaration and informed

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the mandarin, that the building of the boat must proceed. The Chinese authorities were not so easily satisfied, and insisted that a native merchant should become security, in a heavy penalty, that the boat should solely be used for the alleged purpose.

The boat was built, and used two or three times, as a pleasure-boat, and it proved to be the fastest boat which had ever been seen in those parts. What, however, was the indignation of the Consul, when he learned some time after, that the boat had been seized during the night, heavily laden with opium? It was afterwards discovered, that it had been constantly employed in this manner from the time it was first launched. To the credit of all the British in Shanghae, it should be mentioned, that they instantly renounced the acquaintance of the dishonored merchant -not on account of the opium smuggling, which possibly they might not have objected to-but because he had pledged his honor to a direct falsehood. It is almost needless to add, that the Chinese merchant forfeited the sum for which he had become security; but it is to be presumed that he had an adequate share in the speculation.

Our smuggling princes, however, are not contented with the enormous prices obtained for the opium (varying from six hundred to one thousand dollars per chest for the Mul-wa, which is of inferior quality, the Patna always fetching a much higher price), they must need resort to fraud, by packing a chest with rubbish, and placing a layer of opium-balls upon the top; and thus when a Chinese smuggler comes on board a receiving-ship, or clipper, to purchase the contraband

poison, he is compelled to take this bag, or chest, without examining its contents-compelled, we say, because, as a smuggler infringing the laws of his own country, he can have no appeal. But on the other hand, the British merchant is secured against fraud, by the employment of a schroff, or person whose sole business it is to assay Sycee silver and dollars; and no opiumchest is allowed to go over the side of the vessel, until the whole value in silver has passed through his hands. We were informed by a gentleman who was long in the employment of one of the richest houses in China, that when he received the chests on board his clipper, they were not more than half full of opium, and that he took very good care that they should not be more than a quarter full when he sold them. The commander of a receiving-ship at Whampoa boasted, in our presence, that there were several hundred chests on board his ship, which purported to be filled with opium, but in reality the quantity which they contained would not amount to fifty chests. We do not mean to accuse all the merchants engaged in this nefarious traffic of such gross dishonesty, but these practices are constantly resorted to on board receivingships and clippers.

Immediately before Government issued their order to the British to deliver up their property in opium, for which an indemnity was secured to them, a Chinaman, named A-chan-y-ok, relying on British probity, placed a quantity of opium, for security, on board a clipper belonging to one of the richest houses in China; all the opium on board the clipper in question, including that of A-chan-y-ok, was surrendered without

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delay after the order. The owner of the clipper received compensation for the whole of this abominable cargo, which was entered in his own name; he refused, however, to render any account to the Chinaman for his share, who was compelled, in 1845, to commence legal proceedings for the recovery of his own portion of the indemnity.

Mr. Martin, in his admirable work on China, after shewing the enormous amounts realized by British merchants in this nefarious trade (the profits of Jardine, Matheson, & Co., in thirty years, having been three millions sterling), and after describing the seamanship of the commanders and crews of the vessels engaged in the abominable and disgraceful traffic, and the excellent description of the clippers, or fast-sailing vessels, which are employed, remarks at page 259:— "It is painful to see qualities so useful, directed to such pernicious purposes. A similar remark may be made with reference to those engaged in the opiumtrade in China; who have several excellent characteristics, are prompt in kindly acts, and imbued with strong national feelings. The late Mr. Jardine was a good example of his class: originally a naval surgeon, his quick and calculating mind led him early to perceive the great wealth that might be made in China from opium. To this object he devoted all his time and singular energies for about twenty years, and then returned to England, with a fortune of more than a million sterling. He lived but a short period for its enjoyment; died from a most excruciating and lingering disease; and bequeathed his vast wealth in an equitable manner among his nephews and nieces.