The Opium Trade; Including a Sketch of Its History, Extent, Effects, Etc., as Carried on in India and China (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1853 edition. Excerpt: ... out in chests and cases to the Chinese junks, to be retailed at various points on shore. The Merope, Capt. Parkyns, in 1821, was the first ship that commenced the system' of delivering opium at different cities along the coast of China, and from that time, the trade increased with wonderful rapidity. Eligible places also on the east and north-east coast of China were selected to station receiving vessels, to which the Chinese might easily have access, and become participators in the trade. Mr. James Holman, in his " Travels in China," page 162, describes the trade in 1830, as follows: --"At half-past one P. M., we anchored off the S. "W. side of the Island ofLintin, where the foreign vessels engaged in the opium trade remained stationed, and we found the following ships lying at anchor: the Merope, Parkyns; Samaranny, Grant, James Crockett; Jannisena, Hector; the American ships, Scattergood, Tartar, Lintin, Margaret Forbes, and Terrier, brigantine; the Portuguese ships Don Manuel and brig Letitia; the Danish brig Dansborg and the French ship La Rose. After breakfast, Capt. Gove invited me to accompany him on a visit to some of the floating opium stores, which several of the vessels may justly be considered, as they remain in China all the year round to facilitate the importation of this article by receiving it from that class of vessels called opium runners. I examined specimens of the drug, made up into balls and cakes, and packed in cases; however, the smugglers generally remove it from the ship in bags, in which it is more easily conveyed to the junks outside the port, and also for subsequent transportation by land. Their smuggling boats are of an amazing length, and generally pull from forty to fifty oars. Their weapons of defence are...