Generally abstemious Character of the Chinese. 5 1 9 



Papaver somnifcrum, was, as every one knows, up to quite a 

 recent period, a monopoly of the Anglo-Indian Government, 

 by whom it was cultivated under the superintendence of 

 agents in the various provinces of Hindostan, and sold to the 

 trade by public auction in large quantities at a time in the 

 markets of Calcutta and Bombay. It seems to fulfil among 

 the Chinese the function of the various spirituous liquors of 

 Europe; at least every attempt to introduce among the 

 Chinese a taste for ale, whisky, sherry, port, champagne, and 

 claret, has hitherto entirely failed. Indeed there is pro- 

 bably no country of the globe where, in proportion to popula- 

 tion, there is so little spirituous liquor introduced as into China, 

 what is imported being almost exclusively for the consump- 

 tion of foreigners. The Chinese is emphatically a born ''tee- 

 totaller," or friend of abstemiousness, for the native drinks, 

 substitutes for wine, which are obtained chiefly from rice 

 and millet, are only used on special occasions, and then only 

 in small quantities. During oiu' entire stay in Chinese 

 waters, we never saw one single Chinese drunk, and heard in 

 every quarter that any such cases are rare and quite excep- 

 tional. On the other hand, the consumption of opium is 

 continually increasing, and the quantity of solidified poppy- 

 juice annually imported amounts to from 75,000 to 80,000 

 chests, which at current rates represent a value of from 

 £7,500,000 to £10,000,000. There are four descriptions of 

 opium that come to the Chinese market, viz. Benares {Ku- 

 ni), Patna (Kwij-ni), Malwa (Peh-pi), and Tm'kish {Kiii-ni 



