178 THE OPIUM TRADE. 



heart famishing in that ditch, be driven to a step of dire 

 revenge, and shoots the author of his wrongs, it is not 

 that miserable wretch who commits the murder, oh no, 

 it is the IRISH ! Of the numerous murders committed in 

 England we hear little but, when they are commented 

 on, it is the individual who committed the murder, and 

 not the English. In like manner, are the Chinese mis 

 represented. But for an account of that people I appeal 

 to the French nation, who are alone acquainted with 

 their histories and writings, and have a friendly inter 

 course with them. There are none of the Eastern races 

 so docile, so cleanly, and industrious as the Chinese 

 and none carry improvements so far, wherever they mi 

 grate. Rarely, or ever, is a Chinaman found, of the 

 great number of them in Calcutta, before a criminal court 

 of justice ; and even before they would take another be 

 fore the courts, they would forgive him the offence he 

 committed against them, or rescind the debt that might 

 be due to them, although they are but shoe-makers gen 

 erally, who are in that city. 



The population of China in 1812 was 361,000,000 of 

 inhabitants. Say the increase since in each decade is ten 

 per cent, and say four decades, or forty years, up to 1852, 

 it would give her 537,320,700 of souls. They require 

 clothing of all kinds, cotton and woollens ; they require 

 rice, wheat, flour, &c. They hardly have any timber 

 to pack even their teas in, or to build the myriads 

 of junks employed in carrying salt and grain for that 

 population ; even frequently their coffins are made of 

 bamboo work. But China is paralysed by the drain of 

 some 45,000,000 yearly of dollars for poison, and which 

 reduces millions of her people to be a burden on her. This 



