OPIUM TRADE. 25 



is entirely — not the least extraordinary part of 

 the affair — carried on by an illicit trade.* 



The payments are usually made, if to any ex- 

 tent, in Sycee silver, which is taken by weight, 

 no silver coinage being acknowledged by the 

 Chinese government. The Chinese purchasers 

 of the opium refine it by boiling, previous to 

 using it for smoking : the mandarins, besides 

 smoking, use it also in the form of tincture, 

 usually carrying a small bottle containing it 

 about them. The present Emperor of China has 

 been described as being totally incapacitated 

 from any business, through the excess to which 

 he has carried the debilitating practice of opium 

 smoking. 



I took several opportunities of making her- 

 borisatiojis about the hills in this harbour ; and 



* At one time, during a rebellion in China, the emperor's 

 troops lost courage, (which to us must appear a wonderful 

 event among Chinese,) and would not proceed against the 

 rebels : this called forth from the emperor the following pub- 

 lic rebuke : — " The emperor rebukes very sharply all the 

 governors of the Chih-sang provinces, from which authority 

 emanates, on account of their negligence in attending to the 

 state of the military under iheir jurisdiction. He makes par- 

 ticular mention of the prevalent use of opium among the 

 Canton military, and of the misconduct of the Ho, nan troops 

 on their road to Fuh, keen."' — Canton Register, No. 13, 14, 

 16th Sept. 1833. 



