54 PAPAVERACE^. 



furnishes important supplies. Mr. Edkins the well-known missionary- 

 has lately pointed out from personal observation^ the extensive cultiva- 

 tion of the poppy in the north-eastern province of Shantung. 



Opium of very fair quality is now produced about Ninguta (lat. 44°) 

 in north-eastern Manchuria, a region having a rigorous winter climate. 

 Consul Adkins of Newchwang who visited this district in 1871, reports 

 that the opium is inspissated in the sun until hard enough to be 

 wrapped in poppy leaves, and that its price on the spot is equal to about 

 Is, per ounce.^ 



Shensi opium is said to be the best, then that of Yunnan. But Chinese 

 consumers mostly regard home-grown opium as inferior in strength 

 and flavour, and only fit for use when mixed with the Indian drug.^ 



It must not be supposed that the growing of opium in China has 

 passed unnoticed by the Chinese Government. Whatever may be the 

 nature of the sanction now accorded to this branch of industry, it was 

 " rigorously " prohibited, at least in some provinces, about ten years ago, 

 the effect of the prohibition being to stimulate the foreign importations. 

 Thus at Shanghai in 1865, the importation of Benares opium was 2637 

 peculs,^ being more than double that of the previous year, and Persian 

 opium, very rarely seen before, was imported to the extent of 533 

 peculs, besides about 70 peculs of Turkish.^ 



Of the growth of the trade in opium between India and China, the 

 following figures'^ will give some idea : value of exports in 



1852-53 — £6,470,915. 1861-63 — £9,704,972. 1871-72 — £11,605,577. 



and' 



In 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 



Chests opium, . 93,364 82,908 88,727 94,746 88,350 



Value, . . £13,365,228 11,426,280 11,341,857 11,956,972 11,148,426 



In 1877 the imports of opium in Hong Kong were stated to consist 

 of 6818 peculs, valued at 2,880,665 taels, coming from Patna (2158 

 peculs), Benares (3596 peculs), Persia (1041 peculs), Malwa (10 peculs), 

 Turkey (3^ peculs). In the same year 4043 peculs of opium were 

 imported in Amoy. 



Poppy cultivation in the south-west of China has been briefly 

 described by Thorel,'' from whose remarks it would appear to be exactly 

 like that of India. The poppy is white-flowered; the head is wounded 

 with a three-bladed knife, in a series of 3 to 5 vertical incisions, and the 

 exuded juice is scraped off and transferred to a small pot suspended at 

 the waist. How the drug is finished off we know not. A Chinese 

 account states simply that the best opium is sun-dried. But little is 

 known of its physical and chemical properties. Thorel speaks of it 

 as a soft substance resembling an extract. Dr. R. A. Jamieson* describes 



1 Ncyrth China Herald, June 28, 1873. the Governor-General, Calcutta, 1872—199. 



^ Reports of H.M. Consuls in China, 1871 ® Statistical Abstract relating to British 



(No. 3, 1872), 1874 (No. 5, 1875), p. 4, 23. India from 1866-67 to 1875-76. London, 



3 Oue pecul = 133^ lb. 1877, pp. 51, 53. 



* Reports on the Trade at the Treaty "^ Notes midicales du voytuje d'explora- 

 Ports in China for 1865. 125. tion du Mekong et de Cochinchine,Varis,lS70. 



* Taken from the Annual Statement of 23. 



the Trade and Navigation of British India ^ Report on the Trade of Hanlcoiv, before 



with foreign countries, published by oi'der of quoted. 



