NOTK. 43 



authorities at Canton began to complain of rapid increase in the trade in Opium. 

 In 1SOO there was an edict issued prohibiting Opium from being brought to China i 1800. 

 in any ship. It was from this time that tin- miv distinctly smuggling period 

 coiiimein ([. 1 1 \\.is a contraband trade, but connived at by Viceroys and Governors; 

 they t'clt M ditlii ulty, and concluded not to touch the evil with any firm intention 

 to heal. II'\v t" tivat it they knew not. The evil grew beyond their power of 

 control. They regarded it as the "vile dirt of Foreign countries;" they feared it 

 would spread amonjr all the people of the inner land, wasting their time and 

 destroying their property; they advocated tin prohibition of the trade, and the 

 rnment consented to their advice, and frequently issued prohibitory edicts, but 

 too often sunn- of the officials themselves smoked, or their nearest friends smoked, 

 and so the. hand of interference was paralysed; and the demand for Opium con- 

 tinuing, the import was never seriously checked till the time of LIN Tsfi-Hsu and 

 the war of 1841. 



33. 



In the geographical work Hai-kuo-t'u-chih the following remarks also occur, submenu in 



HaU-vo-t'u-ckih. 



In the year 1796 a prohibitory edict was received, but the official authorities at 

 Canton still allowed Opium-receiving ships to anchor at Whampoa at a distance 

 of only 4 English miles from the city. From this time smuggling proceeded year Local rrnge- 



ment in 1822. 



by year unchecked till 1822, when a local arrangement was decided on, according 

 to the terms of which a charge was made of a regular amount on each chest ; of 

 this the officers, from the Viceroy downwards, whether civil or military, at the port 

 connected with shipping all received a share. Most of this went to the office of 

 the Superintendent. Some received it on board the ships, and others in the 

 city of Canton. These sums were paid regularly month by month to the Chinese 

 officers. In some cases Opium itself was given, instead of silver, in large and 

 small portions. On each occasion of this kind one or more chests would be given, 

 and sometimes as many as 150 chests. This irregular and illicit mode of proceeding 

 lasted till the year 1840. 



