opium may be denominated an article of Imtiryj 

 an encroafiliing nature. Men partake of it in order to procure 

 a inonient^g enjoyment, but thej do not know lhatit makes 

 gradual inroads on the conetitution, and extends its injury 

 to a future day. For the corporeal energies of m&n are like 

 the rays of tlie sun and moon, the soothing influenceB of which 

 cause all things to attain growth and vigour ; but the fire 

 of optunn IB like a midnight blaze upon the hills, burn- 

 ing up and destroying every thing with which it comes in 

 contact ; whoever consumes much of this drug becomes 

 meagre and emaciated, he is indisposed for active exertion, 

 and [lis countenance assumes a pale and sombre hue. His 

 corporeal enef^ies being enfeebled, he can no longer increase 

 and multiply, and though he may have progeny they soon 

 sicken a^d die. Having long indulged the habir. he wishes 

 in vain to relinquish it, but he cannot help continuing the 

 piactice, until hia family fs ruined and his property wasted; 

 then worms arc engendered, and the marrow is dried up, yea 

 every kind of frightful diseaee cornea on, for which rr^edi. 

 cine afford* no remedy. In every case it ia the same. At the 

 flame time Europeans forbid their people the tise of this drug, 

 and severely punish thoac who offend ; how m k then that we 

 Chinese, together with the Javanese, are so thoughtless as to 

 fall into the snare ! In this scheme of the Europeans they 

 seem to have laid a foundation not to be rooted up for a myriad 

 of years ; having done which, they live at their eaae, with- 

 out dread of dan^r, white they give themeelvea up to the 

 work of fleecing the people. We of the flowery nation^ c^^ming 

 from a distance to traffic here, were formerly allowed to take 

 the proceeds of our commercejand either l ay in a new stock, 

 or carry back the hard caslt to our native land, as we found 

 it convenient. But affer atime it was strictly forbidden to 

 export silver from the colonyj and we were compeHed to ex- 

 pend cur profits in the purchasa of goods, before we could 

 spread our sails, and return. Moreover the return carg«>es 



