THE LAST OF THE OPIUM SMUGGLERS. 
85 
Taking dinner one day Avitli Dr. Little, we were 
associated with a Captain and Mrs. Francis, the former 
of whom I could not but admire as a bold seaman and 
successful trader, while the latter challenged the admira- 
tion of every one by her extreme beauty and elegance of 
manner. They w^ere the last of their band, — this opium- 
smuggler and his beautiful wife. 
“ Why don’t you give up the trade, Francis?” asked 
the doctor. “Don’t you see that your brig is the only 
one left out of twenty-two sail? and don’t you know 
that all are beggars who have gone before you ?” 
“No; I don’t know any thing of the sort,” replied 
Francis. “There is , and , who are comfort- 
able yet; and I have got some thousands of pounds 
myself to fall back upon when I break down. As long 
as the brig lasts I’m bound to hang by her.” 
I looked at his wife, and I thought I saw a brightening 
of the eye and a swelling of the breast as he thus spoke of 
the future. I looked at him, and saw the last of a resolute 
and desperate band who for years had defied the Chinese 
authorities and held the slow poison to the lips of the 
opium-smoker. I looked, and knew not whether most 
to admire or condemn this the last of those resolute 
adventurers, half merchant-captains, half pirates, who 
had for years devoted themselves to the perilous service 
of the Calcutta and Bombay merchants. Here is what 
that service was : — 
The demand for opium in China caused great quanti- 
ties of it to bo shipped from Calcutta and Bombay. The 
Chinese authorities, seeing the injury it was efl^ecting on 
the whole nation, stationed war-junks along their coasts 
