IN SINGAPORE 
23 
himself that he is merely supplying an article of luxury, much less 
pernicious than ardent spirits, and finally the Government, seeing and 
feeling that the income to be derived from its use is great and conve¬ 
nient, have ears, but hear not of its evils, and they lay the flattering 
unction to their souls, that if they did not tax it the consumption 
would he greater and therefore the evil would be increased. 
All these parties err from ignorance ; charity compels mo to think 
they know no better ; but that such au excuse may not serve for the 
future, I will briefly transcribe from my notes, taken on the spot, 
the ipsedixit statements of persons who, themselves Opium smokers, 
can best express their feelings, and paint their miseries. 
June 25th. Visited in company with the agent of the Opium far¬ 
mer 4 Opium shops, found them filled with Chinese except one which 
Bad in addition 7 Malays and natives of India. Amongst these were 
3 tailors; one woman 30 years old, was there smoking her pipe,—she 
had been in the habit of doing so for 3 years at the rate of 3 boons 
daily,—before she commenced the habit of smoking had children but 
none since,—thinks that it is owing tp the bad habit,—would like 
much to give up but is frightened. She states that no one who has 
smoked for a long period can have children, and her testimony was cor¬ 
roborated by all around, who were miserable diseased looking objects. 
One Malay learned the habit when off the Cape of Good Hope and 
while in Lodon bought the drug very cheap. One tailor receives % 
7 per mensem and spends % 4 in Opium. 
30th. Visited two shops. In the first were about 50 smoking. Af¬ 
ter examining these went up stairs and found it divided into sleeping 
apartments,—saw one female on a bed with two men. They were 
smoking from one pipe the one after the other, the female filling 
for them. Presently the party was joined by a second female, The 
first female had been a smoker for only 10 months, the second for 
10 years, both complained of the bad effects of the habit,—the second 
female had 4 children, 3 were dead,—when young had abundance of 
milk, but had none for the two last children, from which cause they 
were sickly and died. In the morning when she awakes, she says, 
I feel as “ one dead, I cannot do any thing until the pipe is consura- 
