TRADE.
Foreign.
Coastwise.
Inland.
Trans-
frontier.
88
Extracted from the Dictionary of
PAPAVER
somniferum.
Trade in Opium.
IMPORTS.— India imports but a very small amount of opium from
foreign countries; during the past five years the imports have amounted to
about 250lb, valued at between R3,500 and R4,100. Of these foreign im
- p o r t s n o n e a p p e a r s t o b e r e - e x p o r t e d . EXPORTS.—Of the exports to foreign countries of Indian opium the
following table may be given for the traffic during the past five years:-
1885-86.
1886-87.
1887-88.
1888-89.
1889-90.
Chests
87,956
95,839 90,096
87,789
85,166
Weighing Cwt.
120,995
131,630
125,871
122,60
118,598
Value in Rupees 10,73,55,180
1 1 , 0 7 , 7 6 , 6 8 9 1 0 , 0 6 , 7 7 , 6 3 6 10,50,80,808 10,11,59,362
The table in the previous page exhibits the countries to which the above
opium was consigned, and the present table has been given to show the
weight of the chests and their declared values.
COASTWISE TRAFFIC.—The chief items of this trade in the year 1889-90
were the exports from Bombay to Madras and from Bombay to the
Native States of Cutch, Kathywar, and Travancore. Last year, for ex
-ample, Bombay sent to Madras opium to the value of R56,591, to Cutch
R1,26,875, to Kathywar R655, and to Travancore R130,500. These are
apparently commercial transactions. Under the heading Government
Stores entries also occur in the Annual Statements of the Trade and Navi
- g a t i o n o f B r i t i s h I n d i a C o a s t w i s e .The following were the chief transac
-tions: —Bengal exported opium to the value of R15,57,668, of which Burma
took R11,20,560. and ports within Bengal itself the remainder. Bombay
exported opium to the value of R1, 96, 330, of which R1, 90, 638 went to
Sind, and the balance to ports within the Presidency. The supplies for
Madras do not appear to be drawn from Government Stores; they have
already been recorded under general mercantile coastwise transactions.
INLAND TRADE—During the year 1888-8o (the most recent year for
which returns are available) Bengal imported from the North-West
Provinces and Oudh opium to the value of R3,16,100, the North-West
Provinces imported from Bengal R ,240 the Central Provinces imported
R2,24,750 from the North-West Provinces, and Assam imported R 1,08.900
worth from Calcutta. These were the chief transactions by land routes be
-tween British Provinces, but from Rájputana and Central India the fol
- l o w i n g a m o u n t s o f o p i u m w e r e c o n s i g n e d t o B r i t i s h P r o v i n c e s : — M a d r a s
R6,11,2 worth, Bombay R4,24,532 worth, the North-West Provinces
R 6 , 9 6 0 w o r t h , t h e C e n t r a l P r o v i n c e s R 1 , 9 2 0 w o r t h , a n d B e r a r R 2 , 2 1 , 3 1 8
worth. The imports into the chief seaports furnish the supply from which
the foreign exports arc mainly drawn. Calcutta received from Bengal
opium to the value of R1,89,57.620, and from the North.West Provinces
R2,07,32,970 worth. Bombay drew its supplies mainly from Rájputana
and Central India, namely, opium to the value of R4.65,81,524.
The movements of opium by land routes and coast wise convey a fairly
accurate conception of the Indian consumption. The amounts recorded
above in money value, less the imports into the chief port towns (which
met foreign marks chiefly), were the interprovincial adjustments to meet
the Indian consumption.
TRANS-FRONTIER LAND TRAFFIC.—This is comparatively unimportant,
though it gives considerable trouble, since large quantities are constantly