Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1840-04-11

/ 81 70 oEe"os = WFtvF HI bHg INV
York Juafnsi Of Commerce who was engasst
SOME year. siure in The Opium trade win, China
gives eli account II Tho maaaer In which ID,
traffic was conducted. The drug IL delivered u
smuggling boats generally n. night from on boaft
the American or Btitish vessels lying Off th,
coast. Tho article being contracted for al Tan
tor, the purchaser sends his order Though III,
agent for whatever quantity is purchased. Thu
order Il brought BY 4 Chinese who sees to III,
weighing and packing Of the opium 10 bundle.
Of forty pounds each, for the convenience of ca
sy handling each bundle being marked and
sealed, TO denote the t%tanefer Of ownership. The
drug Ia then let on board to DO called for nj nigh
OF when a favorable opportunity oilers. The
boa,s Deed for smuggling are long aud narrow
each is fowcd by forty oars, OF sometimes by 4.
na,'y ns sixty the csews heins armed are pre-
pared for resisting the Mar DARN or revenue boats
with which a. times they have very saneuinsry
conflicts.
The extent TO which the Opium trade was cat
riea on may be- estimated from tho facts that feet,
amounting 10 eish, or twelve sail from $50 IL
400 tons each. might be seen lyins II ono point,
all having carsoes Of opium. The Chinese var
vessels caused little or no dead to tho foreign
ships. The former ore clumsily bull, and carry
their cannon fixed upon stationary logs, being
msnncd by pefsonages desia nsted as .ringsailed
menkrys'-akhough no doubt geauino sons Of
tue Celestial Empirc.--rheir awkwardness and
inefieicney are matters Of ridicule to the sturdy
crews Of the American aud British traders. On
one occasion when an American vessel was or.
desed by the Grand Admiral 10 depart, the Grand
Admiral was told to 90 10 a certain u%ncornfor,a.
bic place which i. ia unnecessary farther to de-.
sisna,e. Upon this the high p~o,en,ato advised
bis American friend not to make a bob5ery, aud
being Of q peaceable disposition he departed him.
self, leaving the other to his own obstinacy.
The mode Of using opium among tho Chinese
is not merely to mix i. with tobacco and smoke
1t through a pipe stem. The veteran opium
smokers draw it, hot in small pills, through q tube
or reed. The quantity taken by an old smoker in
twenty four hours, would suffice it is said to kill
two or three yankees, IL taken in the same space
OF time. Ths habi. Of using the drug when once
acquired eau hardly be thrown Of. It's deleteri.
Gus effects are terrible. Any one who begins to
lake opium at twenty mus! scarcely expect 10 live
longer than TO the age Of thirty. or from thai. to
'hir'y-six. A frishtful paIIidness Of coun,enance
distinguishes the unfortunate subject; loss of
memory follows; aud the victim wastes away in
a Kind OF marasmas. Towards the end of their
career the opium eaters experience violent pains
and are gnawed by a constant hunger; their "a.
vori,e narcotic no longer affords a soothing in.
auence, they become CHASTITY spectacles, the
wholesome springs Of life are dried up, aud they
finger on for a short time in an unnatural ex.
issence supported by an artificial excitement.
The efforts Of the Chinese Government. TO
suppress the Opium trade are worthy Of all COM
menda,ion. L, is only to be regretted tina. these
efforts were not made sooner, and that they are
carried out so inef'iciently. The sincerity and
disenterestedness Of the Chinese authorities may
be seen in the fact that Of tbs large amount of
opium taken fron, the English merchants amount.
ing in value TO 20 millions. not o particle was
approariated.o the imperial revenue; but the
whole was des.royed. It is only the weakness
Of the Government, which borders on imbeciIi,y
in its dealings with foreign nations, that takes
away from The high moral elevation Of HE course
the Chinese have pursued.
Baltimore american.