Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-08-04
MISCELLANEOUS READING.
THE CHINESE PASSION FOR OPIUM.

TIE CHINESE PASSlON FUN OPlUM.
A Chinese correspondent thus hits of the
passion of the Celestisls for the sleepy drug:
Yet there never was found, in any age or
IN any cline, u tribe, race, or nation,
which had not some stimulsnt i'm which they
hahitually indulged. Mrs. Chinaman takes
her muniungus; her husband varies the same
pleasure with AL occasional Whit Of the
stronger narcotic. wish he would drink
beer or whrskey or gin, or British brandy,
for they are nil recognized means of intoxica
ton, and British manufactures But he
stradiastly retuses-Que voulez vous? II est
ialt CONNIE celia. A Chnaman loves opium rs
he loves nothing else. The head Of Parsee
house at Hong koug was 80 civil rs to take
me in his warehouse and to open two chests
Of opium, that ght see the drug rs it pass
the size of large apple dumping, and when
cut open the mass WAS found " be solid; the
other was full of objects which commander
in the navy not long since ordered his men
to return to the owners of a captured junk.
"Arn't you ashamed, my lads, to loot lot of
miserable Dutch cheesel" The Dutch
cheeses' were fine Patna opium worth about
Is each. They are globes Of thick dark Jelly
enclosed in crust, not unlike the rind OF
cheese.
My Parsee acquaintance tapped one with
fragment of an iron fastening Of chest,
and drew forth about spoonful of the evil
smelling drug. 1t WAS not the opium which
engaged my attention: it was the effect pro-
duced by it upon the surrounding coolies
| never before SAW real excitement upon
Chinamari's face I've seen them tried for
their lives and condemned to death, aud I've
seen them test the long-sutfering patience OF
Mr.. Tudor Daveis in the Hong Kong Police
court, where that gentleman is daily engaged
in laborivus endeavors to extract truth out OF
conflicting lies. I've seen them laugh hearth
ly ut al obscene gesture ut singsong, and
/ once saw witness grin with great delight
as he Unexpectedly recognised his most init
mate friend II tradesman OF reputed wealth,
among a crowd of prisoners in the dock
But these coolies, when they saw that opium.
opened their horizontal, slit shaped eyes, till
they grew round and starting, their limbs, SO
lax aud imped when not in actual strain OF
labor, were stiff from excitement, every head
WAS pressed forward, every hand seemed
ready to clutch. There was possibility
that it would be put down upon the window
sill near which we were standing. could
SEQ the shadow of figures ready to slide in.-
1t was almost certain that it would be thrown
aside-there was the grand hope Of an opium
dsbauch gratis and this was the state OF mind
that hope created. The Chinese governments
have long ceased to strive against this pas
sion for opium. doubt whether they really
ever did strive against it. At one time, when
the balance of the trade was against China.
the opium was drawing the Sycee silver out
of the country, and Lin thought It absolute
ly necessary as matter Of State policy to
stop the traffic. A Chinese official Is the
Joseph Surface of diplomacy; be his deeds
good Or evil they are certain to be concealed
under a mass OF fine sentiments