The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-07-16
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ARRIVAL or CHINESE.

A Curious Scene in San Francisco Snug
Cling Opium.
Ten days ago the steamer Great Re-
public arrived at San Francisco from
Hong Kong with thirteen hundred
Cinnamon on board. The San Fran.
cisco Herald describes the scenes which
ensued ~: M
IN. was hustle ana confusion. Ba
bells voices would have been drowned
in the clatter which ensucd. The aft
gang plank was first put in place, and
the cabin passengers suffered to discm-
bark. Then the Chinese from the steer
age commenced pouring out like the
countless thousands from disturbed ant
hill. But they came continuous
string, along the narrow gang plank,
loaded with boxes, bags and bundles
some carrying them on their shoulders,
some in their arms and some on the ends
of bamboo sticks. They were dressed
in their best attire, and evidently had
donncd for the occasion garments which
they had never worn before. As class
they arc above those who arrived re-
Gently by the sailing vessels heretofore
referred to. AS rapidly as they reach
ed the wharf force of custom house Of
ficcrs directed them where to deposit
their luggage, which was laid OH the
wharf awaiting examination. For an
hour this mass Of humanity from another
world poured out. The wonder was
when it would cease. and how the ship
could contain them ali. And when they
had landed, they covered, like a sea,
nearly half of the immense wharf.
There were not many women on board
perhaps twenty. A few of those
were dressed in silks. They were evil
IDENTIFY imported for some Of the Chinese
merchants or officials (for the Chinese
have a commonwealth of their own, en-
tircly independent of the laws of our
land, and were carefully escorted from
the wharf by policemen as soon as they
landed. The others were placed stand
ing in row while they were thorough
Iy searched by officers for smuggling
opium, after which they were escorted
from the wharf by policemen.
After the swarm Zone thousand three
hundred in number) had landed, the
search of persons and baggage COM
Boxes and baskets cmptied of
their contents, and sounded to sec if a
hollow side or false bottom did not con-
tain opium. Blankets were unrolled
and carefully manipulated bundles of
bamboo sticks and pipe stems were
jars were broken into, 'and
every conceivable space which could
contain opium or other dutiablc mcr-
was thoroughly examined. AS
rapidly as the search was completed,
the owners, who also were searched,
were allowed to take their luggage and
depart. The officers (about a dozen in
number) were frequently rewarded by
finding opium. 1t was slowed away in
every conceivable spacc-in false bot
toms and sides of baskets and boxes,
sewcd inside of bedding and clothing,
and even in the hollow solcs of their
clumsy shoes. Several jars, labelled
chow" were found to be partial
ly filled with opium and covered on the
top with chow chow. One cute genius
had about half pound slowed away in
the double crown of his bamboo hat
Another was observed to keep a sus-
picious looking Chinese umbrella in his
hand, which, when searched, was found
to contain in its hollow handle about a
pound Of their favoritc drug.
The search proceeded quietly and
without intcrrupti8. The discovered
opium was confscatcd, its owners taking
their loss with the utmost stolidity. 1t
took until about nine o'clock in the
evening to complete the examination of
the crowd and their baggage. The
streets leading from the wharfto "Bar-
barry Coast" were throngcd by the fresh
all the afternoon. Where
they were all going to, and where they
could be slowed, was the wonder OF all
who had not seen them pour out of the
stccragc of the ship.