The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-02-16
Prom the Boston Tfnes.l
Told By An Opium Trad

And so you think the dangers of the
opium trade are very much exagger-
ated, do you?
Let me tell you Of an incident that
happened to me no longer ago than
the time of the Indian Mutiny War;
that may change your opinion on that
subject.
I was an executive officer of one of
the crack clipper opium schoOners
then, and flor an American) was a
great favorite in the employ. Ny
captain had the reputation Of being
one of the widest men on the coast
am speaking of the Chinese coast
and was commonly called MAD Dun
camp yet he was, under his reckless
exterior, a thorough sailor, a careful
master, and one of the most courag-
eous men 1 ever had the pleasure of
knowing.
The firm understood him, and all
his points,and trusted him implicitly;
and it was reported that he was soon
to be promoted to the important and
lucrative Office of "ship's husband"
was a strong man then, sir. with
a hard fourteen-inch biceps and a
chest that measured forty-twO. Dun
can was giant. When there was a
crew to tame, they were always sent
to "our bOat.D We weeded them, and
seldom troubled the consuls with any
mutinous lascars.
We (of the opium service) consider
ed ourselves second to none" in those
days, and regarded the "P. and o. ~
as only superior sort of fiunkies.
We carried nothing but specie, opium
and our gus. / forget! There was
one other thing we did carry; we car
RED sail harder and longer than any
other class of vessels afioat, and fought
our way against the monsoons and
Cinnamon whenever we had occasion.
There was q prestige then in the
names of Jardine, Dent and Cana,
which, in this day Of steam, has de-
parted.
Haying become disgusted with
''deep-sea water sailing" as "tameand
Slow had made my way to Hong
Kong, and shipped into what 1
thought to be the grandest, most ex-
citing and dangerous coasting trade
in the world, and, at the time of
which speak, had become so Injured
to its perils and hardships, that /
could "shore up" my eyelids with the
most active, and smiled at the fire.
quent warnings given by old hands,
to "sleep with a weatheT-eye lifting"
and "nothing so dangerous as to feel
safe" But met an experience short
iy that confirmed their apprehensions,
and convinced me of the truth of
these maxims.
The schooner was on her down trip
from Shanghai. We were anchored
Just aboVe the 'sGiaveysrd" (near
Ning-PoO). The current in the river
was very swift where we lay, and the
under tow so strong that no one had
ever been known TO keep up in it. 1t
was sure death 10 fall overheard in that
spot. All the officers, with the eXcep-
ton of the gunner (Mr. Bowers) and
myself, lad gone to spend the even
ing either ashore or on board the re-
ceiYing ship "Fox, y which lay moor
ed about half mile above. We were
already for sea, and hEd accumulated
specie and i'sycee'' Of two stations in
our hold. We expected to sail for
Hong-Kong direct on the last Of the
next food tide, and everything was
prepared to get under weigh at day
light.
I sat in the cabin, writing, dressed
in thin silk panjamas and sleeping
shirt-for the weather was warm and
the heat below oppressive. Ny boy,
Ah-Mee, lay coiled up, asleep, on
tigers skin on the cabin floor, with
my little dog Jap" nestled beside
him.
As I wrote, could hear their heavy
breathing, drowned now and then by
the noise Of the rushing waters Of the
ebb; the surging of the chain cable,
which from time to time shook the
schooner from stem to stern, attest
ing its force and velocity; and then
the footsteps Of the gunner, as he
moved drowsily about on the quarter
deck over my head. was tired and
sleepy, and my "eight-o'clock' grog
was weighing down my eyelids; with
an effort I finished my "Iog," closed
my book, and settling back in my
chair, dozed off TO sleep.
In the ''Land of Nod" had hard
time. I seemed to be in the river,
swimming for dear life. Now the un-
dertoW would suck me beneath the
swirling waters; then I would struggle
and rise 70 the surface, but only to
sink again; anon dark forms crowded
upon me, elung to me, forced me
down, down! down!I With a con-
vulsive start, awoke. was dimly
conscious that some noise had arous-
ed me. Ah-Mee, leaning on his ell
bow, was staring at me with distend-
ed eyes, and "Jap," on his launches,
seemed intent on the skylight over
head. / listened without moving.
Had q boat come alongside? Twas
certain there had been dull thud, as
when boat strikes ships side. Ger