10
538
which is borted on prepared here, both for local consumption and Export and it is with it we are chiefly concerned - St is imported from India in chests of 40 balls. Each chest weighs on the average stall = 1/3 ounces
In the preparation of Opium, Everything is counted in taels weight. A ball Patuca is called 40 taels, when boiled and made ready for the pipe a ball weighing 48 taels raw is reduced to about 25 taels and
the various contracts rammed it may be taken that one-Chest 1.2.40 balls = 1920 tael, raw opium
16 taels = 1 Catti: 100 Catties : 1 Picul
2/3 opium produces 1000 taels, prepared.
It is put up in tins of 5 taels Each and there tins are packed in cases for California, or 120 tins the cases for Australia. That is each case contains 500 taels or 600 taels according as it is intended for one place or the other. This is necessary to bear in mind these details in order to understand the Statistics appended.
In 1870 see page 128 of the Government Gazette of that year Mr. Cecil Smith reported that during 1869 a large business had been done in prepared Opium " the " exports to Australia and California reaching