E 11
Purchase at Kwong Chow Wan of 2 chests of Indian Opium at $5,550 each chest
$11,100.00
Additional opium (39 taels) to make up 2,000 taels
218.40
Labour and expenses of boiling at $250 each chest
500.00
Cost of 2,000 taels ready packed... $11,818.40
Among the papers found in this house were various quotations over a period of two months for Indian opium on the market at Kwong Chow Wan. The lowest rate was $5,240 per chest, the highest $6,050, prices which were much lower than those prevailing in former years when quotations of over $8,000 per chest were the rule. It was interesting to note that the market rate hardened as the time came to prepare the orders from U.S.A. for the Chinese New Year, but that as soon as the time became too late to get the opium boiled and packed in time to catch a ship reaching U.S.A. just before the new year, the market price was depressed.
From documents examined during the year, it appeared that attempts had been made to introduce prepared Amoy opium into U.S.A. without any success, the opium proving unsaleable and having to be returned or sold at a great sacrifice. Chinese there demand prepared opium made from Indian opium mostly, and boiled down to a very thick consistency, commonly known as "Kam Shan" or Californian opium. Formerly this came almost wholly from Macau, but the Farmer at Macau recently has had great difficulty in obtaining Indian opium, and what he does buy comes from Kwong Chow Wan. So it is cheaper to buy direct in Kwong Chow Wan and get it boiled and packed there in tins bearing labels which are identical with those formerly used by Macau for prepared opium specially packed for export.
Persian Opium.
L
Few seizures were made of Persian Opium, raw Persian opium not being in favour here, so much so that it was found useless to place any prepared Persian opium on sale and the sale was therefore discontinued.
One seizure was of some interest. A Greek seaman was arrested, who had bought 7 pounds of Persian raw opium in the Bund in Shanghai for gold $125, the destination of his ship was U.S.A. but it is improbable that he could have sold it there, he had been on the run some time and probably thought he could dispose of it here at a profit. The outside wrapping of the cakes was stamped with the names of one firm at Tai Chow and another at Shanghai. From the appearance of the usual red
E 11
Purchase at Kwong Chow Wan of 2 chests of Indian Opium at $5,550 each chest
$11,100.00
Additional opium (39 taels) to
make up 2,000 taels
218.40
Labour and expenses of boiling at
$250 each chest
500.00
Cost of 2,000 taels ready packed... $11,818.40
Among the papers found in this house were various quota- tions over a period of two mouths for Indian opium on the market at Kwong Chow Wan. The lowest rate was $5,240 per chest, the highest $6,050, prices which were much lower than those prevailing in former years when quotations of over $8,000 per chest were the rule. It was interesting to note that the market rate hardened as the time came to prepare the orders from U.S.A. for the Chinese New Year, but that as soon as the time became too late to get the opium boiled and packed in time to catch a ship reaching U.S.A.. just before the new year, the market price was depressed.
-
From documents examined during the year, it appeared that attempts had been made to introduce prepared Amoy opium into U.S.A. without any success, the opium proving unsaleable and having to be returned or sold at a great sacrifice. Chinese there demand prepared opium made from Indian opium mostly, and boiled down to a very thick consistency, commonly known as "Kam Shan" or Californian opium. Formerly this came almost wholly from Macau, but the Farmer at Macau recently has had great difficulty in obtaining Indian opium, and what he does buy comes from Kwong Chow Wan. So it is cheaper to buy direct in Kwong Chow Wan and get it boiled and packed there in tins bearing labels which are identical with those formerly used by Macau for prepared opium specially packed for export.
Persian Opium.
L
Few seizures were made of Persian Opium, raw Persian opium not being in favour here, so much so that it was found useless to place any prepared Persian opium on sale and the sale was therefore discontinued.
One seizure was of some interest. A Greek seaman was arrested, who had bought 7 pounds of Persian row opium in the Bund in Shanghai for gold $125, the destination of his ship was U.S.A. but it is improbable that he could have sold it there, he had been on the run some time and probably thought he could dispose of it here at a profit. The outside wrapping is of the cakes were stamped with the names of one firm at Tai Chow and another at Shanghai. From the appearance of the usual red
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