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e. Cargo wrongly described and consigned to another port,
but specially stowed for discharge here, though the goods
were not marked as optional cargo.
f. Opium stowed in the engine room in such quantities that
it must have taken a number of hands and considerable time
to secrete.
g. Opium buried deep in the bunkers at a port at which the ship did not coal, needing a number of hands and a number of
stokers to be at work in addition to the usual watch.
Further data regarding actual cases are given in
the annexed schedule.
3. The ships chiefly concerned are not ocean going ships of large tonnage owned by important companies which could not be accused of being interested in the opium traffic, but ships owned by Chinese though occasionally flying some other flag. These ships are small, old, and never run very long under the same nominal ownership, they are frequently chartered to a firm which is really the owners under another name, and are officered chiefly by Chinese, Eurasians or Portuguese of a low type. The Captain may occasionally be a European who is carried simply to comply with shipping regulations or to transact the business of the ship with foreign officials, or because of the conditions of the
insurance policy.
The real executive on such ships is the Chinese compradore who represents the owners and whose slightest behest the Captain must obey. Such Captains are on terms known as the 24 hours' notice, and are mere figure heads. It is quite useless to make them responsible for anything.
The compradore often rents from the Company all the accommodation for Chinese passengers and cargo, paying the Company so much a month for the right to collect all fares for Chinese passengers and freight placed on board by
Chinese
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