CO129-522-4 China inland water- river and coastal trade- smuggling by British ships 12-12-1929 - 24-3-1930 — Page 39

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remit payment to Hankow for the opium received. Whether

the steward was to be arrested for "sacking • the cook or

as responsible for his subordinate's actions wasn't quite

clear. Neither was the amount due under the C.O.D. system,

for this, in the heat of argument and explanation, rose

from $100 to $140.

An incident, which might not have been recorded in Shanghai, the authenticity of which the writer can vouch for, may be considered not inappropriate in conclusion. A certain foreign admiral, during a recent visit to Ichang, was taken on a picnic to a local noted beauty spot some

six miles up river from the port. The recent seizurez

of some 90 catties of opium in a gunboat in his flotilla and of over six piculs of the same supposedly forbidden commodity ina merchant steamer flying his own country's flag had undoubtedly made the gentleman moody and given him furiously to think. At the point of debarkation for the picnic, a Chinese steamer - one under direct Nationalist control - was observed discharging cargo into lighters. The amount of discharged cargo visible was about 20 tons. Enquiry revealed that the total amount to be landed at that

spot was 30 tons. And all of it was opium !