336  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE
millions  of  people,  caused  vast  misery,  which  drove  many
the  Chinese  equivalent  of  “  drink,”  filled  the  pockets  of
myriads  with  plunder  to  be  spent  in  indulgence,  and  brought
into  the  field  on  both  sides  armed  forces  whose  chief  occupation, ­
  then  as  now,  was  opium  smoking.  The  result  of  this
laxity  and  this  increase  in  the  demand  was  a  perfect  carnival ­
  of  smuggling.  Prior  to  Lin's  mission  the  trade,
though  not  legalised,  was  fully  regulated,  and  it  is  a  misuse
of  terms  to  apply  the  word  “  smuggling  ”  to  what  went  on
then  ;  the  foreign  merchant  imported  his  opium  without
concealment,  but,  during  the  last  twenty  years  of  the  period,
instead  of  bringing  it  to  his  factory  at  Canton  and  storing
it  there  or  at  Macao,  he  deposited  it  on  store-ships  at  Lintin,
he  sold  it,  generally  speaking,  and  obtained  payment  at
Canton,  all  subsequent  proceedings  being  the  concern  of  the
purchasers,  Chinese  subjects  ;  and  he  delivered  it  on  board
his  own  ship,  usually  at  Lintin,  to  a  certain  extent  at  definite
points  on  the  coast  to  the  east  and  north,  but  always  undei
official  oversight.  To  a  limited  extent  the  sales  were  not
effected  at  Canton,  but  at  the  points  of  delivery  on  the
coast.  After  Lin’s  mission  the  trade  was  neither  legalised
nor  regulated  ;  even  such  restraint  as  might  come  fro#
publicity  was  absent,  since  the  British  authorities  refused
to  permit  the  establishment  of  a  depot  in  Hongkong.  Th e
result  was  to  drive  the  importers  into  closer  relations  with
the  officials,  who  were  in  a  position  to  impede  the  traffic  at
all  places  along  the  coast  ;  to  what  extent  they,  and  t°
what  extent  the  purchasers,  made  the  actual  arrangements,
who  was  the  active  agent  in  perverting  from  their  duty
the  only  too  willing  representatives  of  the  humiliated
Emperor,  is  not  known,  because  the  whole  traffic  dur#£
this  period  is  covered  by  a  veil  of  secrecy  and  mystery*
From  this  driving  of  the  traffic  away  from  the  light  of  day»
from  the  increased  activity  of  the  importers  in  supply* 0 #
an  increased  demand,  from  the  greater  enterprise  of  tfi e
smugglers,  whether  they  were  foreign  or  Chinese,  and  fr° 01
the  greater  laxity  and  depravity  of  the  officials  of  China-"
from  all  these  causes  came  two  consequences  :  from  t° e