ake our
measures (for disposing of a cargo) with the utmost caution."

This "business altogether new to us" was, of course, plain smuggling. From
the first it had been necessary to arm the smuggling vessels; and as
these grew in number the Chinese sent out an increasing number of armed
revenue junks or cruisers. The traders usually found it possible to buy
off the commanders of the revenue junks, but as this could not be done in
every case it was inevitable that there should be encounters now and then,
with occasional loss of life. These affrays soon became too frequent to be
ignored.

Meantime the British government had succeeded the company in the rule of
India and the control of the far Eastern trade. As this trade was from two
thirds to four-fifths opium, a prohibited article, and as the whole
question of trade was complicated by the fact that China was ignorant of
the greatness and power of the Western nations and did not care to treat
or deal with them in any event, a government trade agent had been sent out
to Canton to look after British interests and in general to fill the
position of a combined consul and unaccredited minister. In the late
1830's this agent, Captain Charles Elliot (successor to Lord Napier, the
first agent), found himself in the delicate position of protecting English
smugglers, who were steadily drawing their country towards war because
the Chinese government was making strong efforts to drive them out of
business. From what Captain Elliot has left on record it is plain that he
was having a bad time of it. In 1837, he wrote to Lord Palmerston of "the
wide-spreading public mischief" arising from "the steady continuance of a
vast, prohibited traffic in an article of vicious luxury," and suggested
that "a gradual check to our own growth and imports would be salutary."
Two years later he wrote that "the Chinese government have a just ground
for harsh measures towards the lawful trade, upon the plea that there is
no distinction between the right and the wrong."

He even said: "No man entertains a deeper detestation of the disgrace and
sin of this forced traffic;" and, "I see little to choose between it and
piracy." But when the war cloud broke, and responsibility for the welfare
of Britain's subjects and trade interests in China devolved upon him, he
compromised. "It does not consort with my station," he wrote, "to sanction
measures of general and undistinguishing violence against His Majesty's