How intensely the Chinese felt with reference to the opium
traffic may be gained from the words of Chang Chih Tung
(1900), written many years later:

" Assuredly it is not foreign intercourse that is ruining
China, but this dreadful poison. Oh, the grief and desola-
tion it has wrought to our people! A hundred years ago the
curse came upon us more blasting and deadly in its effects
than the Great Flood or the scourge of the Fierce Beasts,
for the waters assuaged after nine years, and the ravages of
the man-eaters were confined to one place. Opium has spread
with frightful rapidity and heartrending results through the
provinces. Millions upon millions have been struck down



Relations with the Orient 189

by the plague. Today it is running like wildfire. In its
swift, deadly course it is spreading devastation everywhere,
wrecking the minds and eating away the strength and wealth
of its victims. The ruin of the mind is the most woful of its
many deleterious effects. The poison enfeebles the will,
saps the strength of the body, renders the consumer incapable
of performing his regular duties, and unfit for travel from one
place to another. It consumes his substance and reduces the
miserable wretch to poverty, barrenness and senility. Un-
less something is soon done to arrest this awful scourge in
its devastating march, the Chinese people will be transformed
into satyrs and devils! This is the present condition of our
country."

Back of the mere matter of selling opium, however, was the
evident desire of England to set up general trade relations
with China, and indeed the opium traffic was only an item in
the general contention. This conflict marks the beginning of
China's humiliation at the hands of western powers. Eng-
land completely overpowered the Chinese and forced them to
sign the famous treaty of Nanking in 1842, which provided
that China should pay England an indemnity for the opium
which she had destroyed and also cede, in fee-simple, the
Island of Hong Kong. In addition to this demand the follow-
ing ports were opened to foreign commerce: Canton, Amoy,
Foochow, Ningpo, and Shanghai. With the opening of these
ports to foreign commerce, extraterritoriality was established
along with the appointment of consuls and ministers.
