On this trip I have seen more opium growing, more opium smoking, and more trade in opium than I have seen for the last 10 years. three counties, which I have not visited for some years, seem to be entirely given over to the traffic and there seems to be, too, a corresponding loss of character and prosperity. Everywhere the people have a most degraded and poverty-stricken appearance.
The military are responsible largely for this trade, as they have practically forced the people to plant opium. The crop this year is a poor one and many are selling their cattle and land to pay the opium tax, and there have been a number of suicides because of inability to meet this exorbitant tax. Often the whole crop of opium is insufficient to pay the tax alone.
Those districts, too, are famine areas. In each of these counties, special grants of famine funds have been made and these are being administered more or less efficiently. Seed is being distributed, free food is obtainable and meal sold at 25 per cent. below market price. The local officials and gentry have also contributed, and now that good rains have come we may hope that the worst period is past.
Briganps a8 Miuitra Instructors.
Your Chengtu correspondent has given particulars of the capture and execution of the famous brigand Chang in February last. His brigade was disbanded, but many of them soon took service in ete., in the ranks of local militia, while still more have resumed their former life as highwaymen and free-booters. Of these latter I have news of one band, 500 to 600 strong, with their headquarters near here. The magistrate of one of these counties (Pech Ch'uan) acts in a double capacity as chief magistrate of the county and major in the army, but our friend is ambitious, so, hearing of this band of free-hooters, he is now trying to coax them into submission, when he hopes to proclaim himself colonel, and so the game goes on.
Being in the hills, one is rather cut off from general news of che province, but everywhere there appears to be a feeling that some disturbance or change in political affairs is imminent.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.