collected on the mountains of a distant continent!

To enable them the better to prosecute this valuable commerce, the East
India Company sought and obtained permission to build a factory at Canton,
where their agents were permitted to reside six months in the year--a
favour specifically accorded as a matter of compassion to foreigners, who
are carefully debarred all intercourse with the interior of the country; a
dread being entertained that the introduction of Europeans to settle in
China, would lead (according also to ancient prophecy) to the total
subversion of the empire.

Other brunches of trade were subsequently added to that of tea. In 1773,
the East India Company made a small adventure of opium[6] from Bengal to
Canton; and the consumption of opium increased as rapidly among the
Chinese as tea did among the English, until it now yields (although a
contraband trade) 14,000,000 Spanish dollars annually,[7] and pays a
revenue to the Indian Government of 1,800,000_l_. sterling. Raw cotton
forms another extensive article of export to China; it is in general a
less profitable remittance than bills of exchange, but the exportation is
encouraged for the benefit of the Indian territories.

_Character of the Chinese_.--The Chinese are a haughty and independent
race of people, whose commercial policy it is to prohibit, as much as
possible, every species of manufactures[8] and bullion; and encourage the
importation of food, and raw produce; holding themselves aloof from
Europeans, and particularly jealous of Great Britain, on account of the
proximity of her Indian empire; exacting upwards of 1,000_l_. in fees and
port dues[9] on each foreign vessel that enters Canton, the only harbour
to which they are admitted,[10] imposing severe sea and inland customs and
regulations regarding woollen and other manufactures, entirely