Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Countries (Vol. 40)

Though strict prohibitions have been clearly established up to the present day, the habit has become a household word and the custom is now irreversible. Everyone who smokes opium original: "shiyan" (食煙), literally 'eating smoke' lights a lamp while lying on a couch; they must lie in pairs, facing one another, shifting positions to the left and right. There they meet and pour out their hearts to one another, using the time to resolve any lingering grudges or resentment. This practice is called "Opening the Lamp."

After a long time, the habit becomes a clinical disease. When one must consume it at a specific time, it is called the "Smoke Craving" original: "yanyin" (煙引). When the craving arrives and one cannot consume the drug, the four limbs become limp and heavy, and tears and mucus flow down together; for a moment, one cannot even support oneself. After inhaling a few puffs of smoke, the spirit is suddenly restored. This is called "Satisfying the Craving."

For those with a deep addiction, they require three or four mace original: "qian" (錢); a traditional unit of weight equal to approximately 3.7 grams per day. For those with a lesser addiction, it is measured in candareens original: "fen" (分); one-tenth of a mace. Even those in the prime of their lives become fragile and wither early; their physical strength suddenly fails, their marrow is exhausted, and they become withered and dried up. This is the true condition of the opium smoker.

The entry of opium paste original: "yantu" (煙土), literally 'smoke soil' began first in Macau, and subsequently moved to Whampoa. In the first year of the current Emperor's reign Referring to the Daoguang Emperor, 1821, when a major crackdown on opium occurred, strict prohibitions were established. The trade then moved to anchor in Lintin Bay original: "Lingdingyang" (零丁洋), which falls under the jurisdiction of Xin’an County The historical county encompassing modern-day Shenzhen and Hong Kong. This location is a crossroads of waterways; all those from Fujian, Tianjin, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang who sail the outer seas must pass through here. The island residents number over ten thousand households, all of whom are Tanka original: "danhu" (蛋戶); an ethnic group in Southern China traditionally living on boats, often socially marginalized and involved in maritime transport and fishermen...