Opium Hall Of Fame

Updated (partial) on March 22, 2013

Opium Storage Ship
source: Okinawa Soba, flickr

The Shameless

The Monopoly

British East India Company: Licensed to Traffic in Contraband



Free Traders - before 1830s

John Jacob Astor

The US Pioneer Opium Shipper, John Jacob Astor

American fur merchant John Jacob Astor (b.1763-d.1848) probably was the first opium free trader from the West (notes must be taken however that Turks and Indians had been shipping opium to China for centuries), and certainly the first American to trade opium in China. He began shipping opium from Turkey to China in 1816 but abruptly stopped in 1819. With the fortune he fast-tracked from dealing in opium, he started heavily investing in lands in New York City and became America's first multi-millionaire before long. According to Forbes Magazine's studies in 2006, he was the fourth all-time wealthiest American [1]. J.J. Astor's great-granddaughter, Helen Schermerhorn Astor married James “Rosy” Roosevelt, the half-brother of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Incidentally, F.D.R's maternal grandfather, Warren Delano, Jr., also made his fortune in opium, working for the leading American opium trader – Russell and Co.

[1] All-time Wealthest American
1. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), Estimated 2006 Net Worth: $305.3 billion
2. Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), Estimated 2006 Net Worth: $281.2 billion
3. Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877), Estimated 2006 Net Worth: $168.4 billion
4. John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), Estimated 2006 Net Worth: $110.1 billion
Bill Gates' 2006 Net Worth was at $52 billion and, Li Ka-Shing (not American, but just for the fun of comparing) $19 billion

Free Traders - 1830 to 1842

Name	Nal	Key Events	Fn
Company
Bell and Co.	UK	1844: Joseph Mackrill Smith, partner since 1840, was appointed a JP.	[1][2][3][5(40)][6]
Bibby Adam & Co.	UK	1840: Withdrew from China.	1, 2, 3, 4, 5(5), 6
K. H. Cama & Co.	Parsi		[4]
P. F. Cama & Co.	Parsi		[4]
P. D. N. Casmaji & Co.	Parsi		[4]
Joseph and William Cragg & Co.	UK	1839: Dissolved, Gibb Livington & Co. was charge to take care of all outstanding matters.	[1][2][5(53)]
Daniell & Co.	UK		[1][2][3][5(1,466)][6]
Dent & Co. 寶順洋行	UK	1823: Company founder Thomas Dent arrived Canton - 1839: Senior partner Lancelot Dent arrested by Canton authorities on opium smuggling charges, which fused the First Opium War - 1841: Moved to Hong Kong exodus of British firms from Canton; became the third leading opium firms after the houses of Jardine and Russell. - 1844: Senior partner John Dent was appointed a JP. - 1863: John Dent was elected chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce. - 1865: Partner Francis Chomley was elected the first chairman of HSBC. - 1866: John Dent was appointed Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council. - 1867: Hong Kong operation collapsed amidst worldwide financial crisis originated in London in 1866; headquarters removed to Shanghai; the Dent building in Hong Kong was sold to the Hong Kong Hotel Co.	[1][2][3][4][5(1,723)][6]
Dirom & Co.	UK		[1][2][3][6]
Abdoolally Ebrahim and Co. 鴨都剌利洋行	Parsi	1842: Ran Hong Kong's first cross-harbor ferry service. - 1864: Received compensations from the British Government for its opium confiscated by the Qing government in 1839. - Present day: Remains active in Hong Kong under the name of Abdoolally Ebrahim Group.	[5]
Habibbhoy Ebrahim Sons and Co.	IN		[5(30)]
Eglinton Maclean & Co.	UK		[2][3][5(30)]
Fox, Rawson and Co.	UK		[1][2]
W. and J. Gemmell and Co.	UK		[1][2][3][5(266)][6]
Gibb, Livingston and Co.	UK		[1][2][3][4][5(29)][6]
Ameroodin Jaffeerbhoy Co.	IN		[2][3][4][6]
Jamieson & How	UK	Scottish origin	[5(10)]
Jardine, Matheson and Co.	UK		[1][2][3][5(7.341)*]
Layton and Co.	UK		[2]
Lindsay and Co.	UK		[1][2][3][4][5(314)][6]
MacVicar and Co.	UK		[1][2][3][5(1,146)][6]
D. N. Mody and Co.	Parsi		[4]
Hadjee Mohomed and M. M. Hossein	Parsi
Cassumbhoy Nathabhoy Sons and Co.	IN		[4]
Nowrojee and Co.	Parsi		[4]
Cawasjee Pallanjee and Co.	Parsi		[6]
Robert Wise Holliday, and Co.	UK		[1][2][3][4][6]
Russell and Co.	USA		[1][2][4][5(1,437)]
Russell, Sturgis, and Co.	USA		[1][2]
Rustomjee Ruttonjee and Co.	Parsi		[5(14)]
David Sassoon Sons, and Co.	UK	David Sassoon was a Baghdadi Indian Jew and a naturalised British subject.	[1][2][4]
Turner and Co.	UK		[1][2][3][4][5(71)][6]
Wetmore and Co.	USA	1842: Ceased to deal in opium.	[1][2][4][5(103)]
Individual
Amerally Abdoolally	Parsi
Adam Allarakia	Parsi	1859: Listed as a partner of Allarkia, Noor Mohamed, Sons, & Co.
Vully Mohommed Allobhoy	Parsi
D.J. Barradas	PT	1859: Listed as a clerk and having his residence at Shelley Street.
B.C. Bhabba	Parsi
Cursetjee Bomanjee	Parsi		[1][2]
Sackhuson Burdrooden	UK		[1][2][3][6]
Alexander Calder	USA	1843: Joined the Macau based firm of Hughesdon Brothers of China; the firm changed its name to Hughesdon Calder & Co., and moved to Hong Kong; the firm handled, among other things, the sale of China sycee silver.	[5(15)]
Hormuzjee Byramjee	Parsi		[1][2][5(4)]
Charles Spencer Compton	UK	owner of C.S. Compton and Co.; fined $200 by the British Consul in Canton for causing a riot by kicking over a Chinese stall and beating its owner with his stick; appointed a JP in 1844	[3][6]
Framjee Dadabhoy	Parsi		1/2/6
J. de Souza	PT		1/2/5(183)
Dassabhoy Hormutzjee Dollakac	Parsi		5(67)
Nasserwanjee Dorabjee	Parsi		1/2/5(127)/6
Pallonjee Dorabjee	Parsi		5(51)
Mohommedbhoy Dossabhoy	Parsi
Solomon Ebrahim	Parsi
Cowasjee Edulgee	Parsi		5(232)/6
Ahmad Hadjee Esaac	Parsi
Hormuzjee Framjee	Parsi		1/2/5(73)/6
Nasserwanjee Framjee	Parsi		6
Eneas Fraser Jr.	UK Unconf.		5(2/)
A.D. Furdonjee	Parsi		1/2
Gouldsborough	UK Unconf.		5(12)
Alladinbhoy Habibbhoy	Parsi
Silas Aaron Hardoon	UK	Hardoon was a Baghdadi Indian Jew and a naturalized British subject
Henderson	UK	Related to Jardine, Matheson & Co.	2
Bomanjee Honsanjee	Parsi		1/2
Dossabhoy Hormusjee	Parsi		1/2/6
Bomanjee Hosonojeeee	Parsi		5(3)/6
James Innes	UK		1/2/3
Framjee Jametjee	Parsi		1/2/5(12)
Macdonald	UK		2/3
Bomanjee Manuckjee	Parsi		1/2/6
Burjoorjee Manockjee	Parsi		1/2/6
Nasserwanjee Bomonjee Mody	Parsi		5(92)
Burjorjee Monackjee	Parsi		5(54)
Pallanjee Nasserwanjee	Parsi		1/2/5(9)/6
Hadjee Abdoola Nathan	Parsi		n/a
Framjee Nowrojee	Parsi		n/a
Edward Pereria	PT		5(33)
Jamasetjee Pestonjee	Parsi		n/a
Ahmadbhoy Ramtoola	Parsi		n/a
Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee	Parsi		1/2/5(1,700)/6
Jamsetjee Rutonjee	Parsi		1/2
Shasmkkshaw Rustomjee	Parsi		1/2/6
Dadabhoy & Manockje Rustomkee	Parsi		1/2/5(970)/6
Bomanjee Ruttonjee	Parsi		5(4)
Cowasjee Saporjee	Parsi		1/2/5(67)
S.A. Seth	Parsi Undonf.		n/a
Muncherjee Pestonjee Setna	Parsi		4
Cursetjee Shapoorjee	Parsi		1/2/6
A.I. Smith	unk.		5(7)
Abaden and Jam Sooden	Parsi		1/2/5(25)
James Starkey	UK Unconf.	Captain of the ship "Thistle"	5(10)
Burjorjee Suradjee	Parsi		5(59)/6
Cowasjee Saporjee Taback	Parsi		5(13)/6
Stewart	UK	possibly William Stewart who later joined Jardine, Matheson & Co.	2/3
John Thacker	UK	ship captain 1939 - bought opium in Bombay and brought them to Canton in February; later surrendered to Charles Elliot	5(86)
David Wilson	UK	ship captain	n/a

*Jardine , incldung 5,000 owned by its Parsee partners

[1] Those who were signatories of a letter titled "The Foreign Merchants to the Imperial Commissioner"

Canton, March 25, 1839

The foreign merchants of all nations, in Canton, have received with profound respect the Edict of his Excellency the Imperial Commissioner; and now beg leave to address his Excellency, having already communicated through the Hong merchants their intentions of doing so with the least possible delay.

They beg to represent, that being now made fully aware of the Imperial commands, &c., the entire abolition of the traffic in opium, the undersigned foreigners in Canton hereby pledge themselves not to deal in opium, nor to attempt to introduce it into the Chinese Empire.

Having now recorded their solemn pledge, they have only further most respectfully to state to his Excellency, that as individual foreign merchants they do not possess the power of controlling such extensive and important matters, as his Excellency's edict embraces; and they trust His Excellency will approve of their leaving a final settlement to be arranged through the Representative of their respective nations.

(Signed)

[2] Those who were held in imprisonment (house arrest) between March 25 and May 4 by order of Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu.

[3] Those British (including Anglo-Indian) merchants were discharged on signing a bond on May 27, 1839, guaranteeing that they would never return to China.

[4] Founding Members of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce.

[5] All opium merchants were asked to surrender their inventories of opium to Charles Elliot on March 27, 1939, who in turn surrendered the same to Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu. This shows the known quantity of opium surrendered to Elliot.

[6] Those who were signatories of a letter titled "Memorial from Her Majesty's Subjects to Viscount Palmerston", Canton, May 23, 1839, in which opium merchants were appealing their claims on account of the opium surrendered for Her Majesty's service. I found at least one record that shows the British Government had indeed compensated opium merchants against their claims. Abdoolally Ebrahim and Co. was paid in 1864.

Free Traders - post Opium War

Opium related operations of the following companies and individuals began after the First Opium War. Their operation was mostly Hong Kong based.

Augustine Heard and Co.
American, [4]

Fletcher and Co.
British, [4]

Emmanuel Raphael Belilios 庇理羅士
Baghdadi Indian Jew, longest serving director (1868-1888) of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, became HSBC Chairman in 1876, a position he held until 1882. He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1881 and as the Council's Senior Unofficial Member between 1892 and 1900.

Douglas Lapraik - British, [4]

George DuddellGeorge Duddell

British

Alexander Martin Mathieson
British (of the firm of McEwen and Co.), who together with George Duddell, secured Hong Kong's first ever opium monopoly at a public auctionat 2pm on February 28,1845, for a period of one year at the monthly rate of $710. Duddell was the Government Auctioneer at that time. Entirely unable to enforce their monopoly, Duddell and Mathieson negotiated the surrender of the lease within three months.

Lo Aqui 盧亞貴
Chinese, and partner Fung Attai bought opium monopoly, the one surrendered by Duddell and Mathieson, at an auction in July 1845 at the monthly rate of $1,710.

Fung Attai
Chinese, partner of Lo Acqui in operating the opium monopoly in 1845.

Chan Tai-kwong
Chinese, who was a protégé of the Bishop of Hong Kong and the front man of Wo Hang company 和興 – a syndicate of merchants from Xinhui 新會, obtained the opium monopoly in 1858, paying GBP7,075 for a twelve-month period. Wo Hang was heavily involved in coolie trade and the general entrepot trade of Hong Kong. Wo Hang's well known brands of opium included Hong Kong Hop Lung 香港合隆 and Hong Kong Wa Hing 香港華興.

Yan Wo company 仁和

A syndicate of merchants from Dongguan 東莞 and rival of Wo Hang company, obtained the monopoly in 1859 at a annual rent of GBP 6,812. Well known brands of opium produced by Yan Wo included Sheung Wan Fook Lung 上環福隆, Sheung Wan Lai Yuen 上環麗源 and Wik To Lei Victoria Tai Shun 域多厘泰巽.

Sun Yee company
In March 1874, Wo Hang, Yan Wo and a third copmany named Chap Sing formed a new syndicate known as the Sun Yee company, Wo Hang's headman Li Tak-cheong became the headman of Sun Yee.

It was estimated that by 1876 each Chinese person in Hong Kong, in average, smoked half a kilogram of opium in that year. Also, a total of 4,638,750 kilogram of Bengal opium 公班土 and Malwa opium 白皮土 were imported to Hong Kong.

Man Wo Fung company
The firm in 1878 paid $205,000 per year for three-year monopoly. The company's front man in Hong Kong is Singaporean Tan King-sing. He represent the company's principle shareholder and manager - Ban Hap (aka Ngan Chan Wai), a Hokkien Chinese based in Saigon.

Man Wo Sang company
In 1880, Yan Wo abandoned Sun Yee and went into partnership with Ban Hap, in a new enterprise known as Man Wo Sang.

Lee Keng-yam
A Singaporean who led a syndicate from Singapore in 1885 paid $182,400 a year for a three-year monopoly.

The Lee TheaterLee Hysan 利希慎 (b.1879 Hawaii - d.1928 Hong Kong)

Hong Konger, American-Chinese (born in Hawaii), highly respected land developer and entrepreneur, also known as the 'King of Opium', inherited opium business from his father Lee Leung Yik 利良奕, held opium monopoly in Macao at one time, shot death on April 20, 1928 while go to lunch in Central; son Harold Hsiao-Wo Lee 利孝和 was co-founder of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB); granddaughter Vivienne Poy 利德蕙 is Canadian Senator, owner of fashion house ' Vivienne Poy Mode' and Chancellor of the University of Toronto; Lee at one time owned an area in Causeway Bay that is bordered by Hysan Road (a road named after him), Percival Steet, Pak Sha Road, and Yun Ping Road, and the land lot that housed the Lee Theater that he built in 1925.

Holders of Opium Monopoly 1844-1910 (updated 2015/12/02)

1	1845	George Duddell and Alexander Martin Mathieson; the farm was surrendered after 3 months.	$1,710 p.m.
2	1845	Lo Aqui and Fung Attai; actual period held unknown.
3	1846		$1,560 p.m.
4	1858/03/20	Wo Hang firm; one year; the farm was annulled prematurely for unknown reason.	$33,000 p.a.
5	1858/04/01	Chan Tai-kwong 陳大光 front man of Man Cheong Shop 萬祥行; one year; the farm was annulled prematurely for unknown reason.
6	1858/05/22	Ing Ayu 吳雨, Fook Loong Shop 福隆店 (#319 Lower Bazzar); six months.
7	1859/04/01	Cheong Asun 張新. Manager, Foo Tai Pawnbroker Shop 孚泰店 (#59 Queen's Road, West) and Lum Ki 林基, Too Loong Shop 道隆店 (#2776 Bonham Strand, Broker); one year.
8	1860/04/01	Ho Alaong 何良福, Chee Loong Shop 兆隆店 and Ing Atu 吳雨, Fook Loong Shop 福隆店; one year.
9	1862	Lee Asseng, See-Tye Shop (#181 Bonham Strand, West); one year.
10	1864/04/01	Ho Leong [or Ho Alaong] 何良 [or 何良福], Chin Loong [also Chee Loong] Shop 兆隆店 (#541 Jervois Street) and Ng Yu [or Ing Ayu] 吳雨, Fook Loong Shop 福隆店 (#77 Jervois Street); one year.
11	1865/04/01	Hu Nu, Peng Kee Shop (#25 Jervois Street); one year.
12	1866/04/01	Hu Nu, Peng Kee Shop; one year.
13	1867/05/01	Ho Leong 何良, Chiu Loong Shop 兆隆店 and Ng Yu 吳雨, Fook Loong Shop 福隆店; one year.
14	1868/05/01	Ho Leong 何良, Chiu Loong Shop 兆隆店 and Ng Yu 吳雨, Fook Loong Shop 福隆店; one year, license annulled prematurely for unknown reason, was up for sale by tender on Augsut 1.
15	1874	a partnership of Sun Yee, Wo Hang, Yan Wo, and Chap Sing firms
16	1878-1880	Man Wo Fung firm; brought in by Governor John Pope Hennessy
17	1880-1882	Man Wo Sang firm, a new alliance between Yan Wo and Sun Yee
18	1882/03/01 - 1883/02/28	See Song-kai and Wan Hiu-seung.	$210,000 p.a.
19	1883/03/01 - 1884/02/28	Hung Kwong 孔廣, Kwong Shang Lung firm 香港中環廣生隆 and Luk Hing 陸慶, Wing Cheung firm 香港中環榮昌; 1 year
20	1884/03/01 - 1885/02/28	Kwok chiu 郭釗, Tak On Gong Yin firm 德安公煙 and Tang Cheung 鄧長 [1], Tin Po Wah firm 天寶華
21	1885-1887	Lee Keung-yam; 3 years license
22	1890s	Fook Hing firm; also exported opium to North America
23	1890s	Fook Hing firm; also exported opium to North America
24	1892	3 years.	$340,800 p.a.
25	1895	3 years.	$296,000 p.a.
26	1898	Man Fook and Fook Hing firms; 3 years.	$372,000 p.a.
27	1901	3 years.	$750,000
28	1904	Chin Joo Heng firm; 3 years	$2,200,000 p.a.; reduced to $2,040,000 p.a. from 1904/11/01
29	1907	3 years.	$1,452,000
30	1910	3 years.	$1,183,200

The bond pertaining to the opium monopoly for 1884
executed by monopoly holders Tak On and Tin Po Wah firms

By this time, the opium monopoly was providing around 20% of government revenue.

Shipping Information

The following Hong Kong shipping report from the Friend of China, March 24, 1842 showed date of movement, ship name and tonnage, etc.

January Ship Movements:

2nd - Sri Singapore 85T to Whampoa with opium. Mavis 113T from Macau to Whampoa with opium.
13th - Young Queen 85T from Macau to Macau with opium.
24th - Sylph 317T arrived from Calcutta with General cargo; departed for Macau 2.2.42 with opium. Caroline 85T to Whampoa with opium.
26th - Young Queen 85T to Macau with opium.
28th - Lady Grant 236T to East Coast with opium.

February Ship Movements:

4th - Harlequin 292T from East Coast with specie for Macau.
6th American ship Anglona 108T to Macau with opium.
7th - Australasian Packet 194T to East Coast with opium.
13th - Thistle 140T to Macau with opium.
15th - Aurora 90T to Macau with opium.
16th - American ship Ariel 105T East Coast with opium.
17th - Young Queen 85T to Macau with opium. Anglona 108T to East Coast with opium.
24th - Harrier 163T to East Coast with opium.
28th - Young Queen 85T to East Coast with opium.

Opium Nomenclature

These are streets or places named after people connected with the dealing of opium, one way or the other:

Street Name	Etymology
Anton Street 晏頓街	Charles Edward Anton; the 16th Taipan of Jardine, Matheson and Co.
Duddell Street 都爹利街	George Duddell; government auctioneer; the first opium farmer; land speculator.
Gresson Street 機利臣街	William Jardine Gresson; grandson of Elizabeth Jardine, daughter of William Jardine's brother David; director of Jardine, Matheson and Co. (1901-1906) and director (1916-1910).
Gutzlaff Street 吉士笠街	Karl Friedrich August Gutzlaff; Prussian missionary; interpreter of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; Chinese Secretary of the Hong Kong Government.
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Gutzlaff Street 吉士笠街 was named after Karl Friedrich August Gutzlaff – Prussian Missionary; interpreter of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; Chinese Secretary of the Hong Kong Government.

Hysan Avenue 希慎道 was named after Lee Hysan – opium dealer nicknamed “King of Opium of Hong Kong and Macau”; single largest land owner in Causeway Bay

Jardine's Bazaar 渣甸街, Jardine's Crescent 渣甸坊 and Jardine Terrace 渣甸台 were named after William Jardine – co-founder of Jardine, Matheson and Co.

Keswick Street 敬誠街 was named after James Johnstone Keswick – 10th Taipan of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; co-founded Hong Kong Land with Paul Chater; Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce (1893-1894)

Lan Fong Road 蘭芳道 was named Wong Lan Fong 黃蘭芳 – wife of Hysan Lee

Landale Street 蘭杜街 was named after David Landale – 13th Taipan of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council (1946-1950); Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce (1915)

Lee Garden Road 利園山道 was named after the amusement park Lee Hysan envisioned for building in the area but didn’t build

Matheson Street 勿地臣街 was named after James Matheson - co-founder of Jardine, Matheson and Co.

Percival Street 波斯富街 was named after Alexander Perceval – the 7th Taipan of Jardine, Matheson and Co.; a relative of the wife of James Matheson; founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce (1861); Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council (1861-1864)

Spring Garden Lane 春園街 was named after the villa of John Dent built in that area in the 1840s; Dent is the Senior Partner of Dent and Co.


___________________________________________________________

Drug Money To Fund Printing Of Bible

Updated on November 25, 2009

There are only two streets in Hong Kong that are named after Protestant clergies. Morrison Hill Road (摩理臣山道) in Wanchai is named after the first Christian Protestant missionary to have come to China – the Scottish missionary Robert Morrison (馬禮遜) [1]. Gützlaff Street (吉士笠街) in Central, between Lyndhurst Terrace and Gage Street, is named after the first Lutheran missionary to China (1831-1851) – the Prussian born Karl Frederick August Gützlaff (郭士立 later on 郭實腊) (1803-1851).

As if still living in the era of the
Spanish Conquistador, Gutzlaff
had no problem, as it seemed,
helping a foreign invading army
against the very country he was
sent to assist on an unjust cause,
and proliferating opium to people
whose souls he vowed to save.The legacy of Gützlaff: He translated, together with three other collaborators, the Bible into the Chinese language [2]. He assisted in the negotiations during the Opium War and in the British occupation of Chinese territories fallen into British forces. In the fall of 1832, he accepted an arrangement with William Jardine, the medical-doctor-turned-agency-merchant-turned-opium-smuggler, to interpret for Jardine's opium transactions up and down the China coast in exchange for being permitted to proselytize after hours and, for money he would use to print the Chinese Bible he translated. He would continued this arrangement until April 1833.

_______________________________

►  Gützlaff learned Chinese when he was in Java in 1826, sent there by the Netherlands Missionary Society. Before landing in China, he was in Singapore and Siam. Incidentally, he was the first Christian Protestant missionary to have worked in Siam.

►  Gützlaff had been associated with Henry Pottinger since the later arrived in China and took charge of the armed conflict with China, later know as the Opium War. Gützlaff was appointed civil magistrate in Chusan (Zhoushan, 舟山) following the British occupation of the island. Gützlaff anglicized himself as Charles Gutzlaff.

Gützlaff was the first Missionary
to have dressed as a Chinese►  Following the establishment of the Hong Kong Government in 1843, Gützlaff became the Chinese Secretary. There were records that show Gützlaff was appointed to a commission in 1844 to consider and recommend compensation to villages whose ancestral burying ground were to be relocated to facilitate a major drainage improvement project for Happy Valley. Gützlaff did most of the work interviewing the villages and attempting to ascertain current values.

► European living in Hong Kong in the early years were accustomed to hiring watchmen to guard their residences and warehouses because robberies were very common. From March 15, 1844, Gutzlaff spent two hours each day in the morning to provide a service to potential employers to enquire into the character of any watchman and to issue his certificate in respect of those he believes to be honest.

►  Gützlaff founded the Chinese Evangelization Society (中國傳教會) for the purpose of sending religious workers to China. In 1853, Hudson Taylor (戴德生), from England became the first missionary to be sent to China by the Society. The society was disbanded in 1865. Gützlaff was honored the name "The Apostle of China".

►  Gützlaff died in 1851 and was buried at the Hong Kong Cemetery.

►  Books written by Gützlaff:

- Journal of Three Voyages along the Coast of China in 1831, 1832 and 1833, with notices of Siam, Corea, and the Loo-Choo Islands
- A Sketch of Chinese History, Ancient and Modern
- China Opened
- Life of Tao Kwang
_____________________________________

[1] Robert Morrison was the father of John Robert Morrison (馬儒翰) (1814-1843). Born in Macao, the young Morrison lived a celebrated, though short life. He published the first English newspaper circulated in Hong Kong – The Hong Kong Gazatte – in May 1841 and the first English newspaper published and circulated in Hong Kong – Friend of China – in 1842. He was the chief translator for Henry Pottinger during the negotiations of the Treaty of Nanking. He became Pottinger's secretary when the later assumed governorship in Hong Kong. He was appointed the first Colonel Secretary in June 1843, and the first Official Member of the Legislative Council in August of the same year. Days after the Legislative Council appointment, Morrison died from sickness at the young age of 29. Gützlaff worked under Morrison in all affairs relating to the British and Hong Kong governments.

[2] Cooperating with Walter Henry Medhurst, Elijah Coleman Bridgman, and John Robert Morrison, Gützlaff set out to translate the Bible into Chinese in 1840. The translation of the Hebrew part was done mostly by Gützlaff , with the exception that the Pentateuch and the book of Joshua were done by the group collectively. This translation, completed seven years later, is quite remarkable due to its adoption by the revolutionary peasant leader Hong Xiuquan (洪秀全) of the Taiping Rebellion (太平天國) as some of the reputed early doctrines of the organization.

_____________________________________

"When we sold the Heathen nations rum and opium in rolls,

And the Missionaries went along to save their sinful souls."

The Old Clipper Days
-- Julian S. Cutler

Official Opium Divans

1885; located on Sai On Lane (西安里), Sai Ying Pun

Opium Regulated

March 26, 1884, Ordinance No. 1 of 1884, "The Opium Ordinance". Under the 9th governor George Ferguson Bowen, the government of Hong Kong legalized opium; granting license for the preparations and sale of opium. The monopoly for the exclusive right - generally known as the 'opium farmer' went to the highest bidder, that can go as much as 205,000 silver dollars per year.

Several names surfaced during my research:
- Man Fook Company, was the opium farmer in 1897; the name came up in the minutes of the Legislative Council meeting om May 3rd of the same year.
- Fook Hing Company, exported opium to U.S. and Canada, in about the same time.
- Loo Aqui (盧亞貴), for a time he held the opium monopoly, operated gambling establishment and brothels; built a theatre in 1845; fund the building of Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Road in 1847 and became a founder of the temple; the management of temple was placed under the Tung Wah Hospital in 1908.

Opium Outlawed

March 1, 1910, all opium divans in Hong Kong and the New Territory closed. Opium Farm let for 3 years at $1,183,200 per annum. British government makes the Colony a grant of £9,000 for the year 1910 on account of loss of opium revenue.

Exchanges in the UK Parliament: Suppression of Opium Smoking (Hong Kong and Straits Settlements). HC Deb 10 March 1910 vol 14 cc1631-2 1631

Mr. THEODORE TAYLOR asked whether the opium dens in Hong Kong were all now closed; and what steps were now being taken there to bring to a speedy close the habit of opium smoking; and also what progress was being made at the Straits Settlements in bringing to a speedy close the habit of opium smoking?

Colonel SEELY (Under Secretary of State for the Colonies): I will reply to my hon. Friend's two questions to me on the subject of opium smoking together. In the case of the Straits the Colonial Government are putting themselves in a position 1632 in which they will be able to exercise very considerable control over the traffic in opium. As regards Hong Kong, I understand that the last remaining divans were closed on February 28th. The House may rest assured that both His Majesty's Government and the Colonial Governments will continue to exercise energy and vigilance in pursuance of their policy, and the Governors of Hong Kong and the Straits shall be asked to include in the annual reports of their respective Colonies an account of the measures taken to regulate and restrict the consumption of opium and of their effect.

Mr. THEODORE TAYLOR: Perhaps the Under-Secretary might say if any other steps have been taken in Hong Kong which are known to him? I should be grateful to him if he would.

Colonel SEELY: I thought my hon. Friend would have been so glad to hear that the last opium divan was closed on 28th February, that he would not wish me to give any further information to-day. I have given him all I can, and if he will put down another question I will endeavour to reply to him.

Mr. REES: Have the Colonial and Home authorities made any observations as to the Use of alternative stimulants and drugs, which are quite as harmful as opium, and which the cessation of the use of opium may bring into use?

Colonel SEELY: Yes; that matter has received, and is receiving, full consideration. We know that there are other drugs which are quite, if not more, injurious than opium. The matter is being watched by the Government.

Mr. REES: Will the investigation in any way affect the policy of the Government, or is merely a scientific interest taken in these alternative stimulants?

Colonel SEELY: No; the Government, both in Hong Kong and here, have considered the matter as a whole, and have taken measures which they hope may result in checking the abuse of opium, and at the same time will not result in the increase of alternatives.

From the China Mail, March 12, 1909

Ordinance

February 26, 1844, Ordinance No. 1 of 1844, titled An Ordinance to define the law relating to slavery in Hong Kong.

The Ordinance was subsequently disallowed by Queen Victoria, as it was considered that the British Imperial Statutes for the abolition of slavery extended by their own proper force and authority to Hong Kong."

Director of the Hong Kong Observatory

William Doberck (杜伯克); born in 1952 at Copenhagen, died in 1914 at Sutton, Surrey; Director of the Hong Kong Observatory between 1883 and 1907; well known as one of the most enthusiastic and assiduous of workers in the field of double-star astronomy.

Extracts from 'William Doberck - double star astronomer' by Kevin P. MacKeown - The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System,

"After taking a PhD in astronomy at the University of Jena in 1873, William Doberck accepted a position as superintendent of Markree Observatory in the west of Ireland. There he refurbished the great 13-inch refractor and spent nine years observing mostly double star systems, paying only such attention to meteorological monitoring as was required of his position. In 1883 he became the founding Director of a new observatory in Hong Kong, a post which he held for 24 years. His frustrations in attempting to continue his purely astronomical work, not assuaged by his combative and prickly personality, and in the face of the strictly practical demands of that mercantile society for comprehensive storm forecasting, are described. Finally, his observations in retirement in England, and his overall contribution to astronomy, are
summarised."

A double star, in observational astronomy, is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope. This can happen either because the pair forms a binary system of stars in mutual orbit, gravitationally bound to each other, or because it is an optical double, a chance alignment of two stars in the sky that lie at different distances. Binary stars are important to stellar
astronomers as knowledge of their motions allows direct calculation of stellar mass and other stellar parameters.

Aerial photo of HKO in 1950's