A Cruise in an Opium Clipper

This juvenile fiction book was published in 1891.

Excerpt from book:

Chapter I - I take Service on Board an Opium Clipper at Shanghai

In the course of a wandering and adventurous life, I
found myself one morning, sitting on a stone seat, at
the gate of the British Consulate at Shanghai. It was
early in the year 1859, and there was at the time much
talk about the opening up of Japan to European commerce.

While I was patiently waiting for the Consulate to
open its portals, that I might see if there were any letters
for me, a gentleman in the garb of a sea captain came
towards me, eyeing me steadily and seemingly taking my
measure.

As soon as he arrived within speaking distance, he
accosted me with a polite " Good morning, sir."

" Good morning," I replied, raising my hat.

" Waiting for the Consulate to open, I suppose," he
said.

" Yes, sir."

" Excuse me," he continued, " but might I ask if you
are a seafaring man ? "

" Oh, yes," I replied, " I have been well trained to the
sea. I suppose I have been in all kinds of ships belonging
to almost every nation under the sun. As for my capa-
bilities, I leave that to my superiors to judge upon."

" Well," he observed, " I am in want of some men
and officers. Would you care about joining our service ? "

" What service is it ? " I asked.

" The opium trade, and there is the vessel," pointing
towards a moderately sized, trim-looking schooner lying at
anchor in the river not far from where we were standing.
She looked a perfect beauty as she lay there, with her
boarding nettings triced up all round her, and her guns
run out and shining in the rays of the sun, so brightly
were they polished. Her booms were also swung out for
the various boats to hang on to, for there was more room
in the river then, than there is now. I doubt much if the
increased traffic would admit of vessels having boat booms
swung out nowadays.

I had heard a good deal about this opium trade, one
way and another. Some condemned it, while others
laughed at their conscientious scruples. I was young
and eager for adventures out of the ordinary way of
a seafaring life, so I replied to my questioner that I
had no objections to join him, pay and other conditions
being satisfactory.

" Well," he said, " I am Captain Gulliver, the schooner
is named the Eamont, built in the Isle of Wight, by White,
the celebrated yacht builder. She is nearly solid mahogany,
and cost as much as would build a good oak ship of ten
times her size. I will give you the post of third officer,"
and he named a rate of pay that would make the mouth of
a chief officer of nowadays water. " You can join to-night
or to-morrow morning, and if during the day you can pick
up any European seamen, you can bring them with you,
and their pay will be forty dollars a month, or five more if
they are the right sort. We carry a large crew, so the
work is light, if it is attended with some danger. There
is no stint of food, and everything of the best."

Be sure to look for the companion book, "Among Typhoons and Pirate Craft" for your Kindle by the same author.