Page 240 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

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were not many American resident merchants at Canton. Of these

there were only a few who had more than one or two vessels in

port at any given time. Those who did began utilizing various

vessels as storeships for opium. Most successful in this en­

deavor was the Perkins establishment.

Cushing had begun "keeping a vessel on the spot" as
29
early as 1818. In residence since 1803, Cushing knew every

segment of the operation of the Canton system. Employing a

storeship just as the American trade in Turkey opium was

expanding, the Perkinses grasped a large share of the business.

Even when the market in Turkey declined, Perkins & Co. did

1
not worry about sales, as Cushing could wait. Cushing s store­
ship remained anchored at Whampoa. Perkins & Co. could hold

large shipments of the drug and gradually release small quan­

tities into the market. When circumstances in November 1821

convinced foreigners to more their trade in opium from Whampoa,

Cushing ordered the captain of his storeship to sail down to

Lintin. Perkins & Co. merely resumed its trade in opium at

the new anchorage. At the time Cushing, and presumably the
other Americans at Canton, believed the disruption in the opium

trade to be merely temporary. But the length of the enforced

restrictions at Whampoa did not really matter to Cushing; "since

it Lopiufri7 can be sold deliverable at Lintin & Macao the

business will no doubt be carried on in this way as extensively

29
Letter, J. & T.H. Perkins to F.W. Paine, Mar. 24,
1818, Letterbooks of J. & T.H. Perkins.