Exports by 'country ships' to India consisted of tea, coarse porcelain, paper umbrellas, silks, and a multitude of 'chow-chow' articles, together with enormous quantities of silver and bar gold. For the latter a special chop, called 'money chop,' had to be obtained from the Hoppo. It was these repeated shipments of treasure that attracted the attention of the local authorities, and through whose reports in connection with the foreign commerce of the port they were made known to the Government at Pekin. As a natural result, Imperial edicts were sent down forbidding shipments of such quantities of money, as being for the purchase of 'foreign mud,' to be introduced by stealth into the 'Middle Kingdom,' against prohibitions successively issued, warning all engaged in the trade 'to desist and not to incur the Imperial displeasure,' while any Chinese co-operating in it were to be severely punished. But the immunity so long enjoyed, with the inherent weakness of the Chinese Government, caused foreigners to believe that any serious attempt to put a stop to the trade was simply impracticable. The Imperial edicts were considered as so much waste paper. Opium was imported and sold, while 'the oozing out of fine silver' went on as usual.
Of the 'Outside' Chinese Merchants several were of much consideration, and of an integrity and intelligence in business unsurpassed by the mercantile classes of any other country. Such men were Washing, Cumwa, Linchong, Wo-Yun, Yeeshing, Keet-Chong, and others. An incident in relation to Yeeshing, serving as an illustration both of his honesty and unselfishness, may be related.
On the occasion of the great fire in 1822, enormous quantities of private property and of merchandise were destroyed, and opportunities offered when, without the possibility of discovery, the latter, particularly, could have been concealed and reported as having been consumed by the flames. Mr. John P. Cushing, of the house of Perkins & Co., had placed with Yeeshing 5,000 pieces of crapes to be dyed, whose value was about $50,000. There was, of course, no insurance upon them, nothing of the kind existing at Canton. A day or two after the fire Yeeshing entered Mr. Cushing's office, exclaiming,'Hae-yah! Hae-yah!' 'Well, Yeeshing,' enquired Mr. C., 'how fashion?' To which he replied, 'My have loosum my house, my shop--alla finishy, too muchee trub.' Mr. C. began to express his sympathy, with the conviction that he too was involved in the loss, when Yeeshing continued, 'My alla finishy, only when my take out you crape (to save it) hav loosum 84 peecee, how can my, no too muchee trub?' He had saved Mr. Cushing's crapes, but had lost his own dwelling and its contents, with an important quantity of his own goods and chattels, in doing so.