"A Chinese coolie," said a missionary, will carry 1071b. forty miles a day over difficult and mountainous roads. His pay will be 3d. per day, and on this he will live well enough; eggs, for example, costing only Id. a dozen in inland China.
'There is no porter on earth equal to the Chinese coolie. The coolie who carry Szechuen tea into Tibet travel over snow-choked mountain passes 7000 ft. above the sea, with loads of 4321b. of compressed tea on their patient backs.
"Salt, coal, calico, copper, and tea are carried by coolies thousands of miles. The express coolie, with his light load of 1071b9., 3wings along at the rate of forty miles a day. The accommodation coolie, with, 1601b., does thirty miles. The various freight coolies, loaded respectively with 2001b., 3001b., and 400 lb., do twenty, fifteen, and ten miles.
"Every one of these coolies smokes opium. I hate to go against tradition, but opium smoking does very little harm in China. Ctertainly the harm it does is infinitesimal in comparison with the harm that strong drink does to us." Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette , 29 May 1912, Page 3
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