tharkay said , `` when the smuggling first began to be noticed , a little more than a year ago , word was sent to the offices in canton to make a note of all ships coming through the port , with the intention of tracing the source : similar efforts have been made before , of course , although they were puzzled by a method so indirect as funneling the goods through sydney - `` `` the operation must eat nearly all the profit of it , '' laurence said .