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grandchildren or an uncle his nieces causes children sometimes to be sold against their parents' wishes. But to save their child from star- vation, the parents often may have no other course but to sell it.
The answer to Sir George Maxwell's question is probably this: sons being as essential in the Chinese family as heirs in the English aristo- cracy (for much the same reason) are sold or given away only in times of great stress. Girls, on the contrary, may be a burden to a poor family. In the past, sooner or later, they would be sold in marriage. There was no reason, except parental affection, why the girls should not be parted with earlier. In some districts all girls go at a very early age to the family of their prospective husband and become members of that family.
There can to-day be nothing to keep a boy adopted into another family from running away unless he could be made to regard himself
as a son.
There seem to be two reasons, therefore, why there are no boy equivalents of the Muitsai. First, boys are only sold in the very last resort--secondly, there is no tie by which they could be held by the purchaser in an inferior position. There may have been a sanction. while slavery was lawful in China, but the revolution seems to have destroyed effectively that sanction which it is certain, never existed in Hong Kong.
In 1898, when the New Territories were added to Hong Kong, there were some 100 male slaves, many reported to be much better off finan- cially and otherwise than many of the free, but they were said to be all conscious of their social inferiority; it seems they have been absorbed into normal life.
The position of a girl, sold or pledged as a Muitsai, was quite different. In the first place, she was a member of a family and looked forward to eventual marriage; whereas, if she ran away, she would have no family. In the East, "a woman without a family" was synonymous with a harlot. She could only find a home with another woman of the same class. The present position is materially different. The Muitsai to-day is rarely a member of the family, she does not necessarily desire marriage, and she can live and earn her living outside a family without being classed as a harlot. To-day most girls whether living in a family or earning their own living, are inclined to despise the Muitsai as a girl who has been sold, the sale being the objectionable feature.
Again, while it might be difficult for a Chinese boy to make a living, if without family influence, he could and can always get a roof and enough food. This is still difficult for a girl. For her to get work is not easy; the laws against harbouring are severe and any one giving shelter or perhaps food to a strange girl would still risk a police visit which is something to be avoided at all costs. Finally, the employer of a Muitsai, properly taken, is still responsible to her parents for her safety and proper marriage. If she runs away, the employer must still raise the hue and cry in his own interests, or he may have to answer for his default, if not to the parent, yet to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs. A registered Muitsai who ran away would raise untold trouble for all concerned.
On the other hand, there seems to be no particular reason why, except for a dislike of a position of servitude and the abuse of other girls the majority of the Muitsai should run away. They are better off probably as Muitsai than with their parents. They have chances of a better marriage. Cases of serious physical cruelty are rare and are visited with a very heavy hand by the Magistrate, whenever discovered.