CHINESE LABOURERS.
246
PAPERS RELATIVE TO EMIGRATION OF
free from many prejudices; they would marry among our people, and as they enjoy beer when they can get it, eat meat, pork, &c., they would give an impetus to stores; and of their being idle when work and pay are to be had, there is no fear. Should an attempt be made to keep them on lower wages than the current of the day during any apprenticeship, they might have at first to serve, there would be trouble; they would no more bear ill-usage than an English labourer; they perfectly understand, and are submissive in their position. I have seen on this subject several Chinese of the best class, and they tell me that we might procure 5000 and 8000 per annum at Singapore and Penang, or Prince of Wales' Island, and that they would go for wages, and on conditions as per memorandum. January and February are the proper months to procure them, as about this time the junks arrive, and very frequently from 200 to 500 are in one junk as passengers. If you should and our other friends think of trying this class of emigrants, Messrs. Spottiswoode and Connolly, of Singapore, and Messrs. Brown and Co., of Prince of Wales' Island, will furnish you with every information, and can be depended upon; vessels are easily chartered here, and rice and fish, their principal food, is very cheap. For a trial, several who possess adjoining properties should join, as they are fond of company, and until they are in numbers, should not be separated too far from each other. An estate, with a gang of 100 of these, might do away with most of their present independent gentlemen, and with the fresh supplies we could command, British Guiana would in a few years exceed her hitherto largest export. I do not know that I can say more on this subject; I will leave it in your hands entirely, and hope it will at any rate draw attention to the Chinese, if emigration has not taken place from Africa. There is no objection on the English Government's part, for I mentioned the subject to the Governor. About 1000 Chinese are embarked for the Mauritius. As I am on this subject, I may as well state here that the Chinese will expect higher wages than would Coolies, but they are far superior. The best Coolies are from the Madras Presidency, far superior to the Bengalies, more muscular, and stronger built; very good people are also to be had on the Malabar coast at Cochin.
C
Messrs. Barclay Brothers and Co. have had Chinese from Brown and Co., and from Spottiswoode and Connolly for their Mauritius properties. The people are from Amoy, and arrive in the Straits in January and February, these are also the best months for a passage from the Straits to the colonies.
"Chinese interpreters may be had at salaries, and there should be 1 to every 100.
"Messrs. Brown and Co., Penang, have shipped to Mauritius, Chinese men, from the age of 18 to 30, on the following terms:
ENGAGEMENT.
"I, Ching-Ho, a free native of Amoy, at present at Penang, in search of employment, do hereby engage with Messrs. Brown and Co., acting for Messrs. Gignet and Co., to proceed to the island of Mauritius, in the British brig Leswick, Captain Archibald Currie, and there to serve Messrs. Gignet and Co., or any person or persons to whom they may wish to transfer this agreement for the period of two years, as an agricultural labourer or sugar manufacturer upon the said Messrs. Gignet and Co., or the person or persons to whom they may wish to transfer this agreement, paying me wages at the rate of five dollars monthly, from the date of my commencing work, and at the rate of six dollars monthly for the second year; and also furnishing me with 45 lbs. of rice, and 6 lbs. of salt-fish, and monthly rations, with a sufficient quantity of salt. Signed, sealed, and executed at Prince of Wales' Island.
In the presence of witnesses.
CHINESE LABOURERS TO THE WEST INDIES.
AGREEMENT, Singapore, February, 1843.
247
I, So Sli, a native of China, labourer, in consideration of the sum of 35 Spanish dollars, equal to 37.92 Mauritius currency, advanced to me by Messrs. Spottiswoode and Connolly, for which I have this day executed a bond in favour of Messrs.
, their agents
in the Mauritius, before the police magistrates at this settlement, do hereby promise to work in the service of the said Messrs.
, or of such of their friends in whose employ they may wish to place me on my arrival in the said island of Mauritius, and to enter to that effect into a regular contract of service for the period of two years, provided the said Messrs.
will guarantee me a salary of four dollars per month, with a daily allowance of two pounds of rice, a quarter of a pound of fish, and also lodging and medical advice. Upon these conditions I promise to do and perform, as well as my strength and abilities allow, all work required of me upon any sugar estate; I being allowed in each day three hours in the whole for my meals, at such time as may be determined on by the manager of the estate, in accordance with the uses of the place and with the approbation of the stipendiary magistrate of the district; to whose decision, according to the laws of the colony, any dispute arising out of the execution of my contract of service, shall be submitted.
X
his mark.
These are to certify that the above document has been explained to So Sli, whose mark is herebefore affixed by Cho Ping Ho, interpreter for the Chinese language, in the
of presence C. H., Police Magistrate.
"Know all men by these presents that, on this 15th day of February, 1843, before me, C. H., Police Magistrate of Singapore, personally came and appeared So Sli, a native of China, accompanied by Cho Ping Ho, interpreter of the Chinese language, and John Connolly, of the firm of Spottiswoode and Connolly, of this place; and that the said So Sli, through the above-named interpreter, did declare unto me that he, being desirous to proceed to the Island of Mauritius, there to employ himself as field-labourer, has applied to John Connolly, of the afore- for his passage said firm, for a passage in the ship 'Dona Carmelita,' and being unable to pay
*
in the said ship, and being now without the means of providing himself with clothing and provisions for the passage, the said John Connolly, of the above-named firm, has consented to make him some advance of cash for purchasing the above-mentioned necessaries, which, together with the stipulated price for his passage hence to Mauritius, make a total sum of 35 Spanish dollars, or $7.92 Mauritius currency, which said sum of 37.92 dollars he the said So Sli promises and engages to reimburse to Messrs.
of the Island of Mauritius, the agents or friends of Messrs. Spottiswoode and Connolly, out of the wages to be earned by him the said So Sli as field-labourer, during the two first years of his stay, it being clearly understood that the wages he may earn in the island shall, at the option of the said Messrs.
be claimed, recovered, and received by them from his employers until they have received the whole of the above-mentioned sum of 37.92 dollars Mauritius currency. In witness whereof the said So Sli has hereunto affixed his mark as under.
. In the presence of
Interpreter's signature,
Quod attestit,
F
Police Magistrate."
224
CHINESE LABOURERS.
No. 3.
No. 3.
RECEIPT FOR PASSAGE-MONEY.
"I, Ching-Ho, acknowledge to have received from Messrs. Brown and Co., acting for Messrs. Gignet and Co., of Mauritius, the sum of 20 dollars, the price of my passage from Penang to Mauritius, on the brig Leswick, Captain A. Currie, which amount of 20 dollars is paid.
Witnesses.
Signed, sealed, and executed.
RECEIPT FOR ADVANCE OF WAGES.
"I, Ching-Ho, do hereby acknowledge to have received from Messrs. Brown and Co., acting for Messrs. Gignet and Co., of Mauritius, 15 dollars, being three months' advance for the first year, which I engage to pay by agricultural labour on the estate of the said Messrs. Gignet and Co., at Mauritius, or on the estates of the person or persons to whom they may transfer my engagement, for which I am to receive as per agreement the sum of five dollars monthly the first year, and six dollars the second.
Signed before witnesses.
Copy of a LETTER from NEILL MALCOLM, Esq., to Lord STANLEY.
West India Committee Rooms, My Lord,
12, Old Jewry, August 9th, 1843. WITH reference to the letter which I had the honour to address to your Lordship on the 24th ultimo, and the communications that have since taken place on the subject of it, I beg leave to submit for consideration the enclosed papers, consisting of:-
1. The draft of an Order in Council, permitting contracts to be made with
Chinese labourers at Sincapore, Penang, and Hong Kong.
2. The draft of an Agreement which might be made under that permission
for three years' service,
3. The same for five years' service.
Although it has not been in the power of this Committee to obtain much information relative to the experience of those planters in Mauritius who have had Chinese in their employment, and the same confidence cannot consequently be entertained with respect to them as seems to be universally felt in the Coolies, yet so urgent is the necessity for an immediate accession of labourers in most of the West India colonies, that parties in this country would be disposed to make
No. 1.
No. 2.
No. 3.