感
THE CHINA MAIL.
HONGKONG, SATURDAY, OCT. 24, 1868.
DEATHS IN THE "DAYSPRING." (From the Australasian, Sept. 12,) Dr Maclean, district coroner, commenced an inquiry at Williamstown near Melbourne on Tuesday into the circumstances con- nected with the deaths of Chong Ah Yow and Sumyuk, Chinamen, who were pas sengers in the ship Dayspring, bound from Hongkong to Melbourne. The evidence of several of the passengers revealed gross dereliction of duty on the part of Captain Middleton during the passage. The Day- spring sailed from the port of Hongkong on the 20th of May, with ninety-six Chinese, and two European passengers. The crew consisted of four Europeans (without a first mate), and a number of South Sea Is lan lers. After having been at sea for about sixty days, all hands were placed on a short allowance of rations. On reaching cold latitudes the crew became sick, and scor- butic symptoma became manifest among the passengers. On or about the 10th of August a scurvy patient expired, and after that date "the Chinamen commenced to die fast." The provisions supplied to the passengers were inferior to those served out to the ship's crew-in fact, they were not only inferior in quality, but seriously cur- tailed in quantity. After a miserable pas. sage of 104 days, the ship dropped her anchor off Queensclift on the 4th inst. Previously to slipping the anchor a Chinese doctor, who was one of the passengers, died of sourvy, and during the following night auother Chinaman snecumbed to the loath- some disease. Both bodies were subse- quently thrown overboard, without having any kind of weight attached to them. On arriving in Hobson's Bay, and after the vessel had anchored, another unfortunate passenger died, and his body was likewise thrown over the side of the vessel-with the additional precaution in this instance of having a weight attached to it.
The "second mate" of the vessel swore that the salt fish doled out to the unfortunate Cbinose "was not fit for food for Euro- peans" while the ample statements made by other witnesses examined testifed to the fact of there not being a single anti-scor- butic article of diet on board the vessel.
The Coroner acquainted the jury that he had not taken the evidence of Mr Langdon, the cabin passenger, who is at present an inmate of the Melbourne Hospital. He would mention that it was not his inten- tion to close the investigation without Mr Langdon's evidence, as he (the coroner); considered it would be imporfaut.
was a
Archibald Miller, examined,-1 passenger by the Dapping from Hong Kong. All the passengers and the crew, with the exception of one cabin passenger, were in good health when we left Hong- kong. The cabin passenger's name is Wil- liam Abbott Langdon. He is the super- intendent of water police at Hongkong. I cannot say if the ship bore a good re- putation at Hongkong. Sickness first ap- peared among the Chinese, about six weeks after we left port. The first death occur- red about three weeks after that time. A second death occurred about a week after the first, and then the deaths became frequent The sufferers appeared to have swollen limbs. I did not consider the Chinumen were well treated throughout
the passage. The sauces and pickled
onions served out to them were not good. The rice was good. The turnips, yams, and sweet potatoes were bad. The provi sions were good at the commencement of the voyage, but they got bad afterwards. The salt fish was bad, but the pork was good. The beef was good, but the Chinese did not seem to care about it. Towards the end of the voyage the beef, pork, and pickled eggs got bad. I saw some lime- Lice served out to the Chinese, shortly
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after the sickness appeared, and while we were in the Gillolo Passage. Lime-juice was served out twice a week for a period of three weeks. It was given to those on- ly who were sick. I did not see any Lime- juice served out to the South Sea Islan- ders. I heard the captain say that the sickness among the Chinese was scurvy. I have seen water running down between decka. It was caused by a leakage in the decks. About a week after its ap- pearance the captain got the decks Caulked and pitched. The water got in between decks after the caulking W!! finished. The crow consisted of eight South Sea Islanders, a second carpenter, a mate, a steward, and the captain. The captain did not always keep his watch, but was oc- casionally relieved by one of the South Sea Islanders. The second carpenter (Joseph Rowland) kept the captain's watch for about two weeks before we came to anchor. I never saw the South Sea Islanders put out or take in sail without orders. Sands- trou, the second mate, always kept his own watch. After leaving Hongkong we were becalmed for twenty-seven days, and after- wards we experienced squally weather. The Chinamou did not get the same quality of provisions as the other passengers, think the beef supplied to them was supe- rior to that served out to the other passen- gers. About a month after leaving port, provisions began to run short, and all hands were placed on short rations. Sickness ap- peared shortly afterwards. I heard no complaints from the Chinamen; but if they had complained I could not understand them. They were not ill-used, but I have seen water thrown over them, because they came too far aft to speak to their country- meu in the cabin. The captain went below on one or two occasions after death had oc- curred, for the purpose of looking after the Chinamen. 1 consider the captain was careless with respect to the lives of the pas sengers. There was no code of signals on board. The vessel was knocking about the Heads for about a fortnight before coming Three deaths occurred at the Heads. The captain manifested no sympathy either for the passengers or the crew during their illness.
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To the Coroner.The between decks were cleaned out once only. A passenger re- quested the captain to use chloride of lime. The captain said it would be necessary, but be failed to use it. There were twenty-five tins of preserved meat on board when we leit port. The tins varied in size from 5lb. to 71b. The entire of those provisions were used in the cabin. The captain belaved harshly towards his crew, and used to strike them with bis fist several times a day.
Cheo Long, whose evidence was interpret- ed, said, produce a provision diary of the various stores which were served out during the voyage. The day after leaving port we were reduced in firewood by sixty pounds; we received 140lb. instead of 2001b. When at sea about forty-five days all the stores decreased in quantity. About the fifty-third day out the rice became short. Lime-juice was served out only four or five times during the voyage. received a pannikinful each time.
Each man
To Mr Stephen.-The ship was chartered by Wo Hang and Co., of Hongkong. They supplied the provisions for the voyage, and they appointed me to act as interpreter. There was not sufficient wood served ont for cooking purposes. The captain distri buted one full pannikin of limejuice to serve for the whole of the passengers. On one occasion he gave out an extra lialf panuikin.
The ovidence of the Chinese cook was taken, but it was merely a corroboration of the foregoing facts. He swore the captain never went below among the berths during the voyage. The botween decks were swept once a week, and were never washed or scraped.
Hong Ah Chee, another of the passengers, said that on one occasion, while endeavour- ing to shelter himself from a shower of rain ou desk, the captain came up to him, and kicked him in the side.
The proceedings were then djourned until four o'clock on Wednesday next.
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