meantime, having requested H. Mis(sionard) there to keep a book out for their advent to V[eracruz?] & furnish me with all the details that he may be able to procure about these Chinamen from Hongkong.
026
On their arrival, Su[v]ent the other day & paid a visit to M[onsieur] Valdevallans. I spoke to him on the subject of this importation, informing him that as the coolies in question were being brought from Hong Kong, a British colony, I had received instructions from my Govt. concerning them & the observation of their contracts.
M. Valdevallane was civil and seemed to understand the motive of my visit & when alluding to the contracts remarked that they appeared unfavourable for the Chinamen, but I think he was hinted that in one permanent point of view they were "better for the 'Haciendadas' people, than the customary crews."
412
However he appeared also to be of opinion that the Chinaman receiving money without clothing & provisions would be gambling it away & not nourish himself properly, & therefore would not be fit for the performance of the work for which he might be engaged; evidently, he was averse to altering the contracts with the consent of the coolies themselves.
To this remark I did not feel myself warranted to offer any decided answer through my intervention.
INDEX.