as what he is alleged to have received has no means at his hand. He is just helpless as a man who, being a great adept at military exercises, has no parade ground to display his ability in.
There are some instances in which a person has been willing at first but when he arrives on board, to go ship his money being already spent, he raises a great outcry, weeping and lamenting. The coolie catcher makes use of these men to confirm his story. He says they have themselves to blame for their mistake. In these cases the coolies themselves are bad and have been trying to practise deception. Thus the persons whose place it is to make inquiry into the matter is unable to sift the true from the false.
If he was to release all the foreigners who had ... everything, laid out his money ... = ... everything. On the other hand if he was to assist one, all the coolies in the ship would with one voice say they were unwilling to go, who could stand the loss of so much money? When intelligent men who are kidnapped are mixed up with the coolies it is really very difficult for those enquiring into the matter to find out the truth. If we could put ourselves into their place we should be utterly at a loss.
A great many of those who are willing to proceed to foreign countries to engage in labour are poor men and a great many bad men, who, when in their native place have consented to go, and have received from the Coolie catcher clothes and money for their expenses, but who, when they have got to some place half way, run away or get their companions to rescue them forcibly.
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