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Mail" of 23rd January last and I was astounded at finding that there were (I then thought certain's 10 refers in this harbor an aggregate of 8,977 apparently outfitting the Chinese Coolie Trade.
My communicating this fact to you, His Excellency the Governor immediately obtained a Report by the Harbor Master as to these vessels from which I find that on 28th January, 1873 eight vessels some of previous Coolie notoriety with a total tonnage of 7,466 tons were then in this Harbor.
As to which the Harbor Master reports "these vessels lying here till their services are required to carry Chinese from Macao to Callao". When to this is added their condition as to actual fittings derived from His Excellency's personal inspection, it would seem that the fittings out of these Ships in these Waters if proved would be within the provisions of the Slave Trade Abolition Act of 1824, and the definition in section two of the 6 and 7 Vic: C: 98 if I was correct in declaring as I did in the Kwok-a-Sing case that the Coolie Trade from Macao, is the Slave Trade. That decision is fully informed and inserted in the annual Blue Book of Forces.