Colonial Secretary's Office, Hong Kong, 11 February 1873.
Received 17 February, 1873.
Chief Justice (Tromble John Sinale);
Acting Colonial Secretary &c.
To His Excellency Sir Arthur Kennedy,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief.
Macau Coolie Trade-
(Dispatch from Secretary of State No. 173 of 20 November 1872),
observations regarding
Sir Arthur Kennedy's Despatch No. 33 of 12 February 1873.
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Inclosures
"China Mail" of 19th December 1872.
We do not know, says the Straits Times, who is to blame, and we are assured Government can do nothing in the matter, but the spectacle the deck of the American steamer Kiuchu presented in this port last week was a disgrace to humanity. The deck was crowded with coolies from Swatow, packed like herrings, and she was at one time so top-heavy that it was a miracle, until she was ballasted, she did not topple over and drown her living freight like rats. These wretched slaves are sent down here on consignment, and are not allowed to land until their passage is paid by the consignee. Ordinarily there is not much difficulty in this, and they are landed at once, but recent times have been so calamitous, that in the Kiuchu's case, and also in the case of a sailing vessel which arrived crowded recently, there has been a difficulty about the passage money, the consignees being unable to raise the needful, and of course it is out of the question for the captains or consignees of the vessels to allow the coolies to land, for they would disperse into the jungle at once. The spectacle is not creditable to any civilized port, more especially a British one, and some representations should be made on the subject to the authorities in the Chinese out-ports.
"China Mail" of 7th February, 1873.
A labour importing of Chinese coolies is, says the Straits Times, going on at Singapore, vessels arriving almost daily from Amoy and Swatow, laden, or more properly speaking, overladen with them. They are a troublesome cargo, in some instances being packed so densely on board as to impede the working of the ship. On board of one vessel that recently arrived there were no less than 1,400, the ship's tonnage being between 800 and 900 tons. Most of the ships thus freighted anchor as far outside as possible to render the escape of their passengers a matter of difficulty. Despite this precaution, whether to evade payment of their passage money or the clutches of their consignees, or that impatience seizes the Celestial mind at sight of the promised land, or that the durance on board appears particularly vile, one knows not, but numbers of them jump overboard, risking a briny grave in attempting to reach some of the numerous sampans that are constantly dodging about these ships, and thus get quickly ashore. A few nights ago, seven escaped in this manner from one ship, whilst on board another, one of the crew, having interfered with the "fixings" of a coolie, received a stab from the latter's knife. We shall have more to say on this subject of coolie emigration, to which we have already called attention in late issues of this paper.
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