(20)
EVIDENCE OF WONG A-MÚN.
19. Q. Have you a passage ticket?
A. Yes.
(21)
522
1. QUESTION.-What is your surname, name and by-name?
ANSWER. WONG A MUN.
2. Q. What is your age?
A. 32 years.
3. Q. Who and where are your parents or guardians?
A. Héung-shán.
4. Q. Where is your home, how long have you been there, and when did you leave it?
A. Lung-tò. I was always there.
5. Q. What was your occupation hitherto, what your monthly earnings, and where were you so occupied?
A. Fishmonger. I earned 3-4 taels a month.
6. Q. Can you read or write?
A. Cannot read or write.
7. Q. Have you any friends or relatives here in Hongkong?
A. WONG A-IT, of a fruit-stall, in Chung-wán Market, is a cousin of mine.
8. Q. Have you been abroad before?
A. No.
9. Q. When did you arrive in Hongkong?
A. On the 24th, by steamer from Macao. I landed at Sai-ying-p'ún, at the Fuk-sing Street.
10. Q. Who paid for your passage to Hongkong?
A. Half a dollar was paid. My parents paid it. I came alone without my parents. I paid it myself.
11. Q. What baggage had you, and what amount of money, on arrival?
A. One box, a teapot, but no money. I had 27 taels. No, I had with me only 12 shillings when I arrived in Hongkong and two twenty-cent pieces. I sent back to my parents 5 taels. Yes, I had only 12 shillings and 2 twenty-cent pieces when I arrived in Hongkong. I had no other money at all. I had one blanket and a mosquito curtain.
12. Q. With whom did you come to Hongkong?
A. I came alone.
14. Q. Where did you stay in Hongkong?
A. At the Chan-sang shop, Fuk-sing Street. Old Ho is the master. I did not know him before. A ÜN CH'rú-YING took me there. I met him near the Harbour Master's Office. He man, told me to find him at the Poultry Shop. He had sent for me to come to Hongkong. I borrowed no money from my cousin. I did not borrow money from any one else. I had only 12 shillings.
15. Q. Where do you intend to go to? and with whom are you going?
A. Sydney. I am going with others, with LEUNG A-SING [sent for, but could not be found], about 23 years old. He is no relation of mine. I am going to Australia with him. I did not know him before. I only got acquainted with him here in Hongkong. UN CH'TU-YING took me to LEUNG A-SING to take me abroad. He (UN) received no money from him. He did not tell me that he did. He introduced me yesterday. I received no money from any one, neither yesterday nor to-day.
16. Q. What work and wages do you expect to get in Australia?
A. I am to dig gold. No wages are fixed. I shall know in Sydney what wages I shall get. I am going to dig gold for myself. When I get there, there will be friends who will find me employment.
17. Q. What outfit have you now and how did you procure it?
A. One blanket, one mosquito curtain, no provisions.
18. Q. What were your expenses in Hongkong, and what sum have you left now?
A. I had no expenses; my friends paid for my expenses. When I have earned some money in Australia, I shall have to repay them. Old Ho is one of those friends. He is no relation. He deals in fowls and ducks. He does not deal in pigs. He is now at home [sent for]. ÜN CH'TÚ-YING took me there. My expenses there are about 4-5 candareens per day. He said "When you get money in Sydney you repay me.” I said that I would do it. I said that to Old Ho. I have now still my 12 shillings and 2 twenty-cent pieces in my pocket.
20. Q. When, from whom, and where did you obtain it?
A. I paid for this ticket myself. I changed the 12 shillings and paid for it. I paid for the ticket the money $42 on the 26th day, 2 days ago, in the On-hing shop in Queen's Road. to a Chinaman called PAT-FUN [sent for] on the same day in the On-hing shop. I went first to the Mò-lung shop with WONG A-IT. I changed the 12 shillings. They were silver shillings. I got $3.50. WONG A-IT said there was not enough money, and that the $3.50 must be added. I brought the money with me to Hongkong. The words on the ticket were explained to me in the On-hing shop.
22. Q. What sum will you have to repay after arrival in Australia?
A. Nothing. When I have earned money in Australia, I shall send money home to my friends.
23. Q. At what rate of interest and to whom will you have to repay it, or is the amount to be deducted from your wages by your future employer?
A. No.
24. Q. Did you make any verbal or written agreement regarding repayment of outfit and passage?
A. No.
25. Q. Do you understand that money advanced or paid by others in connection with your going abroad will have to be repaid by you out of your future earnings in Australia?
A. No need to pay the money to any one. The money paid for my passage belongs to my parents. I did send money back to my parents. They are poor. I earned 6-7 dollars a month. I never saved any money. I brought no money to Hongkong.
Ho CH' [admitted by WONG MUN to be "Old Ho" referred to by him] states as follows:-
I My surname is Ho. I do not know WONG MUN [placed before him]. He did not stay with me. I gave him no meals, and I incurred no expenses for him. I lent him no money. I paid no passage or anything for him. I had nothing whatever to do with him. YING lives in my house.
Kò PAT-FUN of the On-hing shop, [referred to by WONG MUN, see above] states :--
ÜN CH'IC-YING
I do not know WONG A-IT. I know WONG MUN. He was a neighbour of mine in the country. I wrote to him and asked him to come to Hongkong. I do not know who lent him the money to pay for the passage to Australia. He is a farmer. I am not aware that he ever was a fishmonger. I am not aware that his parents have any money at all. He stayed, on his arrival in Hongkong, with his friends. Ho CH' is his friend. I know Ho CH' well. WONG MUN took his meals every day with Ho CH' (Old Ho). Ho CH' paid for the meals. WONG MUN came with $42 to me. Another man was with him. The money was not handed to me, but to LI A-LAM.
LI A-LAM, sent for, states :----
I belong to the On-hing shop. I know WONG MUN. WONG MUN had the money in his hands. A man brought him to the shop. I do not know that man. I did not give WONG MUN the passage ticket. I do not know who lent him the money.
EVIDENCE OF MA SIT-LÁP.
1. Q. What is your surname, name and by-name?
A. MA SIT-LÁP.
2. Q. What is your age?
A. Thirty-four years.
3. Q. Who and where are your parents or guardians?
A. I do not remember my father's clan name. His name is YAI-HING. My mother's clan name is WONG.
4. Q. Where is your home, how long have you been there, and when did you leave it?
A. Héung-shán district, village of Cheung-ká-pin.
5. Q. What was your occupation hitherto, what your monthly earnings, and where were you so occupied?
A. I earned 3-4 taels a month. I saved $100.