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(23)
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6. Q. Can you read or write?
A. I cannot read or write.
7. Q. Have you any friends or relatives here in Hongkong?
A. None, except the people in the On-hing shop.
8. Q. Have you been abroad before?
A. I arrived on the 16th day of the first moon, and returned into the country on the 8th day of the 2nd moon. During that time I stayed at the On-hing shop. I did no work. The master of the On-hing shop gave me my meals. I brought some money; 50 taels. I showed them to a man called Li [sent for] in the On-hing shop, and gave them to him as passage money. I went back to the country because I could not get a ticket just then.
I left the money with old L. My passage ticket was paid for out of those 50 taels.
22. Q. What sum will you have to repay after arrival in Australia?
A. None.
Mr. Kò l'AT-FÚN of the On-hing shop, sent for, states:—
MA SIT-LÁP is a crimp. His business is to bring together 3-4 men at a time for emigration purposes. Sometimes he goes himself with the men, sometimes he leaves them on board and returns. He is engaged by passage brokers to get men or tickets for men. MA SIT-LAP did not take his meals in the On-hing shop. He never took his meals there until the 24th day of the 3rd moon (23rd March, 1881) when he paid for them himself. He was not in the shop in the first and second moon.
LI LAM [referred to by MA SIT-LÁP, see above], accountant of the On-hing shop, sent for, states:— MA SIT-LÁP only came to our shop a few days ago and paid for a ticket. He lived in my shop for some days, but I gave him no meals. He only came a few days. He was not in the shop in the first and second moon. He did not leave $50 or taels 50 with me.
I do not know who MA SIT-LAP's employer is.
12. Q. With whom did you come to Hongkong?
A. WONG FUN-KAM came with me. He had been in Australia before.
He got the passage ticket for me.
13. Q. Where are the persons now in whose company you came to Hongkong?
A. Downstairs.
14. Q. Where did you stay in Hongkong?
A. At the On-hing shop. I bought my own food.
15. Q. Where do you intend to go to? and with whom are you going?
A. Sydney, with WONG FUN-KÁM.
16. Q. What work and wages do you expect to get in Australia?
A. I shall dig for gold, and if I earn money I shall send it back.
17. Q. What outfit have you now, and how did you procure it?
A. Same as before.
18. Q. What were your expenses in Hongkong, and what sum have you left now?
A. 3-4 taels, besides the passage money of half a dollar.
19. Q. Have you a passage ticket?
A. Yes.
20. Q. When, from whom, and where did you obtain it?
A. To-day. LI A-LAM, of the On-hing shop, gave it to me at the On-hing shop.
21. Q. What sum did you pay for it and to whom?
A. $42. To LI LAM, on the 23rd or 24th of the 3rd moon (22nd or 23rd March, 1881).
22. Q. What sum will you have to repay after arrival in Australia?
A. I do not know. I have not been there before. I have capital myself. I need not repay any money. FUN KAM told me to go to the On-hing shop. He is going with me to Australia.
EVIDENCE OF LEUNG Kam-K'WAN.
1. Q. What is your surname, name and by-name?
A. LEUNG Kam-K'wan.
2. Q. What is your age?
A. 25 years.
3. Q. Who and where are your parents or guardians?
A. Tak-tò, in Héung-shán district. My parents are not poor.
4. Q. Where is your home, how long have you been there, and when did you leave it?
A. I was always at home.
5. Q. What was your occupation hitherto, what your monthly earnings, and where were you so occupied?
A. I worked in the fields, and earned 300 cash a month.
6. Q. Can you read or write?
A. I have been in school one year. I was too poor. My parents have got money.
7. Q. Have you any friends or relatives here in Hongkong?
A. None. I have a relative, I-ts'ot, a sailor on board a steamer, but he is not in Hongkong now. I did not meet him here.
8. Q. Have you been abroad before?
A. I never was in Hongkong before, nor in Australia.
9. Q. When did you arrive in Hongkong?
A. On the 22nd day of the 3rd moon (21st March, 1881), by the Tak-to steamer.
10. Q. Who paid for your passage to Hongkong?
A. Half a dollar was paid.
11. Q. What baggage had you, and what amount of money, on arrival?
A. I had only 5 or 6 suits, a quilt, a waistcoat, a pillow-box containing 2½ sovereigns and 100 cash. I had no other money. The sovereigns are now in the On-hing shop, in charge of the accountant. I shall get them back. The 100 cash are in my pocket.
EVIDENCE OF WONG TIN-K'IÚ.
1. Q. What is your surname, name and by-name?
A. WONG TIN-K'IÚ.
2. Q. What is your age?
A. 26 years.
3. Q. Who and where are your parents or guardians?
A. Wong-ch'ung, in San-úi district. My parents are poor.
4. Q. Where is your home, how long have you been there, and when did you leave it?
A. I have always been at home.
5. Q. What was your occupation hitherto, what your monthly earnings, and where were you so occupied?
A. I worked in the fields, and earned not more than enough to eat.
6. Q. Can you read or write?
A. I cannot read or write. My parents had no money to send me to school. My parents have no money at all.
7. Q. Have you any friends or relatives here in Hongkong?
A. No, but at the Wo-ch'éung shop somebody knows me.
8. Q. Have you been abroad before?
A. No, I never was away from home.
9. Q. When did you arrive in Hongkong?
A. On the 24th day of the 3rd moon (25th March, 1881), by steamer from Macao.
10. Q. Who paid for your passage to Hongkong?
A. I paid half a dollar for the passage.
11. Q. What baggage had you, and what amount of money, on arrival?
A. I had no baggage, except 3 jackets and 3 pairs of trousers, no box, a quilt, a curtain, but no money at all. I brought no money to Hongkong.