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vessels sailing from ports in China to foreign
countries, and it gave rise to great abuses,
especially in the case of emigrants to Chili
and Peru.
As stated in a letter from the Colo-
nial Land and Emigration Commissioners, dated
July 27th, 1853) "it is alleged that great
malpractices are resorted to in the collection
of emigrants on shore, that on ship-board
they are ill-fed, ill-treated and grossly
overcrowded and that they are treated like
slaves in some of the countries to which they
are taken."
The records of the time afford
ample evidence of the truth of these allega-
tions, instances being known in which nearly
fifty per cent of the coolies died on the
voyage from China to South America from over-
crowding, bad food and water and lack of proper
care.
To remedy these abuses, so far as
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