108
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO
Numeral List.
Infants.
Men.
Women, Boys.
Girls.
Total.
M.
F.
332 41
11
Emigrants.
Embarked on the 23d Nov. 1852
352
Died on the voyage
41
Jumped overboard
(supposed)
11
Arrived in port
300
For hospital
29
For immediate distribution
271
110
11
Condensation of Surgeon's Weekly Abstracts.
800
29
271
For the information usually in this form, see the "Abstract of the Medical Journal," already furnished to his Excellency.
General Abstract of Surgeon's Journal.
Same observation applies to this form.
Death List. Died on the voyage, +1; but no names are given.
As above, no names are given. Total, 29 men.
Hospital List.
Summary.
Gross number of emigrants embarked, 332. Total number sick, as per general abstract (?) Total number of deaths, 52.
Per-centage of deaths to number embarked,
14'46.
Per-centage of deaths to cases of sickness (?) Daily average of people sick, 36; per-
centage thereof, 10-22. Highest number sick in any one day, 38. Lowest number
ditto
ditto
General Remarks on Surgeon's Diary and Journal, Provisions, Water, Vessel, &c. &c. The abstract of the surgeon's journal, already furnished to his Excellency, shows the manner in which the journals have been kept.
The provisions are all apparently of good quality; but of one article, which the Chinese are said to be very fond of, I have no experience, viz, salted shark.
Water good. Vessel clean, and well ventilated.
(Signed) JOHN M. JoпNSTONE,
-
Health Officer.
Abstract of the surgeon's journal of proceedings on 1oard the ship "Samuel Bodding- ton," during a voyage from China to Demerara, August 1852 to March 1853.
1852. Aug. 28th.-Dr. Ely went on board the ship" Samuel Boddington," at Wlampon, to go to Amoy for emigrants.
Sept 5th-Sailed för Amoy. Medicines furuished in less quantities than ordered, and of inferior quality.
L
Sept. 12th. Arrived at Amoy, and found many vessels there, waiting for cargoes of coolies for Sydney, west coast of America, and the Spanish West India islands.
"Oct. 21. We have now been laying here (Amoy) 49 days. I almost despair of ever getting a cargo for Demerara. Five ships have been despatched with full cargoes, but we "are still put off, although nine days upon demurrage. There are two gentlemen, Spanish agents, from Havanna, staying at Tait and Co.'s, who seem to possess sufficient influence "to have all their ships despatched at once. I attribute our delay to this cause.
LE
44
44
It
"Nov. 10.-This day, being the 59th since the arrival of the ship at Amoy, and the 19th day of demurrage, there have been 95 coolies sent on board. These are the rem- "nant of 215 which had been collected by Tait for us, but who, on being sent off to our ship, without any European to look after them, compelled the Chinese crews of the bonts they were in to run them ashore on the beach, where they made their escape. "appears that many of them who offer as coolies to go away, do so only for the purpose "of obtaining a few days food in the receiving ship; and when they are to be sent away, "take every means to escape. I cannot imagine why it is that Mr. Tait, knowing all this, did not, as has been his custom, place some Europeans in the boats to guard them. "The small number we have received were those who were sent in the last boat, and "are the worst lot which were on board the receiving ship. I shall be obliged to reject "more than half of them; but, owing to the confusion today, I must defer it till'another day. I shall endeavour to keep those who are ill and have infectious diseases as much as possible from those who are in good health.
I am very much vexed at "Nov. 11.-No prospect of any more coolies for some time. "what has occurred; the more so, as all those who have escaped from the beats of Tait and
*
Co. have gone to the hongs of Syme and Muir, to go to Havanna. We shall thus be bur-
EMIGRATION OF CHINESE COOLIES.
109
"dened by a set of half naked, half starved men for a long time before our full complement " can be collected. The weather is quite cold, and some of the coolies have nothing but a loose nankin jacket. Some of them wish to go ashore, and (say?) that they were deceived by Messrs. Tait and Co.'s brokes This evening two men endeavoured to swim "ashore on some small boards, a distance of two miles, but the gig was lowered, and they
were picked up almost exhausted.
K
Ja
"Nov. 12.-No more coolies. Several cases of serious sickness. Applied to Tait and "Co. for clothes for the coolies, but can get none; they saying that it is the place of the "coolie brokers to furnish them with clothes here.
4.
"Nov. 13.-Messrs. Tait and Co. sent on bourd 104 coolies, without either now or previously having given either myself or Captain Hurst notice of their coming. More "thun half of the 200 men we have on board are unfit for the purpose they are intended, "and still we are having them thrust aboard, whether we wish it or not.
"Nov. 14-No more coolies. Many cases of sickness.
"Nov. 15.-Five coolies sent on board, and one taken out who had been brought when "in a state of intoxication, and whose parents had demanded him of the mandarins.
"Nov. 16.-Ten coolies sent on board.
"Nov. 17.-Thirteen coolies sent this morning. I have to-day made a general exami- "nation of those on board, and find them as follows:-
"Healthy and able-bodied men "Infirm, incompetent, &c.
Total
131 95
226
"Of the latter, I sent 10 men ashore to Mr. Tait, in charge of the broker who brings "off the men
They were unfit, on account of the foul nature of their diseases, to remain among so many men as we now have on board. The remainder I shall send away, as soon "as it shall be convenient, to Messrs. Tait.
"Nov. 18. Two coolies received. The weather is cold and stormy, and the men are "still naked. Many of them are suffering from catarrhs and inflammations, and still I "cannot procure for them any clothing
"This morning Captain Hurst handed me a letter which had been sent him by "Mr. Tait. Extract therefrom: Amoy, Nov. 18, 1852, Captain Hurst. Dear Sir,
C
L
It appears your surgeon has taken upon himself to turn 10 men out of the ship without ever mentioning to us his intentions. We suppose what has been done was without your knowledge. We wish you to understand that it interferes with the working of "our coolie brokers, and if continued will stop the business altogether.'
16 C
Journal resumed.
Of course after what has taken place, and the conduct of Messrs. Tait and Co. in always showing so much preference to the agents from Ilavanna, independent of the fact of their making a regular hospital or receiving ship of this vessel, I feel quite angry that, what I considered to be the greatest forbearance in not sending them all ashore again, should be so ungraciously received.
"Tait and Co.-Gentlemen,
C
"Amoy, Nov. 18, 1952.
"BEFORE me is a letter, of this date, from yourselves to Captain Hurst, of the 'Samuel Boddington,' of which vessel I am surgeon, containing the following statement:- It "appears,' &c. &c., down to charter party. I beg permission to inform you that said sur- geon will continue in the fulfilment of his written instructions from the charterers of his ship to take upon himself to turn any and every man out of the ship who may, in his hum- ble opinion, be unfit for the duty he is intended, or who may, as in the present case, be "unfit, on account of incurable infirmities, or infectious diseases, to remain confined with "the healthy men on board. It would have been thought, under the circumstances, that "without mentioning my intentions my course would have been anticipated by you, or any one else, when among the 226 codies on board yesterday morning, sent by you as able-bodied labourers, there were three who have been absolutely deformed cripples for years, two entire idiots, one blind, one deaf and dumb, besides a great number more with syphilis and other disenses which have entirely incapacitated them. I should have "been very happy to have conducted an examination (if it would have obliged you) on "board your receiving ship, before the coolies (f) were sent to our ship at all, thus saving "all of us much trouble and annoyance; but you are aware you did not deem it of sub- "cient importance to inform either myself or Captain Hurst that they were to be put on board until they had actually arrived, or rather the remnant of those you allowed to escape. It would be advisable, should you find it necessary to notify causes of detention on
•
常言
the charter-party, to include also that of the loss of those 200 men.
I wish, you to understand that Captain Hurst was not only cognisant of the fact of my rejecting the ten men you mention, but that being aware of the nature of the case, and having an honest regard for the interest of his employers, is entirely agreeable to said action. If the removal of the ten men from the ship, ir a kind and careful manner, in charge of your own coolie brokers, with their knowledge and consent at 0 3
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
PLC.O. 885
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO