Aircelle
1 X 11
MÈMORANDUM
ON THE
HILL COOLIE PAPERS,
Printed by command, 1839.
I.
FROM a statement enclosed in Mr. Gladstone's letter to Lord Glenelg, of the 25th of February, 1838, it appears that the average annual mortality of the apprenticed labourers on five estates in Berbice, under the superintendence of Davidsons, Barkly, and Co., from 1835 to 1837 (inclusive), was 1 in 324; and this was for the whole apprenticed population on these estates, old as well as young, sickly as well as healthy.
In January, 1×38, two ships sailed from Calentta, one with 169, the other with 259, Hill Coolies on board, selected from the young and healthy, and under con- tract (all but a few women and boys) to labour où estates in British Guiana for five years. Some were destined for Davidsons, Barkly, and Co.: others for Mr. Colville; others for Mr. Gladstone; the rest for Messrs. Moss. reached British Guiana in the first week of May, having lost on the Coolies in all; 19 by sickness, two by accident." The whole number disembarked passage 21
Both ships
was 407. They were distributed as follows :—
1. To Mr. Moss's estate (Anna Regina)
49
2.
Mr. Gladstone's (Vreeden Hoop)
71
3.
Mr. Colville's (Bellevue)
$2
4.
Mr. Gladstone's (Vreedenstein)
31
5.
Messrs. Davidson and Barkly (Waterloo) 47
6.
Ditto
(Highbury) 129
412
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TTIT
C.O.
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
885
1PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
See the Surgeon's
Letters, pp. 102 and 106.
On the first of May, 1839, it appears that the number of deaths had been on
1 in 49 (1 in 19)
Mr. Moss's property
Mr. Gladstone's (two properties)
12 in 105 (1 in 9 nearly)
Mr. Colville's property
17 in 82 A in 5
do.)
Messrs. Davidson and Co. (two properties)
283 in 176 (1 in 8
du. )
53 in 112
RE
See Monthly turn, p. 96-7 Th discrepancy po bably arives
tron!
some error as 1.. boys and women
that is to say, rather more than me in eight!
· Such is the naked statement of the issue of the experiment, so far as relates to the mortality of Hill Coolies, when transferred to British Guiana; a result which, unless it should appear to be attributable either to an accident, which is a likely to ferur, or to an error which may be prevented from recurring (or unless the condition of the Coolies in their own country be as bad), is enough to condemn the experiment as one which ought not to le tried again. To a certain extent. I think, this does appear.
There are some things which seem to me to show that arrangements might be made by which almost all this mortality would be prevented, though there might le some difficulty in carrying them into effect.
FL