CO885(1-2) — Page 338

Encl. 10 No. 1.

Encl. 6 in No. 1

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it.

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CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO

All the coolies were on deck at the time, except the two or three who assisted Mr. Mur and myself by carrying the pans. They were three or four of these (similar to cooking-pans), and we placed three or four small sticks of charcoal in them under the scented wood to ignite it. I do not know whe proposed this method of fumigation, but the charcoal-pans and scented wood were on board for that purpose when I joined the Lady Montague.' At Hobart Town the government doctor approved and used it. I know that a poisonous gas arises from burning charcoal in a confined place, and that it is applied to kill rats in ship-holds. I was, therefore, very careful that the 'tween decks were well ventilated after fumigation. We had a wind-sail at one hatchway, and the other open. I was not aware that the same poisonous gas was generated by burning charcoal as results from the breathing of human beings in over crowded places.

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Enclosure 5 in No. 1.

Hastings, Penang, June 1, 1852.

SIR,

I HAVE the honour to request that you will lay before the Lords of the Admiralty the following report relative to the British ship "Herald," and the American barque "Robert Browne."

The Herald" cleared out from Shanghai with a cargo of tea, hound for England; a large portion of the crew consisted of natives of Manilla, who murdered the master and mates (after having failed in an attempt to poison them), and then scuttled the vessel, with the wife of the master securel in one of the cabins.

The culprits landed in Java, where they were apprehended (ten in number) by the Dutch authorities, and sent to Singapore for trial,

As there was no evilence at that place to prove that the "Herald" was an English vessel, and had sailed under the national flag, the prisoners were taken to Hong Kong for adjudication in the "Semiramis," as no private vessels would convey them in conse quence of insurance offices objecting to their taking criminals of this sort on board these ressels.

Their trial took place early last month, and the whole ten were condemned to death, the prisoners having almitted their guilt, but pleaded in extenuation an insufficiency of food, and that they had entered for coasting trade only, and not to go to England Six out of the ten have been langel, the sentence of the remaining four has been commuted. The case of the "Robert Browne" is as follows:-She sailed from Amoy on the 21st March, with 100 coolies, for San Francisco, and when about nine days out they mutinied and murdered the master, the first and second officers, and four seamen, having five of their own number killed in the affray; took possession of the vessel, and compelled the remainder of the crew to navigate her under their direction. Arriving off the north- ward of Formosa they anchored, and most of the coolies landed on one of the Madgicozina Islands, leaving only a guard of twenty-one on board; when the seamen, nine in number, slipped the cable, and stood out to sea, and afterwards succeeded in securing the guard.

At the request of the United States Consul at Amoy, the "Lily" proceeded with the vice-consul on board to the island where the coolies had landed, in order to secure any of the numbers, and to rescue two of the European seamen who had been held prisoners by the coolies.

The Semiramis" towed the "Lily" part of the way, but separated from her in a gale, and had to return to Hong Kong. The Lily" has been heard of off the north- west of Formosa, but her proceedings have not yet come to land; and in the meantime the two seamen referred to appear to have escaped from the coolies, and, putting to sea in a boat, were picked up by the clipper “Nymph," and conveyed to Shanghai.

They were unaware of the providential escape of their shipmates and the vessel, and their report on the subject induced Commander Spencer, at the request of the American consul, to proceel in the "Contest" to the islands in search of the vessel and the coolies. A report of the proceedings of the commanders of the "Contest" and "Lily, uny possibly arrive before the closing of the mail.

As this is the third case that has recently occurred of the coolies having mutinig and murdered some of the crew, a few remarks on the probable cause that leads to the com- inission of these atrocious proceedings may not be deemed inappropriate.

The discoveries of gold fields in California and New South Wales, and the great demand for labour at the Sandwich Islands and other places, has caused a large trade to spring up in the conveyance of coolies from the different ports of China, where labour is superabundant, to those places. This trade is carried on under no regulations, quch as we find necessary at home for the conveyance of emigrants. The masters or agents of vessels crowd any number of coolies on board who have the dollars necessary to pay for their passage; and there is no guarantee for their proper treatment on the voyage. In other cases, the passage is not paid on embarkation, but an agreement is signed by the coolies binding themselves to work a certain time at a specified low rate of pay, for a master, to whoever they are consigned. A small sum is advanced to them to procure pro- visions, which, together with the passage money, is refunded by the consignees, who obtain their profit by the men being bound to work for them at a low rate of wages.

EMIGRATION OF CHINESE COOLIES.

After the coolies have shipped, and advance has been paid, it is obvious that a loss is sustained if they are not conveyed to their destination; and, as frequent attempts are made to desert, the masters of vessels to prevent this sometimes cut off their tails, which effectually bars their landing in China, as it is looked upon as the greatest disgrace, and only fit punishment for felons.

Whether the coolies were shipped on board the "Robert Browne" under the former or latter plan, I have not yet ascertained; but it is discovered from their statements, confirmed by some of the crew, that one-half of their number had had their tails cut off before they mutinied, having been only nine days at sea.

"The "Robert Browne" is, as I before remarked, the third case of the sort that has come under my notice; and I greatly fear that unless some method is devised of legalizing this trade, and placing it on a proper footing, and above all, of ensuring proper treat- ment to the emigrant after embarkation, that their fears of punishment, in case of capture and condemnation, will be insufficient to check the commission of such atrocious

I have, &c, (Signed) CHARLES J. AUSTEN,

Rear-Admiral, Commander-in-Chief.

acts.

A. Stafford, Esq.

&c.

Enclosure 6 in No. 1.

MY LORD,

Hong Kong, May 17, 1852. H&R Majesty's consuls, both at Shanghai and Amoy, have lately received applica tions from the American authorities for the assistance of Her Majesty's ships in recovering n vessel belonging to the United States, the "Robert Browne." She left Amoy for San Francisco loaded with coolies. After being ten days at sea, the coolies rose, murdered the captain, mate, and others, and took possession of the vessel. The assistance asked was readily given, and Her Majesty's ship "Contest" from Shanghai, and Her Majesty's ship “Lily," and the Honourable Company's steamer "Semiramis" from Amoy, went in search of the "Robert Browne." She had, however, in the meanwhile been retaken possession of by a part of her crew and brought into Amoy. Thus no absolute service was rendered by Her Majesty's ships, but we had an opportunity of showing the friendly disposition of Her Majesty's servants in China, and they have received grateful acknow- ledgments from the chargé d'affaires and consular authorities of the United States. I have great pleasure, on my part, in conveying to Consuls Alcock and Sullivan my full approval of their conduct on this occasion.

Cases similar to that of the “Robert Browne" have been of frequent occurrence of late, Several captains and mates have been murdered, and the vessels taken possession of by the cooliea. I believe there are few instances in which the commanders have not been blameworthy in a very high degree, their conduct to the coolies having been most cruel and despotic.

It appears in this case, from the depositions, that the captain of the "Robert Browne," on the plen of cleanliness, cut off the tails of a very large number of the Chinese (an indignity quite equal to that which the cutting off the noses and cars would be to Englishmen), and had their bodies scrubbed with hard brooms. This was too much for Chinese endurance, and the results are certainly not to be wondered at.

Official interference is exceedingly difficult. The laws of China prohibit the expatriation and emigration of its subjects to foreign lands; but such is the pressure of the teaming population, that the outflow of Chinese labourers is increasing from year to year, and from this neighbourhood alone at least 20,000 have emigrated within a few months, the majority paying their own passages, the rest shipped for account of adventurers, hiring them for so many years' service, and disposing of their labour in the various countries to which they are destined. So powerless or unwilling are the Chinese authorities to interfere, that the great baracoons where the coolies are collected at Amoy almost touch the Custom House" The Emigration Acts of the United States, no doubt, minke adequate provision for the comfort and security of passengers, but it is to be feared they place very little restraint upon the cupidity of the shippers of coolies, and I suspect the most false and fraudulent inisrepresentations are made by the Chinese crimps and brokers who collect the coolie population together for shipment. Shocking accounts have reached us of the sufferings of the coolies in the middle passage, on the Peruvian Guano Island, and some other localities The Chinese are generally docile and manageable if proper influences are used, but cannot be maltreated with impunity. The return from California of a few of them with small fortunes, and the representations of the boundless wealth of the Golden Mountain (California), have almost faunticized the people. However, I have seen some signs of a coming reaction. One father, who had lost four sons (his whole race), who had gone forth in search of treasure, has already checked the emigrating disposition of a little district by his influence.

The Earl of Malmesbury, &c. &a &c.

B

(Signed)

I have, &c.,

JOHN BOWRING.

། ། ་། ། །

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :-

885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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