CO885(1-2) — Page 379

Encl. 2 m No. 32.

88

CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO

emigration from China to the British West Indies, and kindly promised to render any assistance that would conduce to put the emigration on a sound and healthy basis, and I now take the liberty of addressing you on the subject.

About 800 emigrants have been sent to Demerara, and 700 to Trinidad, (all these are from the Fokien Province, with the exception of about 250 from Whampoa,) and it is probable that 1,000 or 1,500 more will be sent before the close of the season.

I am anxious to get interpreters for these people, as I find it difficult, if not impossible, to get any here. I have no doubt some of the lads at the school which you were kind enough to take me to visit, woull answer very well, if they were disposed to go. I wrote to Mr. Forbes Brown by the last mail, and am prepared to sanction any arrangement he may enter into to procure their service.

The Chinese emigration is entirely a Government measure; that is, it is paid for out of Colonial Funds, and is sanctioned by the Home Government, and is in fact on the same footing as the emigration from Calcutta to the Mauritius.

You will probably have seen in the papers an account of some disturbances at Amoy connected with emigration from that port. These were occasioned by the want of system, which admitted therefore of the perpetration of abuses by the crimps, and by excessive competition among the merchants engaged in procuring emigrants. Now everything is quiet, and I believe likely to continue so; but for the present, emigration has been almost entirely suspended, and has been transferred to Namoa.

One vessel has been sent from Whampoa, with a set of fine and effective people, and I intend to try one from Hong Kong.

The vessels with emigrants for Cula have been unfortunate, and disasters of various kinds have occurred among them; but as yet nothing has occurred to any of the vessels for Demerara and Trinadad of which I am aware, except in the case of "Lord Elgin," and that appears to have been a matter of no consequence.

I forward this through his Excellency Dr. Bowring, who has kindly promised to address you.

Requesting you to excuse my troubling you with this matter,

His Excellency E. A. Blundell,

Officiating Governor of the Straits Settlements

Enclosure 2 in No. 32.

Believe me, &c. (Signed)

J. T. WHITE.

Hong Kong, January 18, 1853. The English settlements in the West Indies are in want of labour for the cultivation of sugar, cotton, coffee, and other tropical productions; and for this reason are anxious to have the services of healthy, able-bodied Chinese coolies, accustomed to field labour.

The climate of these countries is the same as at Singapore, and there is no cold weather, as in China. The work the coolies will have to do is the same us the work required for growing sugar aud rice in China, and with the same implements they have been used to,

The voyage is a long one, but every thing will be done for their comfort and amuse- On arrival at the English settlements their health and comfort will he cared for, even more so than if they were living in their own country, and their national habits and customs will not be interfere with.

ment.

They will be able to send letters twice every month to their friends in China, and if they have any money to send, it will be forwarded for them (Government will enable them to do saj two or three times during the year.

They will require to enter into contract here to serve in those settlements for the term of five years, but they will be at liberty to terminate the contract at the end of the first year after their arrival, or at any subsequent tine. They will then be entirely their own masters, on payment to the magistrate of the district where they choose to reside of a small monthly tax. Or they may terminate the contract as soon as, and whenever they please, on payment of a sum proportionate to the cost of their passage and the period of time they have served. Thus, if one half of the five years for which they had con- tracted have clapsed, they will have to pay only one half of the cost of their inffoduction, and so in proportion.

They will receive here, on signing the contract, two months wages in advance (paid in dollars, and two suits of cotton clothes (one of them wadded;, two pairs of stockings, two pairs of shoes, one banilo hat, one felt cap, and one bed cover. The clothing is given to them, but they will have to pay back the two months wages advanced to them, at the rate of one dollar a month, deducted from their wages, in the new country. Every coolie will receive in the English West Indies monthly wages of month, and two suits of clothes during the year, and if he is sick, medicines doctor; and he will receive the following allowances of food every week :—

103 Da, of rice or fiour.

31 Ihs, of beef, pork, or salt fish.

11b, of sugar.

3) ozs. of ten

dollars a from the

EMIGRATION OF CHINESE COOLIES.

89

If any coolie, after being in the country for some time, finds that he can live better on two dollars a month, that sum will be given to him in place of the above allowances,

No coolie will be required to work on the Sunday; except in case of necessity, and then he will be paid extra. If he takes two dollars a month to find his own food and clothes,

a piece of ground will be given to lum to grow vegetables.

Every coolie who chooses to do so may take his wife and children with him, without having to pay anything for their passage. A little money will be advanced to them here, and they will be paid for any work they can do in the fields.

The Governors of the English settlements secure the performance of all that has been promised.

An interpreter has been engaged to remain in the country for three years, for the pur- pose of enabling the coolies to explain their wants and wishes, and these will always be complied with by the authorities, to the full extent of this engagement. The interpreters will accompany the coolies in the first vessel.

Any further information and copies of this notice may be obtained on application at the office of William Scott, Queen's Road, Hong Kong,

No. 33.

(Signed)

JAS. T. WHITE

Copy of a LETTER from the COLONIAL LAND AND EMIGRATION COMMIS- SIONERS TO HERMAN Merivale Esq.

SIR,

Colonial Land and Emigration Office, April 9, 1853.

33.

No. 8.

1. WE beg to acknowledge your letter of the 21st ultimo, transmitting copies of two Despatches from the Governor of British Guiana, reporting the arrival in that colony of the two ships "Glentanner” and “Lord Elgin "with January 24, 1863. Chinese emigrants.

No. 15.

2. Both these ships were chartered by private shipowners; the "Glentauner" February 8, 1953.

by Messrs. Hyde and Hodge, of London, and the “Lord Elgin" by Mr. Booker,

of British Guiana, to import Chinese emigrants on the bounty of 100 dollars per adult proclaimed by the Colonial Government; and were despatched before the arrival of Mr. White in China.

3. The ship "Glentanner" left Amoy on the 3d of September last, with S05 emigrants on board. She arrived at Demerara, after a voyage of 131 days, on the 19th of January, having lost 43 passengers on the voyage. Of the 262 who were landed, 12 were sent to hospital. The immigrants were placed on estates near George Town, in order to be under supervision, and are said to have been very well satisfied with the accommodation given them. Their cagerness for work was such that it even required to be checked, and the planters are accordingly said to be well pleased with them.

4. The "Lord Elgin" left Amoy on the 24th of July, with 151 souls on board. She arrived at Demerara on the 17th of January, after a voyage of 177 days, or nearly six months, having lost no less than 85 passengers during the voyage. Five men were placed in the hospital on landing.

5. The Governor transmits the report of the Health Officer on the large mortality which took place in the "Glentanner," with full observations from himself. The far greater mortality in the "Lord Elgin" was referred to a board of inquiry, whose report, with that of the ship's surgeon, Mr. Barkly transmits.

6. Governor Barkly appears to ascribe the mortality in both instances in part to the length of the voyage, which arose from the ship's departure during the unfavourable monsoon, and in part to want of roominess and ventilation. The committee which inquired into the case of the “Lord Elgin," observe upon the badness of the water obtainable at Amoy and Singapore; the want of variety in the food; the non-observance of the requirements of the l'assengers Act, the passengers being only allowed 11 superficial feet apiece instead of 15, and the crankness of the vessel, in consequence of which a quantity of rice became wet and emitted, during the latter half of the voyage, a pestilential effluvia. It was after this took place that the mortality occurred.

7. The recommendations made in order to prevent the recurrence of these disasters are the following: that none but large and well ventilated ships should be taken up, in the opinion of the Health Officer none under 1,000 tons; that the ships should touch at two intermediate ports during the voyage, and not only take in fresh meat and vegetables, but land the passengers for a few days ;

M

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

C.O.

Reference :-

885

1 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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