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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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ILLIC.O.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO

the terms of the contract, and act generally as touters. But one great temptation they hold out is, that they at once offer to supply plenty of food and lodgings for the day to every one willing to he mustered, whether he be eventually accepted or not. The coolies have hitherto generally been brought to the beach in front of the merchant's hong, and in one or two shipments have been mustered at a place called the " Beggar's Village." Fifty eadh a day are allowed for each man who comes to the muster, a sum sufficient to provide him with rice and fish, and he is lodged at night in some ruinous tenement rented by the erimp for a trifle. The examination, as respects apparent capacity for labour and bodily health, is conducted with strictness, and one third of those brought forward are often rejected. The merchant is usually assisted by the surgeon of the vessel, if there is one. The erimp lends cash to the coolies who have been accepted, for the purpose of gambling and buying cakes, or disburses a dollar or two to quiet his friends, which he is afterwards repaid with an usurious interest, when the contracts are signed and the advances made to the coolies on board the vessel as she is on the point of starting. Their treatment on shore is therefore good enough upon the whole,

An idea of the accommodation on board may be gathererl from the tonnage statements in the commencement of this note. In the case of the "Duke of Argyll," the allotment of space was nine superficial feet, or about one ton and a half to each man; whereas the English rule is two tons, with ten superficial feet, and the American, 14 feet per passenger. The emigration to Sydney gives a deficiency of 497 tons at the same scale for the con- veyance of 2.666 emigrants. The capacity of a ship for passengers is, however, determinable by other principles than those of tunage or superficies, and where the "tween decks" has been large and roomy, more have been safely put on board than the legal number. I think the excess has not been so great as might have been expected in an unregulated trade. The supply of provisions on board is always ample. Rice, pease, salt-fish, or cured beef. 24 lls, per day, with sweet potatoes, salted greens, radishes, and olives; hog's-lard, vinegar, and oil as extras. To what extent these latter articles are supplied, or if to all the ships, is not known. The beef has latterly been cured in Amoy, but owing to an imperfect knowledge of the process on the part of the comprador, was, I fear, of doubtful quality. No mention is made of lime juice, or any substitute. The allowance of water in the Duke of Argyll" was five imperial pints per man, two pints more than the allowance of vessels carrying English emigrants. It is a point of most essential import- ance that an ample supply of substantial healthy food and water for four weeks longer than the average voyage to the West Indies should be laid in, as any change of diet or water is likely to be attended with sickness, One vessel, obliged to water on her way to Sydney, lost 70 men in a few days, and any great mortality has been usually attributable to this cause.

Most of the vessels carry a surgeon, but several hound to Sydney have been without one, and sailed with native practitioners. It should be made imperative that a regularly educated medied man proceed in every English vessel. The "British Sovereign" recently left for Havannah without a surgeon, having 320 souls on board. A sufficient supply of medicines should be also enforced. In this respect there have been deficiencies, as drugs have not hitherto been procurable at Amoy,

The berths are made to contain from four to six coolies; two lines of battens are usually run up along the whole length of the lower deck outside the openings into the hold; from these intersecting battens run to the sides of the ship, dividing the deck into separate spaces. In the "Duke of Argyll" there was a rough second tier, and I suppose

1 this is still done when the ship is higli between decks. The coolies usually provide them- selves with bamboo pillows, but blankets are not allowed. There is no separate space allotted to the sick.

The Cuba contracts are believed to contain stipulations of the following nature:-The parties are bound to work in shops, sheds, or in the fields, as may be convenient, for three dollars per month. The allowance of food is eight ounces of salt beef, and one and a half poumis of plantains, beans, or other alimentary food. Medical assistance is guaranteed in infirmaries without loss of pay for fifteen days, after which the pay stops, but the patient continues in the infirmary till the termination of the contract without expense two suits of clothes, a woollen jacket, and blanket are allowed yearly; the contract is to last for eight years from arrival in Cula, after which the emigrant is to be free to labour for himself; the money advanced, and the cost of two suits of clothes supplied before em barkation, amounting perhaps to fifteen dollars, are to be repaid by the deduction of one dollar for as many months from the wages; the contracts are in Spanish and Chinese, and contain no'stipulation for the return of the labourer to China.

The Demerara Contract is believed to be similar to the Cuban in all important parti- culars; is for the same term of years, guarantees the same rate of wages, and contains no stipulation of return. The tents of two large contracts of opposed interests must neces- sarily he nearly equal. But au Englishman will, of course, believe that the security for due observance of stipulations is greater in an English free than in a foreign slave colony.

The Sydney contracts were for five years; wages, 2-50 dollars for men, 1:50 for boys; weekly provision, ten pounds of meat, ten pounds of wheat, quarter of a pound of ten, one pound of sugar, or such other provisions as may be mutually agreed on; the deduction from the monthly wages for the repayment of the advance at Amoy to be fifty cents.

EMIGRATION OF CHINESE COOLIES.

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The Chinese are on the whole perfectly acquainted with the contents of the contract. In the case of the "Robert Bowne," these documents were found carefully laid up, by the Lily," in the hut erected for the coolies by the islanders of the Mad-ji-co-si-mah group. Instances of individual ignorance from laziness or indifference on the part of the emigrant no doubt occur, and it should be made impurative that every one should have its natur fully explained before signature.

The reputation of the Chinese coolie brokers is very low; no really respectable Chinese would engage in a trade, the object of which is vulgarly regarded as the selling of men to an English merchant. It is said of an emigrant," he has sold himself to such an one." Such is the language used in petitions presented by relatives to the English consul. The crimps practise, doubtless, all the arts of recruiting; they demand an usurious interest for the inoney they lend; they are well paid, for besides reiving fifty cash daily for each man mustered, their guerdon on each cooly ultimately shipped is one dollar; they do not personally ill-treat the emigrants. The brokers and their respective gangs are given to quarrels, and hard knocks are occasionally interchanged. The localities for the exami tions of the coolies have been already indicated; more precaution as to exposure is desirable; I believe, however, this will be remedied in future, laving been chiefly attributable to want of room; recent improvements at the port will enable the merchant to select more suitable spots for his purpose. There has not been any approach to kid- napping.

Several suggestions naturally arise from the preceding details; the first and most important is, that a strict system of regulation and supervision over emigration to British enlonies, and over British vessels employed in the conveyance of emigrants to foreign colonies, should be established, and an officer appointed to measure and determine, accord- ing to definite rules, the number of men ench English vessel is to be permitted to carry; to inspect the provisions, and ascertain the quantity of water, with power to direct the increase or withdrawal of either, if insuflicient or bad; to command the measures he may deem necessary for ventilation; to see that proper supplies of lime juice are on board; to witness and explain the contracts; to decide summarily on any disputes referred to him between the brokers and the coolies; to look to the fictings up and berthings of the deck. His duties should include those of a health officer. He should be empowered in event of the breaking out of small-pox, or any other virulent contagious disease in the crew, to prohibit the embarkation of coolies till n rensonable period has elapsed, and to order the fumigation of the ship, or the free use of chlorides to destroy infection. The salary of this officer would be no expense to Government, which would be fully reimbursed by the pay nent of one dollar as a fee for the official seal which parties are most anxious should be attached to each contract. Emigrant ships, unless they bring cargo, pay no tonnage duties as such; they earn proportionally better freights than other vessels, and could well afford a small duty, say twenty-five cents, per ton. This would include British vessels proceling to foreign colonies, while the Spanish or other vice-consul here would, of course, continue as at present, to receive his fee of one dollar for the authentication of each contract. Supposing the tonnage to Havannah conveying emigrants to be anmally 4,000 tons, 1,000 dollars in fees would be receivable; the same amount carrying 2,000 emigrants to Demerara would yield 3,000 dollars,-in all 4.000 dollars; a sum amply sufficient to cover the salaries and contingencies of superintendence.

This last topic naturally leads to a consideration of the different estimates which have been made of the annual number of labourers that might be induced to emigrate. The late Mr. Consul Layton, who was of a very inquiring turn of mind, and paid much attention to this subject, estimated it at 10,000. A merchant of great experience estimated it at 12,000 per annum, or 1,000 per month. It appears to me that neither of these calcula- tions are exaggerated, but that allowance is not made in them for the want of necessary facilities under which the emigration has been hitherto conducted, and the ovensional obstacles thrown in the way by the followers of the Chinese mandarins. The shipment of such considerable numbers would require spacious roomy barracks, where the coolies could be kept well in hatol.

Even under the present disadvantages there would be no difficulty in shipping, for an indefinite series of years, 6,000 labourers of approved physical appearance, an estimate very low, and much within the limits assigned by those practically engaged in the trade. British Consulate, Amoy, August 26, 1852.

(Siguel CHARLES A. WINCHESTER

P.S. Since the above was written, numerous vessels have arrived, either engaged for or seeking employment in the coolie trade. The writer has had particular conversation with several shipmasters, who invo been engaged in bringing back the Hindu coolies from Demerara. In one vessel,—the “ Glentanner,”—the number of leaths was frightful, only exceeded by the mortality of the “ Lady Montague" itself. The disease was stated by the captain to be scurvy. There was plenty of lime juice on board, carried as a medical comfort; but it was never served out, as the master did not feel himself authorized to do so without an order from the medical man; no order was ever given. Such a tale, resting on any other authority than the master of the ship, would have appeared too improbable for belief. It only proves the necessity of allowing no latitude of action E 3