CO885-5 — Page 548

PUBLIC RECORD

OFFICE

། ༴། ། ‛། ཏ། །

Reference :-

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C.O. 885/5

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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Surgeons Superintendents from the late Board of Emigra- tion Commissioners most truly say, "by the exercise of those qualities, combined with kindness and consideration "to all he will acquire a powerful influence" over a people who are very susceptible to kindly treatment.

But by far the most important, and, in some cases, fatal cause of trouble is jealousy from women being interfered with. I have already stated that I do not believe in the efficacy of bulkheads, and the only means of repression that I can aivise is to see that the irdars do their duty as laid down in par. VII., Sirdars' Duties, and treat each case according to its circumstances. Of course, in the case of any interference with the women by any of the Officers or crew of the ship, the matter must be placed in the hands of the Muster of the ship, and, if proved against any Officer, the Surgeon Superintendent should recommend to the Colonial Authorities the deprivation of the whole or part of his gratuity. It surely should be quite unnecessary to say that the Surgeon Superintendent himself ought to show a good example, and perhaps the best way is to tell the senior Compounder of his determination to put a stop to anything of the kind, who will make himself acquainted with all that goes on among the coolies, as indeed he ought to do under any circumstances.

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Par. 165, p. 67, of the Rules contains all that is said about Discipline, and, as if further to restrict the power of the Surgeon Superintendent before "moral influence

can be established, it saye, "No emigrant shall for. any offence be subjected on board to any reduction of the prescribed quantity of food." If the Surgeon Superintendent is so unfortunate as to have some of the blackguards on board his ship that I have had to deal with, by all means give him the prescribed quantity, but let that daily food be bread and water, which I have found juliciously used a wonderful subduer of malapert spirits.

RELATIONS WITH THE MASTER AND OFFICERS OF THE SHIP.

The Surgeon Superintendent should allow no interference by any one with his sole and entire control of, and respon- sibility for, the coolies, as—

1. The whole blame for any mismanagement will fall upon him;

2. Masters are, in some instances, from their previous training and education (or want of it) quite unfit to have any control of the coolies; and

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3. The interests of the Surgeon Superintendent and the coolies are identical, whereas those of the Master are antago- nistic, or some Masters behave as if they were so.

From my own experience, I have found that it is only such masters as are alluded to under the last two heads that are at all disposed to assume any such control, ignorance and presumption being as usual in the same proportion. No order or proper attention to the well-being of the coolies can be possible, unless there is a single control as well as a single responsibility. Of course it is the duty of the Surgeon Superintendent to co-operate heartily with the Master in all proper ways, as, for instance, sending the people below when the handling of the ship requires it, and preventing them from obstructing or annoying the officers or crew in the execution of their duties; but at the same time it must be remembered that the main and poop decks are taken for the people, and that it is his duty to see that they shall be inter- fered with as little as possible, and especially at their meals, which, in fine weather, are always served on deck; that no spars, saile, or blocks shall be sent aloft while the coolies are on deck, and in short that as little work aloft as possible shall be done as sailors have a nasty trick of dropping marlin-spikes, &c. on deck.

The Surgeon Superintendent should not haul out the charter party on every trivial occasion, but be satisfied if the spirit is honestly and fully complied with, for the letter, like that of any other legal document, may and does admit of different interpretations, or how should lawyers live? IIe should never threaten the master or any of the mates of the ship with the forfeiture of his or their gratuities, but, if necessary, advise it to the Colonial Authorities (of course giving reasons), and, if he has any serious difference with the Master, he should put the whole matter in writing, and, if it affects the conditions of the charter party in any casential particular, and the Master, after his attention has been called to it in writing, has neglected or refused to redress the grievance complained of, he should refuse the certificate called for by clause 27, par. 5 of the charter party, without which the freight cannot be paid, until he has laid the whole matter and the correspondence on it before the Colonial Authorities, and obtained their decision, at the same time requesting them to deal with the freight or with the gratuities of any or all of the Officers implicated either in whole or in part as the circumstances may demand. (This reducing everything of importance to writing is necessary for the protection of the Surgeon Superintendent, as in