17. Agents from Queensland and other British Colonies have shown a desire to procure Chinese abour under contract, but the difficulties attending such a systera are so great that but little en- Muragement can be held out to persons requiring this class of labour. Firstly coines the difficulty obtaining bona fide volunteers. Secondly, having obtained them, the difficulty of keeping them very great, as Chinese will often go to a Lodging House, remain there for a few days, and then, ter being well fed, say they do not wish to emigrate. Thirdly, it has often happened that Emigrants Have signed their contracts freely enough, and after receiving an advance of wages (and none an be got to sign a contract without this stipulation) they have gambled their money away and Then declined to proceed. Some Chinese professed gamblers have been known to embark, and, during he few days they have been on board waiting to sail, have won the money of the really intending Emigrants, and have then repaid their own advances out of their winnings and gone on shore.
18. These difficulties, together with the large expense which attends the procuring contract abour, and the probability of the Emigrants deserting on their arrival at their destination, have been found so great that the Agents have, for the present, withdrawn from the attempt to obtain the
bour of which the Australian Colonies seem so much in need.
19. The Emigration of females is on the decrease. 1,104 women and girls have enigrated during I fear there can be little doubt but that the the year as against 1,542 that left here in 1873. Treater proportion of these women and girls were purchased on the mainland and exported for pur- bees of prostitution. These unfortunate women are instructed as to the answers they are to give hea being questioned as to their willingness to emigrate, but either from fear of their purchasers, or om a callousness as to what their future may be, it is most difficult to obtain the truth from them. has been for a long time the desire of this Government to endeavour to put a stop to this practice, the Chinese notions of morality, and the estimation in which the women are held, are so low that Play see no harm in this disgraceful traffic.
20. In endeavouring to check this practice I have received much valuable assistance from the egistrar General, whose knowledge of the Chinese language and the character of the people enables to detect, readily, the cases of females who are purchased for immoral purposes, but, if the Rending Emigrant expresses her desire to proceed, and they too frequently feel theinselves in honor mand to their purchasers, the Government is powerless to stop them. But very few instances have pcurred of females confessing that they had been improperly procured and were unwilling to go. such cases, the persons concerned have at once been handed over to the Police Court for trial. The questioning of the female Enigrants is of so searching a nature that the people concerned in Trocuring the women have been discouraged in their traffic, hence the decrease of female Emigration Haded to in a previous paragraph.
21. The Chinese Committee of the Chinese Hospital take great interest in this matter, and pre- ented a petition to the Government praying that some more effective means might be devised for staying Be Emigration of purchased females. A Cominission investigated the matter; some of the Members the Chinese Committee were invited to be present at the examination of the intending female Emigrants at this Office, and candidly admitted that nothing further could be done, observing that, if Officers, men left Hongkong unwillingly after undergoing the examination made by the ey had themselves alone to blame.
proper
22. The Commission recommended that an Ordinance should be passed to ineet the cases of females prchased out of the Colony and brought in to be shipped away for purposes of prostitution.
23. It will be observed in the Returns that the number of Chinese brought to this Port from anila and Singapore is much in excess of the number leaving Hongkong for those places. This is consequence of the large direct Emigration to Manila and Singapore from Amoy and Swatow. bese people,
on their return to their native land, have to come here first, whence they take passages Junk or Coast Steamer for their homes.
24. The deplorable loss by fire of the United States' Pacific Mail Steam-ship Japan, 4,351 register, on the 17th December last, in Latitude 22° 45′ N. and Longitude 116° 36′ E. while on voyage from San Francisco to this Port via Yokohama in Japan, has to be reported. This el had a mixed crew (Americans and Chinese) of 136 persons, and there were 424 Chinese engers on board. When about 135 miles from here she caught fire near to, or in the fore coal nker. In spite of the admirable arrangements of steam pumps which these ships possess, the tire Bread so rapidly that in a very short time communication between the fore and after parts of the el was cut off by flame. The Japan had boats and rafts calculated to hold 650 persons, which all in the water with the exception of one large boat secured inmediately abreast the fire. he was also supplied with 1,500 life preservers distributed in various parts of the ship ready for It is impossible to say with accuracy the numbers lost and saved, as some of the Chinese pus agers were picked up floating on pieces of the wreck and conveyed in native boats to the land, ich was but 13 miles distant. The Master's estimate was that about 200 Chinese and 3 Americans Pt their lives. The matter was investigated at the United States' Consulate when the Master was
ourably acquitted of all-blanc, and the Chief Engineer was censured.
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