218
316
in
last.
my
(18)
LAM TSAU (No. 710).-I am going to Sydney, I come from Tsang-seng. I am going to work uncle's shop. I have been in Sydney before. I was 6 years there. I returned the year before I brought from $400 to $500 with me. I was a coolie. I got about $20 a month: in sterling, £4. I shall have nothing to pay from my wages towards my passage, after my arrival in Sydney. I have been 2 or 3 days in Hongkong. I was in the "I-on." I know the master, and pay nothing for board. There are 9 emigrants of us there. They pay nothing. I got my ticket through the "I-on." The "I-on" has not engaged me in any way.
WONG ÚN-KI (No. 667).—I am going to Sydney. I come from Héung-shán. I am going to dig gold. I have paid my own passage. I saved the money. It is my wish to go to Sydney I was once in Sydney before; 6 or 7 years ago. I was 5 or 6 years in Sydney. I had over $100 when I returned: that is, £30 or £40. I shall have to pay no portion of my wages to any one for my passage. When I earn money, I will send some to my relatives. I am living at the "I-shang-cheung." I pay about $1 for my board. I have been in this house a week. There are 4 other emigrants in the house.
WONG HUNG-CHEUK (No. 663).—I am going to Sydney. It is my wish to go. I am going as a coolie. I was there once before. I pay my own passage. I shall have to refund no money to any one for my passage. I have a wife but no children. I have been in the Fin-wo Shop. LAU TSUN FUK was the master. He is no relation.
WONG SEK-KIN (No. 666).-I am going to Sydney. I was never there before. My father is in Sydney, and sent me money for my passage. I am going to work with my father, who is a gardener. I come from Tai-t'au-ch'ung. I shall have to refund nothing from my wages towards my passage, When I go to Sydney, my father returns to Héung-shán.
LAU A-IN (12 years old) No. 276.-I am going to Sydney. I am a carpenter. My uncle is a carpenter in Sydney. I am going to my uncle. My father paid my passage. It is my wish to go. I know I can do what I like, and go where I like. My father's name is LAU-KI. He lives in the U-cheung shop in Chung-wán. My father is not here with me just now, but my uncle is. He is going with me. I have not been enticed in any way. I shall have to pay nothing back for my passage. I expect $7 a month. I have had no wages hitherto. I have been an apprentice.
LAU A-FAI (No. 275),---I am 35 years of age. I am going to Sydney. I come from Lung-shán, Héung-shán. I have paid $42 for my passage. I was once in Sydney before. I returned the year before last. I was 4 years there. I brought back $300. I have given it to my wife. I have 3 children. I got my ticket at the Wo-tsán in Wo Hing Lar, Sheung-wán. I have been 4 or 5 days in the house. There are 24 or 25 of us there. I speak some English (Gives specimen). I shall have to pay nothing to any one for my passage.
LAU KWAI (No. 192.)-I am 37. I go to Sydney to be a labourer. I was in Sydney once before. I returned last year. I was there one year. I brought back over 40 sovereigns. I bought fields with them. Some of the money belonged to my brother now in Sydney. I shall not have to refund my passage money from my wages. I got my ticket through the Kwong-fung, Sugar Store, Praya West. I have been in Hongkong ten days. There are more than 50 emigrants in the Kwong-fung. I have not yet paid for my board. My elder brother is with me, and pays my board.
Lo Ming-Cheung (No. 717).—I am 23. I am going to Sydney. I want to go. I do not know what work I shall do. I have a brother there before me. My father gave me $42. He lives in Wang long. I got my ticket at the "I-on." There are 9 of us altogether there. I have made no contract with any one. My elder brother is in Sydney. He has asked me to join him. He went there the year before last. He was a farmer. My brother will find work for me. I shall not have to pay for my passage.
26th April, 1881,
(19)
EXTRACT FROM REPORT BY DR. EITEL.
I have the honour to report that, on returning to the Harbour Master's Office and finding that Dr. STEWART and Mr. GERRARD had left, I asked permission of the Emigration Officer to put to a few of the men the questions detailed on enclosed sheet. The Emigration Officer allowed me to put all the questions, sent also for all the witnesses I required to test the statements of the emigrants, and I examined in this way 4 emigrants, whose replies to the questions I put I append in extenso. Taking these 4 men as a sample of the whole, I am convinced that the vast majority would, on strict examination, be found to be men utterly unable to pay the passage money themselves, but who, whilst being perfectly free and willing emigrants, have had the passage money advanced to them by Chinese firms, and will have to repay the money with interest within 18 months after arrival in Australia.
The very appearance of the men,-shoeless, stockingless, indicated the class of labouring men who live from hand to mouth, and from the experience I have had of these classes in China, I am induced to believe that the idea of these men having paid their passage with their own money is utterly improbable.
+
26th April, 1881.
QUESTIONS PROPOSED TO BE PUT TO "PASSENGERS UNDER NO CONTRACT OF SERVICE.
1. What is your surname, name and by-name? 2. What is your age?
3. Who and where are your parents or guardians?
71
SWORN TO BE
E. J. Eitel.
4. Where is your home, how long have you been there, and when did you leave it?
5. What was your occupation hitherto, what your monthly earnings, and where were you so occupied?
6. Can read or write?
7. Have you any friends or relatives here in Hongkong?
8. Have you been abroad before? (if so, state where, when, nature of occupation, &c., and whether you are taking others there.)
9. When did you arrive in Hongkong? (State time, conveyance, place of landing, &c.)
10. Who paid for your passage to Hongkong?
11. What baggage had you, and what amount of money, on arrival?
12. With whom did you come to Hongkong? (If any, state your relations to them.)
13. Where are the persons now in whose company you came to Hongkong?
14. Where did you stay in Hongkong? (Give details.)
15. Where do you intend to go to? and with whom are you going?
16. What work and wages do you expect to get in Australia?
17. What outfit have you now, and how did you procure it?
18. What were your expenses in Hongkong, and what sum have you left now?
19. Have you a passage ticket? (Show it, note name, sum, time, &c.)
20. When, from whom, and where did you obtain it?
21. What sum did you pay for it? (State time and place of payment, and the name of the person to whom it was paid.)
22. What sum will you have to repay after arrival in Australia?
23. At what rate of interest and to whom will you have to repay it, or is the amount to be deducted from your wages by your future employer?
FREDERICK STEWART.
24. Did you make any verbal or written agreement regarding repayment of outfit and passage? 25. Do you understand that money advanced or paid by others in connection with your going abroad will have to be repaid by you out of your future earnings in Australia?
218
316
in
last.
my
( 18 )
LAM TSAU (No. 710).-I am going to Sydney, I come from Tsang-seng. I am going to work uncle's shop. I have been in Sydney before. I was 6 years there. I returned the year before I brought from $400 to $500 with me. I was a coolie. I got about $20 a month: in sterling, £4. I shall have nothing to pay from my wages towards my passage, after my arrival in Sydney. I have been 2 or 3 days in Hongkong. I was in the "I-on." I know the master, and pay nothing for board. There are 9 emigrants of us there. They pay nothing. I got my ticket through the "I-on." The "I-on" has not engaged me in any way.
WONG ÚN-KI (No. 667).—1 am going to Sydney. I come from Héung-shán. I am going to dig gold. I have paid my own passage. I saved the money. It is my wish to go to Sydney I was once in Sydney before; 6 or 7 years ago. I was 5 or 6 years in Sydney. I had over $100 Walen I returned: that is, £30 or £40. I shall have to pay no portion of my wages to any one for my passage. When I carn money, I will send some to my relatives. I am living at the "I-shang-cheung." I pay about $1 for my board. I have been in this house a week. There are 4 other emigrants in
the house.
WONG HUNG-CHEUK (No. 663).—I am going to Sydney. It is my wish to go. I am going as a coolie. I was there once before. I pay my own passage. I shall have to refund no money to any one for my passage. I have a wife but no children. I have been in the Fin-wo Shop. LAU TSUN
FUK was the master.
He is no relation.
WONG SEK-KIN (No. 666).-I am going to Sydney. I was never there before. My father is in Sydney, and sent me money for my passage. I am going to work with my father, who is a gardener. I come from Tai-t'au-ch'ung. I shall have to refund nothing from my wages towards my passage, When I go to Sydney, my father returns to Héung-shán.
LAU A-IN (12 years old) No. 276.-I am going to Sydney. I am a carpenter. My uncle is a carpenter in Sydney. I am going to my uncle. My father paid my passage. It is my wish to go. I know I can do what I like, and go where I like. My father's name is LAU-KI. He lives in the U-cheung shop in Chung-wán. My father is not here with me just now, but my uncle is.
fle is going with me. I have not been enticed in any way. I shall have to pay nothing back for my pas sage. expect $7 a month.
I have had no wages hitherto. I have been an apprentice.
I
I am going to Sydney. I come from Lung-
pay
I it myself. I saved the money. I was once
LAU A-FAI (No. 275),---I am 35 years of age. in Héung-shán. I have paid $42 for my passage. in Sydney before. I returned the year before last. I was 4 years there. I brought back $300. I have given it to my wife. I have 3 children. I got my ticket at the Wo-tsán in Wo Hing Lar, Sheung-wán. I have been 4 or 5 days in the house. There are 24 or 25 of us there. I speak some English (Gives specimen). I shall have to pay nothing to any one for my passage.
LAU KWAI (No. 192.)-I am 37. I go to Sydney to be a labourer. I was in Sydney one before. I returned last year. I was there one year. I brought back over 40 sovereigns. I bought fields with them. Some of the money belonged to my brother now in Sydney. I shall not have to refund my passage money from my wages. I got my ticket through the Kwong-fung, Sugar Store. Praya West. I have been in Hongkong ten days. There are more than 50 emigrants in the Kwong- fung. I have not yet paid for my board. My elder brother is with me, and pays my board.
Lo Ming-Cheung (No. 717).—I am 23. I am going to Sydney. I want to go. I do not know what work I shall do. I have a brother there before me. My father gave me $42. He lives in Wang long. I got my ticket at the "I-on." There are 9 of us altogether there. I have made no contract with any one. My elder brother is in Sydney. He has asked me to join him. He went there the year before last.
He was a farmer. My brother will find work for me. I shall not have to him
pay for my passage.
26th April, 1881,
(19)
EXTRACT FROM REPORT BY DR. EITEL.
I have the honour to report that, on returning to the Harbour Master's Office and finding that Dr. STEWART and Mr. GERRARD had left, I asked permission of the Emigration Officer to put to a few of the men the questious detailed on enclosed sheet. The Emigration Officer allowed me to put all the questions, sent also for all the witnesses I required to test the statements of the emigrants, and I examined in this way 4 emigrants, whose replies to the questions I put I append in extenso. Taking these 4 men as a sample of the whole, I am convinced that the vast majority would, on strict exami- nation, be found to be men utterly unable to pay the passage money themselves, but who, whilst being perfectly free and willing emigrants, have had the passage money advanced to them by Chinese firms, and will have to repay the money with interest within 18 months after arrival in Australia.
The very appearance of the men,-shoeless, stockingless, indicated the class of labouring men who live from hand to mouth, and from the experience I have had of these classes in China, I am induced to believe that the idea of these men having paid their passage with their own money is utterly improbable.
+
26th April, 1881.
QUESTIONS PROPOSED TO BE PUT TO "PASSENGERS
UNDER NO CONTRACT OF SERVICE.
1. What is your surname, name and by-name? 2. What is your age?
3. Who and where are your parents or guardians?
71
SWORN TO BE
E. J. ErreL.
4. Where is your home, how long have you been there, and when did you leave it?
5. What was your occupation hitherto, what your monthly earnings, and where were you so
occupied ? you
6. Can read or write?
7. Have you any friends or relatives here in Hongkong?
8. Have you been abroad before? (if so, state where, when, nature of occupation, &c., and
whether
you are taking others there.)
9. When did you arrive in Hongkong? (State time, conveyance, place of landing, &c.)
10. Who paid for your passage to Hongkong?
11. What baggage had you, and what amount of money, on arrival?
12. With whom did you come to Hongkong? (If any, state your relations to them.)
13. Where are the persons now in whose company you came to Hongkong?
14. Where did you stay in Hongkong? (Give details.)
15. Where do you intend to go to? and with whom are you going?
16. What work and wages do you expect to get in Australia?
17. What outfit have you now, and how did you procure it?
18. What were your expenses in Hongkong, and what sum have you left now?
19. Have you a passage ticket? (Show it, note name, sum, time, &c.)
20. When, from whom, and where did you obtain it?
21. What sum did you pay for it? (State time and place of payment, and the name of the
person to whom it was paid.)
22. What sum will you have to repay after arrival in Australia?
23. At what rate of interest and to whom will you have to repay it, or is the amount to be
deducted from your wages by your future employer?
FREDERICK STEWART.
24. Did
you make any verbal or written agreement regarding repayment of outfit and passage? 25. Do you understand that money advanced or paid by others in connection with your going abroad will have to be repaid by you out of your future carnings in Australia?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.