CO129-328 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [1-6] — Page 782

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

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773

those on which the crew of the "Inkula" were engaged.

A

Though possibly the term "unscrupulous" was somewhat harsh

to use with reference to the keen enterprise of the owners

of that vessel and of the "Inkum". I have still grave

>

doubts as to whether enterprise of this nature is really

deserving of your special support. I am also still of

opinion that the proper course for these owners to have

pursued was to have sent the men home when they no longer

required their services in the manner I understand to have

been originally contemplated by their Agents, that is by

obtaining cheap passages for them by arrangement with some

other line. This is what was done in the case of the

a

"Ikbul" also belonging to Messrs. Welsford and Company

which arrived here on May 19th., 1904, from Singapore in

ballast and left for Taku on the 2nd. June to be employed

in the coolie trade. In the interval 43 (not 44 as report-

29th

-ed in my Confidential Despatch of the 8th. September,

1904) Europeans were discharged by mutual consent on the

25th. May, and sent home at the owners' expense, while a

Chinese crew was shipped in their stead.

This plan has been followed in

the case of other vessels engaged to carry emigrants to

South Africa e.g. the "Swanley", "Cranley" and "Courtfield"

belonging

DILL

41,

221

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