CO129-338 - Public Offices & Others - 1906 — Page 576

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vessels sailing from ports in China to foreign

countries, and it gave rise to great abuses,

especially in the case of emigrants to Chili

and Peru.

As stated in a letter from the Colo-

nial Land and Rnigration Commissiers, dated

July 27th, 1853) "it is alleged that greut

malpractices are resorted to in the collection

of emigrants on shore, that on ship-board

they are ill-fed, ill-treated and grossly

overcrowded and that they are treated like

slaves in some of the countries to which they

are taken."

The records of the time afford

ample evidence of the truth of these allega-

tions instances being known in which nearly

fifty per cent of the ccclies died on the

voyage from China to South America from over-

crowding, bad food and water and lack of proper

care.

Will

To remedy these abuses, so fur as

187