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Mr. Wilcox.--What! five or six dollars each for chow!
A. Yes.
The Chairinan.--They all eat their food together don't they?
A.-No; two or three men mess together.
Q.--And you say it costs them five or six dollars each?
A. Yes, six dollars sometimes.
Q. How much does it cost them for clothes? Do you supply them, or do they supply their clothing themselves?
A.-They supply themselves.
Q. How much does it cost them a year?
A.--Four dollars a year for clothing.
Q.--And what do you make out then that they can make a month nett after everything is paid--their profits?
A. At the most five dollars.
Q-That is with good luck they can clear five dollars a moon ?
A. Yes.
—
Q. Do you think the ever lose during the moon
ม
A. No, they never lose.
Q.--From what district do you get your coolies? A.---Haiphong.
Q. Is that your district ?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you get men from your own village or your own district?
A. I get them from my district not necessarily from the same village.
Q. How do you get them? Do you go yourself to fetch them or do persons to fetch them, or how do you get hold of them?
you send
A. When a man of my district comes to Hongkong, I know that he can carry
a chair, so I engage him.
Q.-Yes, but don't you go yourself into the country to get bearers?
A.-No.
Q.-Do you send men into the country to get bearers?
A.-No.
Q. Do you depend entirely on picking the men up as they come into the Colony? A. Yes. If a man comes to Hongkong and I know that he can carry a chair, I
him on the spot.
engage
Q. How then do you know whether he can carry a chair or not?
A.-The men live not far from me in my district so I know whether he is good or bad.
Q.--How do you know whether he can carry a chair or not?
A. The bearers in my employ inform me.
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