The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-05 00:00:00

" TAKEN FROM AMERICAN SHIF.

" 3. Cha. Yow, a Chinese;states—l am 35 years of
age and unmarried ; am a workman employed on
the White Cloud Mountain. About 15 days ago I
was seized by 10 Chinese, armed with swords and
pikes. I cried out, but no one came to me ; it was
night. I was dragged away to Tung Poo, near
Whampoa. I was taken on board a foreign ship and
asked by foreigners if I was willing to emigrate. I
said No.' I was again put on board the Chinese
boat and beaten afresh, the same as before, and
threatened that if I did not consent to emigrate
when asked again I should be killed. I consented
under fear. Ido not know of any Coolies having been
killed in that way, but it was said among the Coolies
that some had been beaten to death. I received one
dollar to purchase something to eat ; was middling
well treated on board the foreign ship, fed twice a-
day ; did not see any one beaten on board that ship.

" TAKEN FROM AMERICAN SHIP.

" 4. Cha A-Ung—l am 25 years of age, unmar.
ried, and brother to the last man examined,
(Repeats the same story exactly).
" TAKEN FROM AMERICAN SHIP.

"5. Leung A-Chew, a Chinese, states—l am 23
years old, am a Coolie ; more than a month back I
was in the south suburb, and met two Chinese, who
offered me work as a Coolie at Honam. I told
them I was afraid to go there, as so many kidnappers
were about. They told me not to be afraid, as they
would protect me. I got into a boat and against my
wish was taken to Chung Chow ; arrived there I
was asked if I would be an emigrant and, go on
board a foreign ship. I refused, and was beaten
by the fist and also kicked. I was taken on board
the foreign ship, and on my again refusing to emi-
grate when asked by the foreigners, I was re-con-
ducted to the Chinese boat, beaten and kicked, and
given my choice of consenting or being killed. I
consented and was taken on board.
" TAKEN FROM OLDENBURG SHIP. _ _

"6. Chew A-Wy, a Chinese, states—l am 23
years of age. Am a coolie. Was seized 28 days
ago. I lived in Sam-po-hew. A party of robbers
about 13 in number came to my friend's house and
seized me, I was tied and gagged. The robbers
had pikes, swords, and shields. I know two of the
robbers ; one is called Wong Man Qaong, the other
Fan-ting Kwel ; the first lives in Sinchune, the
other in Loong-gan-tung. I was taken to Tung
Poo, then to Chung Chow, to a boat, where I was
asked if I would emigrate. I was beaten if I re-
fused—beaten with a rope, and told that if I re-
fused when asked on board the foreign vessel I
should be brought back and killed. I was asked
on board the foreign vessel and refused to go.
Was brought on board the Chinese boat and again
beaten with a rope, then I said I was willing to go.
I received 1 dol. from a foreigner.
" TAKEN FROM AMERICAN SHIP.
"7. Chow A-Chow, a 'Chinese, states-1 am 30
years of age and live at Wong-ke Kong. Am un-
married. A month since a party of robbers came
to my house, stole all my property, and took me
away to Tung Poo, thence to Chung Chow, and
there told me I was sold as a coolie, asking me if I
was willing to go. I refused, and was tied up and
beaten with the fiat of a sword. I was then sent to
the foreign ship, where I was asked by a foreigner
if I would like to go abroad. I said No,' and was
taken back and beaten again the same as before. I
was again taken to the foreign ship, and again re-
fused when asked to emigrate, taken back and
beaten again. I was then informed that if I was
still unwilling I was to be killed. I therefore
con-
sented. On board the foreign ship I was asked by
the foreigners if I was willing to go, and, replying
in the negative, I was again beaten by the
foreigners with a rattan. I received about four
blows and was placed in the hold. After this I was
released by those who came for me. I saw coolies
beaten on board the foreign ship. It was because
they refused to work when called on to do so."
The depositions are 105 in number, and almost
precisely similar to those we have quoted.

SANITARY CONDITION OF TrIE CITY.

At the meeting of the City Commissioners of
Sewers held yesterday at Guildhall, Mr. Deputy
Christie in the chair, Dr. Letheby, the medical
officer of health for the city, submitted his quar-
terly report, as follows :
"The returns for the winter quarter, which has
just expired, show that fewer persons have died,
and fewer children have been born, within the city,
than is usual for the season. In the course of the
last ten years the average number of births in the
quarter has been 935, but in that which has just
expired the number has been only 852, and the
proportion of deaths has fallen from an average of
838 to 828. At first sight, therefore, it would ap-
pear that the general mortality of the season bad
not been unsatisfactory, but a closer examination
of the facts will show that the reduction of the
death-rate has not been in equal proportion to that
of the birth-rate ; and this indicates not merely a
great falling-off in the number of the population,
but also that the season has been unusually un-
healthy. In the central and western divisions of
the city, for example, the deaths have exceeded the
births in rather large proportion, for in the former
the deaths were 280, and the births but 269 ; and
in the latter the deaths were 242, and the births
only 219. Besides which, it will be remarked that
in every one of the city sub-districts, excepting the
north and south divisions of the Western Union,
the births are greatly below the average for the
season ; and even in these divisions they have risen
but from 210 to 219. These facts are significant,
for they point not only to a fluctuation in the num-
ber of the population, but also to a change in the
character of it; and, if I could place before you the
returns of marriages for the quarter. I have no
doubt that the results would be still more remark-
able. In truth, they show that there are some
parts of the city which are becoming so exclusively
devoted to the purposes of commerce as to shut out
that portion of the population which maintains its
numbers.

" Of the 828 deaths in the quarter, 306 were in
the Eastern Union, 242 in the Western, and 280 in
the Central. These are in the annual proportion of
274 per 1,000 of the inhabitants of the first-named
division, 33.8 of the second, and 19.7-of the third;
making a total of 25'4 for the whole of the city. In
all England at this season of the year the average
mortality is at the annual rate of 24.6 per 1,000 of
the population, and in the chief towns it is about
26.5 ; while in the country districts it is only 22.2.
Measured, therefore, by these standards, it is evi-
dent that the eastern and western divisions of the
city hare had a large death-rate during the quarter ;
but, as will bo presently seen, this has not been
caused by zymotic or preventible disease, but by the
trying influence of the weather—the effects of which
have been manifested in the high mortality, of in-
fants and old persons especially,from lune. diseases ;
in fact, there were 295, or rather more than a third
of all the deaths among children of less than five
years of age, and 214, or nearly a third, among old
persons of 60 and upwards; so that these classes have ,
furnished about two-thirds of the whole mortality.
" Pneumonia and bronchitis have been fatal in
231 cases, the average for the season being but 194,
and of these the attacks of pneumonia have been
chiefly confined to the young and bronchitis to the
death
These,
old, both of which classes are especially subject to
the morbid influences of a cold and changeable at-
mosphere. Next among the principal causes of
iswpihththi3siss,
deaths m-hich
fromhasbeteanhfeastaalnidn Bscirocafuselas:
and 19 from hydrocephalus, make a total of 141
deaths from tubercular or developmental diseases.
The average for
with this classresuseason,
that however, e vaet rm,
oi is p
h 0
ri
155, e andin
therefore it would seem
-
fluences of the
ofs easan have had but little to do
assimilation, results
oft they are checked,
disorders. In point of fact, as
theyt are.t than
theotherwise,
tn
rather
abion,
hei
a diseased growth and
of defective
nivica cold season. The num.
her of deaths from zy
unusually small, for, except
in diseases has also been
one
in that of smallpox, every diseaseinstance, namely,
been below the average. Diarrhoea of this class has
has fallen from
10 to 7 ; continued fever, including
typhoid fevers,
from 28 to 20; typhus and
scarlet tever, from
19 to 15 ; measles, from 20 to 13; ; erys• 1
pas, from
7 to 3 ; and whoopingcough, p
croup, and diph
_ '
theria from 46 to 31 ; making in all a reduction of
from 130 to 89.
'. But smallpox has risen from an average of 7 in
the quarter to 22, and although this is a large in-
crease, yet it furnishes no idea of the great preval-
ence of the malady.
My attention is still being di-
rected to the progress of the disease, for I hope that
the results of my inquiries may, throw some light
on the protective power of vaccination, and on the
means for increasing the successful practice of it.
At present I have collected the records of 223 cases