The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-24 00:00:00

Coolie Slaves.

An interesting paper has been published in the
Alta California, giving an account of the infamous
coolie traffic, which it terms the slave-trade of the
19th century. The statement is made by a Captain
Gustave Gerlott, who lately commanded a ves-
sel engaged in the inhuman traffic. The business is
mainly in the hands of a large company, organised
under the laws of Peru, and known by the corporate
name of " Compania Mariana del Peru." The
Company owns five American-built ships, which
sail under the Peruvian flag. In consequence of
the war between Spain and Peru these vessels now

fly the Portuguese ensign. The trade is carried on

between Macao and Callao. The coolies are ob-
tained at Shanghai and Canton, half the shipments
being made from each depot. These depots are
large hulks moored in the harbours of the ports
named and fitted up as " gambling hells" on the most
extensive scale. The Chinaman's unconquerable
weakness—the love of gambling—is the bait by
which he is caught. People are employed to entice
the most ignorant on board, when money is lent to
them to try their luck, and, when once embarked,
few ever escape. Macao is a Portuguese port on
the coast of China, and the entrapped coolies are
there collected in barracoons, guarded by Portu-_

guese soldiers. They are allowed to pass the time
in gambling, or spend the little money they get is
opium till the ship arrives, when they leave for
ever the Celestial Empire. However infamous this
plan of entrapping ignorant peasants, the ruffians
who conduct the traffic are far from confining
their operations to so peaceful a system. All

manner of kidnapping is resorted to. Fishing
junks are boarded, sword and pistol in hand/
the crew seized and the boats sunk. Villageo
are taken at the point of the bayonet, and the mid"
vators carried by force into slavery. Scenes to°
horrible for belief result from this Peruvian trade.
The coolies rise on their oppressors, who remain
always armed to the teeth, with their lives in their
hands. These revolts, if unsuccessful, are sup-
pressed with reckless cruelty and an appalling 108
of life. We remember a few years ago the Gover-
nor of Hongkong seizing a vessel that put into that
port engaged in this traffic. In spite of the preean-
tions taken on board some clue of the ship's pro'
ceedings had been conveyed to the police, and in
consequence a force went on board and received the
depositions of the people they termed passengers.
A. tale, which made the Governor's hair stand on
end with horror, was the result. It appeared that
a small vessel, employed on the coast as a tender to
the larger ship, had forcibiy seizeds% all the stray
inhallif--t--41-lihey had filled the
hold. The kidnapped Coolies, on being carried
out to sea, had, we presume, attempted a rising.
However this may be, the vessel was some time
after picked up, a wreck, and on opening the
hatches the bodies of the coolies were found float-
ing about, and a close examination proved that 19
had been shot with musketry, and the remainder
had been drowned in the hold with the hatches bat-
tened down, and the vessel scuttled. When the
coolies are embarked at Macao every precaution
is taken to prevent a rising. Half the number are
from Northern ports, and half from Southern, be"
tweeß whom there is little sympathy. A few at a
time only are allowed on deck, and indeed all the
horrors of the " Middle Passage" are reproduced on
this voyage. Sometimes the coolies succeed in
capturing the ship, and then but little quarter i°
given by them to their oppressors. Now and then
a tragic tale goes the round of the papers when
some of these dark scenes struggle into light. The
vessel heads for Havannah, Callao, or the Chill'
chas, and, if successful in landing the larger por-
tion of her cargo, the run is extremely profit"
able. With each coolie a contract has been entered
into specifying both pay and period of service, but
these contracts are mere waste paper. The coolie
who has toiled for six long years tells his employer
that his time is up, and he is met by the exclarea"
tion —" Time up ! you have not been here ail
" months ; go back to your work, or it will be worse
"for you ;" and as there is no Chinese Consul to whom
to appeal, the coolie goes back to life-long slaver,'
with a sigh of despair. This traffic should nct be
confounded with the legitimate emigration from
China and India. The Australias have legislatet,
in vain to protect the country from an inroad 0."
Celestials. A profitable passenger traffic is carried
on between Hongkong and these gold-producing
colonies, and the Chinese emigrants pay a high
price for the transport. Indeed all the islands to
the south of Asia are being overrun by Chinamen,
and it is probable that the legitimate passenger
trade in force aids the agents of the Peruvian COIW
pany in decoying away their victims.