The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1866-08-04
THE COOLIE BUSINESS.


exposes some of the atrocities of the
Coolie trade, deriving it's information
from a man who was engaged in it, but
has now abandoned it. 1t appears that
the vessels engaged in the Coolie trade
are mainly of American construction,
but as the American flag is not allowed
to cover such trade, the capitalists en-
gagged in the business are compelled to
buy the vessels and transfer them to 9TH
er flags. These vessels are often pur-
chased in the port of San Francisco, and
fitted out for trips to and from the Chi
nese coast. The business is mainly in
the hands of a large company organized
under the laws of Peru, and known by
the corporate name of "Companie Mari
TINA del Peru" The members of the
company are all natives of the South of
ing employed in it in any capacity. The
company owns at this time FIVE fine ships,
which have been transferred from the
American to the Peruvian flag.
The breaking out of hostilities bet
ween Spain and Peru has necessitated
another change, and for safety from Span
ish cruisers the vessels have now been
transferred to the protection of the Por-
tuguese flag, which they now carry A
ship which but a short time since bore
the American colors and an American
name, and has just made successful
trip from Macao to Callao, having under
gone all these changes, is now lying in
our harbor, flying the Portuguese flag
and bearing the third name which has
! been painted on her stern within q year
! The laws of China are severe against
the expectation of Coolies as such, and
there is but a single Asiatic port at which
vessels can openly load with human
chattles for foreign markets. That port
is Macao, which belongs to Portugal.
The Coolies are obtained at Shanghai
and Canton, widely separated points,
half of each shipment, as nearly as pos
sible, being taken from each port, for
reasons which will be seen presently.
Coolies cannot be induced, as they could
in former years, to voluntarily embark
for foreign countries under contract for
labor for term of years, but must be
obtained by fraud. The object is accom-
plished through the Chinaman's beset-
:, ting an unconquerable weakness, the
love of gambling.
This, we are told, is the usual method
: of obtaining volunteers" for Coolie
emigration, but sometimes other lodges
are resorted to. For instance: A Span
: ish renegade who was known in San
Francisco under the name of Manuel, in
1854, used to run down with an armed
t0rcha alongside the Chinese fishing
{ boats which frequent the coast-always
e working two together to prevent acci
re DI 81 hx
: fisherman on board on pretense of buying
J. fish. Once on board John was overpow
SUM sunk, and an their disappearance VAS sffc Glib
J. tied to the pirates. which are said II
, abound on this coast. In this manner ,
Z cargo could soon be gathered.
= Sometimes vessel is seized by th'
: Coolies, and the crew massacred or com
+ PEELED to land them on some point OF tn
. coast, but, in ninety nine cases out OF
n hundred, the plot is exposed by one fac
" ton or the other, in season to preven
4 such catastrophe. Only small POI
ton of the Coolies are allowed upon tn
% deck at time, and if rising is attemp
3, ed a judicious discharge of musketr
~ down the partially opened hatchway
~ soon auells il, and "order reigns i
Tn Warsaw
40 The vessel heads for Havana, Calla'
10 or the Chinchas, and, on her arriva
of from four-ffths to nine-tenths OF the ca
sd 60 is in marketable condition, the I
n. mainder has gone to the bottom Of Il
n- sea, through the ravages of disease co
No tracted in the confined hold, or sulcld
Of The vessel to which we have allude
~ ON her last trip, landed six hundred al
H. four out of six hundred and fifty min
M N with which she cleared $S5,OOO on Il
Of single trip, after paying all the expense
ity so says Capt. Garlott. The Coolies a
he worth $3.50 per head on an average, a
in are soon disposed of to owners OF sug
,la- plantations in the miasmatic districts
es- the coast, or others, at that rate.
QCG 7, To- rnQd