Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-27
Supposed Coolie Mutiny and Massacre.
Toran T;mes' Overland Mail. Sept. ST.


On the night of the 25th ultimo arrived
the Sunrise from Hakodate, with news
of the occurrence there of singular and
somewhat mysterious circumstance. On
the 10Th inst, foreign built bark, with
a full poop, and of from $50 to 400 tons,
came into that harbor from Nanbu,
whence she had been brought by Japa-
nese pilots. She was an old ship and in
very dilapidated condition, topgallant
masts gone, and all rigging in disorder
and disrcpair. She had only two boats.
No name. ships papers nor other means
| of Identification were diseoverable. Off
the quarter the name had been torn, and
| from the boats remaining it had also
been erased. On one of the bells was
the name Bertha" but this, under the
circu instance of the evident intention to
conceal her identity, can hardly be re-
garded as the name of the bark, though
It may afford clue to her recognition
could the sale of such bell be traced On
board were forty two Cinnamon, common
coolies, not sailors, all protesting igno-
rance of the English language. Through
a Cantonese interpreter, the account of
the men on board was made out to be
that the vessel was Chinese owned, that
she had left Macao about seven days pre-
yiously for Foochow, with European
captain, and officers to the number of
FIVE, and with fifty Chinese sailors, of
whom they were the remainder, eight
having died. The Europeans, they said,
had abandoned the ship during gale of
wind, taking with them two boats, the
davits for which stood empty. (From
another source of information we are
told that they reported themselves as
having left Macao for Lima in February
or March,. but this discrepancy may be
accounted for as being the statement OF
others of the crew to our informant.) 1t
is hardly necessary to say that this state
ment was received with incredulity. A
thorough examination of ship and
crew was proceeding when the Sun
rise left Hakodate on the 22d inst,
and the following are the discov-
cries which had then been made. Sew
enteen of the men had coolie contracts
numbered irregularly, the highest num-
her 229. They were written in Spanish,
and were made out for the Italian bark
Providence. Their dates were from
Nav to July, 1867. Many articles of
European make we're found; trunk,
/ nearly new, with canvass cover marked
Lima, Peru, such as might belong to q
supercarpo; some children's boots, q
carpet, stained with blood, and guam
tity of European clothing of good quail
ity, shirts, guernseys, trousers, etc. Inc
. Cinnamon we're using European cooking
utensils and knives and forks, while OF
ordinary Chinese coolies cooking pots
J. very few we're found. In the hold was
quantity Of hoop iron, some gunuy bags
aud a little -four. There was no evil
}. dence whatever Of the presence on board
of any Chinaman above the lowest class
: no China fittings in the cabin, such IS q
Chinese caption, owner or supercargc
}. would have, nor any Chinese cloth oi
value. The floor of the cabin had evil
: IDENTIFY lately been scraped.
Durine the examination it was acci.
5entallv discovered that among the forty
two men were a couple of interpreters,
:. though when the vessel was first boarded
: all pretended to be quite Ignorant OF any
language but their own, except one, who
spoke q little pidgiR English; These
two were remarked to be laughing
together at some observations made u
English in their presence, and on oeine
}. taxed with the fact that they understood
what was said, acknowledged that they
h we're interpreters, and when the Sunrise
left were assisting in the examination
: under check Of the Cantonese originally
}. acting for the authorities.
y We shall receive before we write again
. no doub,, further information which mal
clear up the mystery from this affair
iFor,y-two men will hardly keep 4 secret