The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-27

oe!nou Ga IN The c00lie trade than In negro
snppsa S ne eiS % eoss
* Ssss vas Carried a. H. hssssn
OF that city, ana who was alter wards made
an oficer Of the Legion Of yonor for his successfn
Rio Congo, or Zare, Did purchased and treated his
slaves IN tne sans Eanner as the regular Portuguese
slave traders q Inc coast This business was fin
co0ie BUSINESS and obtained their coolies from their
possessions about Pondicherry for the Island OF
Bourbon.
DUTCH c0oLIE TRADE.
The Dutch also nave been in this business and al
though the Chinese on the Island OF Java are not Of
in javan society anu are Of great benefit to the
try, many OF the principal traders, merchants and
artisans pelng Cinnamon.
HOW COOLIES ARE OBTAINED.
The manner OF obtaining coolies for the Spanish
West Indies is as follows:-Tne agent after estab
fishing his house IN Macao and giving security to the
Portuguese authorities has then TO hire several houses
for the reception OF the emigran.s rapidly as he
gets them. These buildings are mostly the old palaces
OF the wealthy Portuguese OF long ago, and many OF
them are really magnificent edifices and all OF them
commodous and perfectly ventilated. BY the laws
of the land the doors OF these buildings are always
to remain opeD and no force ia ever used to detain
coolie. Each agent employs number OF Chinese
IS always large population Of half starved crea-
lures TO whom any change ID for the better, and
there is but little trouble in engaging them TO sign
CONTRACTS.
TREATMENT AND CONTRACTS. ~,
On arriving IN Macao they are conveyed 10 the
house prepared for their reception, where they
washed, shaved and dressed and well fed. The day
after this they are taken TO the Senate House, where
before Portuguese Judge and other authorities ap
pointed by the government their contracts are read
to them by duly qualified interpreters, ana they are
asked II they are willing to accept the conditions.
reception houses where they remain for six days.
They are however, at perfect liberty, for the doors
are always open ana they are wei treated ana ied
are expected TO sign, written IN the Chinese lan-
guage which they can all read. During these SIX
days they have plenty OF time to reject whether they
Will sign or not At the end OF this time they
conveyed again to the Senate House and are again
into the contract. Those that Object are immedlaiey
dismissed, and they have the advantage OF y weeks
board and their Clothes as no charges are made Those
VINO sign the document are then lifted out with new
clothes, &C.. for the voyage and are generally paid
two months wages in money in advance, They are
then sent on board OF the ship lying in the harhOr.
Here they may be liable to remain q month or six
weeks before the number OF passengers is completed,
and this Is about the worst regulation the Portu-
gueee nave. However, even on the day the ship
sails, the harbor master goes on board, and any
Chinese having anything to complain Of or even by
saying lie has a parent TO support, will be imme-
dlateiy put on shore again II he SO desires.
THE SHIPS
carrying coolies as general rule are the best ven
tllated and provsloned OF any ships in the world,
ana American vessels were permitted to
carry coolies as formerly, it would be even
old clipper ships formerly used in this trade
had great height between decks, and were always
Wen manned ana commanded: There is an instance
OF this In Captain Lee ian American, OF the ship
JOsefta Almlra, belonging TO the AleanZa Com
pany, OF Havana, who on three voyages lost less
than two per cent Of his passengers.
COoie ships for Havana are wen PROFESSIONALISM
fact better than any other class Of egrant vessels
The list OF stores consists OF beef and pork salt ana
dried fish, rice ad tibtnl good biscuit besides Chi
ma salt pork in jars and salt eggs 10 this added
mungo jagra, sugar. achaoes dried peasb sauer
ettOs, pipes, &c. And, for amusements playing
cards, dominoes, musical Instruments and g0ngs--a
list that the best Liverpool packets cannot begin TO
equal. Captains are ordered to give little WAFER
TO coolies as possible, but always TO have
q sufficient quantity Of tea made. Medi-
literally provided SAILING vessels are not permitted
leave acoa with coolies before the lst Of October
or after the lst OF APRIL that being the time in which
fair wind down the China Sea. The average pas
sage when American ships were allowed 70 carry
coolies, was about 100 days. The passage by other
shlps however, Is much longer. The agents in
China are very careful Ia cautonmg the captains OF
the sanitary laws which are mentioned in the char
ter contract; but IN many cases the caution is not
needed, and TINS neglect Is the cause for the
sive
which sometimes takes place in coolie ships.
among the passengers and there Is no quicker way
Of Kling or these people than to give them
them TO sit about on damp decks. Some
captains sole ideas OF cleanliness are that the
coolies and the decks should be continually spashed
with salt water, and they consequently practice
this method, which invariably results IN the certain
death OF a large percentage OF passengers. The be-
scrubbed with stonesand water should be very sell
dom If ever used below Coolies are generally uf-
ficted with the itch while on shipbOard and il be-
Ing contagious disease, it Is Impossible to cure IL
on account Of the necessity Of budding the passen-
gers together but three days shore is sucicnt to
thoroughly cure the worse cases.
THE RATES OF PASSAGE
for the last few years from Macao to Havana have
been from twelve to thirteen pounds sterling per
nd
only water, hrewo0d, proper berths galieys &c.
The charerers put on board all the provisions medi
cines &c and when the ship sails they give the cap
tam one Mexican dollar for each man on board with
wnlch TO purchase vegetables at either the Cape or
WHAT THE WORD cooLrE MEANS
Most Americans and Europeans who are unac-
quainted with Chinese life, imagine that the word
cOoIie embraces In Its meaning all the population OF
the Chinese empire which Is devoted to agriculture
and the various departments OF productive indus.
try. This Is an error The word cOOe is Bengall
and signifies aborer and is not Chinese ut all It IS
used by the populations Of the seaDOard towns who
for the most part speak, In common with The foreign
residents what Is called "Pigeon English" to desig
nate particular class OF employees. There are
coohe rlggers," "coolie carpenters" "coolie deck
rate class from the population around them In
like manner tue word mandarin Is generally sup
posed in tins country and In England to be Chinese
derived from the Portuguese word "mandar,u
to command Being accepted by the foreigners
of the seaboard as entirely satisfactory the
Chinese themselves, who take kindly 10 the
absurditics and facilities OF the pigeon English,
Tor the transaction Of business, have adopted 1t
their vocabulary. In like manner many other words
common to- both natives and foreigners in China
are misunderstood In the homes OF the outside bar.
barians,' and being misunderstood are OF course
misapphed. For instance tue epithet "cooliesn ap.
piled to emigrants from China TO California and
fastened on these enterprisng people IN the Golden
state, ~ plisnoier. Yet thousands believe that the
Pacific States are being 0verrun by different class
OF Chinese iaborors IRON what they actually are.
The Chinese who lab0red so faithfully aud well in the
Pucinc 10
Important and valuable an element 10 the laboring
population OF tne State Of California are not
coolies properly so-calicd but emigrants from
China seeking for higher remuneration
and better means Of subsistence than was afforded
them in the central Howery land. Very many OF
them, IL is true enter into contracts with wealthy
merchants OF China, to do a specified amount or
work and stay certain length OF time In the ter.
ritory oil Uncle sam, aud agree to terms understood
and agreed upon before they leave the coast of China
Just as coolies agree with coOe agents at Chinese
sea ports but they are an entirely different class of
people. fhe majority are enigrants from China
who have voluntarily LETT the shores of the Celestial
empire Just as freshmen have abandoned their mud