The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-10-15

in the city of Macao who will obtain coolies on or
der, giving security for the advances made to them.
Each principal desiring men employs brokers' making
TO them certain advances, without security, who pro-
coed up the rivers and along the coasts or China in
Chinese junks fitted for the purpose OF procuring
men. What means they use, fair or foul, have no
means of knowing ; all | knew is that they do bring
men. and that these men ship voluntarily from
Macao. Upon arrival there they are transferred to
private barracoons, which by Law must be kept open
for free ingress and egress to all and everyone. L
visited four Of these places, and L found all those
who had been lately received from the country in
Door condition and covered with rags, vermin and
filth. They are here kept until by roper food and
treatment they show whether they are in good health
or not, when, upon an agreed day, all the men
whom the agentdesires are transferred to the Govern
ment barrsosons, where they are obliged by law to
remain four days. The Government buildings are
enclosed with a high wall, the gates are guarded by
soldiers, the lower portion of the buildings are fitted
for the eating and sleeping rooms of the coolies.
Upon ascending the stairs l entered a large audience
chamber about $50 feet long by 60 feet wide. In the
centre of the room upon one side was seated the
Lieutenant-G Governor of the settlement, surrounded
by his aides, secretaries and guards in full uniform.
Upon the opposite side of the room were numerous
. NADANS C'NAN1 wa
seated secretaries and interpreters for the different
Chinese dialects. 1 was introduced to the Lieutenant
Governor, and he very courteously offered to give me
any information that I desired. He assured me that
i their laws were very strict and just, and 1t was
their endeavor to fully carry them out. Upon the
first of the four days which the coolies have to re-
main in the barracoons, they are called in before the
acknowledgement and by the first question they
answer their dialect is decided, when the secretary
and interpreter of that dialect are called up. The
coolies are asked their names, from whence they
come, their age, where they, are going, what wages
they are to get, what advance they are to receive,
and for what length of time they are to contract,
and if upon those terms they desire TO 60. If they
say yes, their contract is then read over to them by
the secretary, and are sent through a certain door
to a certain room and if they say no, they are sent
to another room, and by the Portuguese Government
they are returned to Canton, and one dollar and
fifty cents is deducted from the broker who brought
the man. Of the 480 men which l saw when l was
there, l6 said they would not go. and L was assured
by the Lieutenant-Govern that those sixteen men
would be returned by the Governor to Canton. On
the fourth day they are again called up and asked
the same question, when, if they say yes, they sign
the contract, receive their advance Of eight dollars,
sent below, given their clothes as per agreement, and
tneu conducted 10 m DOdl Dy Il HE vi SOluleTS. AZ
this last moment. when at the boat, they can refuse
to go, and by returning their money and their
clothes can join the crowd but if they once go on
board, after all these opportunities have been given
them to refuse, they are then compelled to go in
the ship.
OF these men that l saw shipped, a portion went
on board the Dolores Ugarfe, and a portion on board
the Louisa Caaeraro. The Dolores Ugarte was
the American ship Golden Hest, and classed in
Lloyds register when built, at i441 tons. She made
the passage from Hongkong to this port in 1865 in
80 days. The Louise Coner01O was the American
ship -9mericd, and classed in Lloyds register at 1865
tons. Nearly every ship employed in the Macao
coolie trade are American built ships, but no man
having made n written contract to perform labor in a
foreign country can be carried in ships under Ameri-
can, English, and North German flags, therefore
those who wish to take men from Macao are obliged
to buy ships and put them under some flag not so
restricted.
In relation to that wealthy Chinese merchant
believe that it was simply a canard-that Macao IS a
a large and populous city of Chinese and Portuguese.
and the kidnapping of any man of position from that
place would result in more bloodshed than occurred
at Tientsin. l believe it is improbable, as the taking
or kidnapping a merchant in this city. In fact, such
a thing would be absurd and unnecessary, as they
can get all the men they want, to 60 willingly at the
current rates. The cost of advances on coolies at
Macao are rst-brOkerage, which varies from sos to
sos to the Government, Sc advance to each
coolie, So clothes and blankets, $5.25 inspection
of doctor so cents ; food consumed on board before
leaving, $1.50 to $500 food for the voyage from
SO to $40 doctor and interpreter $3.50 to the
head coolie broker SO to SIS extra. Making a total
of $9S to 500 each to this add exchange, about
- I naS0o-a f~p, GOO 10 Gao odd fha nr0habIa
mortality, and we get the approximate cost of con-
tract laborers brought from Macao to this place.
These laborers from Macao cost landed in Peru or
Havannah never less than $500 each wages 81
per week, and all contracts are readily disposed of
there at $500 each and l was assured by those that
knew, that the cost per month of these men was
never less than $50 to $22 per month over all. All
contracts in Macao for labor abroad are made for a
term of eight years. No men are allowed to be ship
ped at Macao under 20 years old, and the brokers do
not take any over 40 years old. No women are ship
ped at Macao. My honest opinion of Macao is that
men can be obtained there h~onorably and fairly, and
no injustice need be done, or to my mind is done, at
Macao, than elsewhere.
But the reason why 1 did nothing at Macao, was
simply because / had not funds sufficient to operate
with. L should have had in the first place, means to
buy ships, which 1 was not authorized to do, and my
instructions were to obtain a certain proportion of
women, which at Macao, is utterly impossible.
1 returned to Hongkong, and decided to try to
obtain laborers without a contract. My reasons for
so doing were that. even in the face of the failure of
Messrs. Gift and Williams, the short distance to
Honolulu, compared to New Orleans, and that to a
certain extent we are favorably known, that all the
Chinese that have returned to China from here have
spoken well of US, and that there are ne evil reports
whatever respecting the treatment of Chinese on
these islands, together with the hundreds that were
continually asking me to take them, induced me to
commence operations. First, under the law of the
country, 1 was obliged to give notice of my intention,
and to open emigration houses to procure license
for the same to employ brokers to procure the men,
and upon receiving them to feed them and care for
them a certain length of time before they are allowed
to 20 on board the ship. As contracts are not allowed,