The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-02-11
Our Portuguese Immigrants.

letters which Ot lsiOua ~ find their way
into British jpuruaGs, written by disap-
pointed emigrants from all parts Of the
world TO which the emigrant from the old
countries usually finds his way. some
men are, and will be- dissatisfied wherever
their lot IN life may east them. The writer
Of this letter u evidently one Of that sort.
h man who looks upon an offer Of So
per mouth az something akin 10 an insult
Is evidently dissatisfied with his condition
as a labOrer without being qualified for
any other condition Of life. The mans
complaints about what happened to him
self here are, on the face Of them, silly, and
would probably be made little account Of
by any labOring man who was contemplate
ing emigration TO these Islands. The rest
Of his letter, however, is not harmless. His
accusation against the agents Of the Board
OF Immigration Is one that should be in
quired into by the President Of the Board.
To the public. rs well a. this writer. j. due
some explanation Of this matter, or some
refutatiOn of a charge thus openly and cir
substantially made. If il be true that,
after chartering a ship at $50 a head, the
agent Of this Government find IL necessary
to charge S9l.2O for a passage, the sooner
we ara served by more competent persons
the better. We take il for granted that
there II some explanation Of the matter
other than that given by the emigrant
himself, who virtually accuses the agents
OF the Beard Of immigration Of %swindling
him. We can hardly conceive Of any state
ment that could be- circulated more calcu-
lated To deter those who may be thinking
Of emigratiug TO the Islands at their own
cost than this, and no time ought to be lost
before an investigation Of il Is made, and
an explanation published both here and in
the Azores, and Portugal.
Besides the matters we have referred to-,
this letter contains charges Of cruelty
against plantation managers under the
guise OF " medical treatment" We note
that almost every letter i'm which the good
name Of these islands is attacked contains
some story or other of this kind. Are all
these tales without foundation The fact
that they are circulated so freely j. strong
evidence in favor Of the appointment Of
inspectors, To whom our contract labOTers
should have the opportunity of bringing
their grievances for redress.
IT following il a translation Of tine letter
referred to the original appears IN the
columns Of o formal dc NOticids Of 9TH
January ultimO, that paper being, as we
have already stated, published in Erie,
Pennsylvania -
Mn. EDrror,-Bcing "a subscriber to your
paper. I have for some time past observed
various letters in il from the sandwich Islands.
These / have read with pleasure, knowing them
To be the pure tFetM,--Bee1usg L nave observed
similar eases since my arrival IN Honolulu list
May. tsSil-
A you express your readiness 10 publish any
communication ON this subject, I take the OPP
p~ortunity 10 say a few words Recommending from
the day I landed and I have plenty 10 say from
the very beginning.
The barque Highayer was about to sail ON its
second trip 30 these Islands with passengers.
1 also resolved 90 leave my country, and went 10
the agency IL the Hawaiian Government to pay
my passage. which amounted To S9i.2O then /
embarked. When some days nj sea, some one
complained 10 the captain that he was hungry
the reply was, that the passage money would
cover no extra food. / then said that II was I'M
possible that sol 30 should leave no margin : and
and To this the captain replied that he had re-
eeived but $50 90. This set me thinking Of the
way my pocket had been picked by the Sandwich
Islands agency. on the soil Of my own country,
L shouldn't have thought they had been so smart
at it-any how, % pruceed-for the PRESENT. viii
say nothing rs 10 the country, but speak only Of
some big folks herr.
As I have been ON the Islands eight months.
working like "A horse, perhaps / can supply more
correct information than the man who was seven
weeks travelling round here, for travellers and
Iaborer's statements differ. Well, / have been
on several plantations on Hawaii. On the first
the following happened.
On arrival, being tired out with the journey,
the boss sent NE to rest, so i might commence
work three days after. But he never thought Of
giving me food To strengthen me. At the end Of
three days, and near dark, the boss sent for me 10
contract, telling me ne would not give NE moro
than SIS for twenty-six days work, and that no
one would give me more / replied 1t was insult
6cient, he said IL / would not take II j might go,
but as / did not even know the way out of the
plantation, there being nothing but tracks, Hs Of
wild animals rather than Christian people, / re-
manned a month. having no alternative At the
months end i got my pay, and asked my boss
for 6 raise, but he would only give me - more,
SO / left him. IL scarcely covered my food and
clothes. What do you think the boss did He
wrote 10 various plantations not to pay me more
than $40, and on my arrival ut one of them the
manager offered me $50, and i keep myself, or
50 and keep me. Such Is the kind treatment We
get here. As the money l had received on the
FIRST plantation was insufficient TO take me else
where / was compelled to remain awhile on this
second plantation, where / made n few notes,
among them the following One day a man
complained Of rheumatism, disabling him from
work. The boss sent for him, the poor sufferer
went, thinking he wished to give him some
clothes. What do YOU think IL was fOrT To apply
a pepper p~oultice 10 his back, and there he kept
him before him for two whole hours, the poor
fellow cried like n child, and / begged the boss J
to take this pOultice OF. ~ he could no longer
support II, bat the other replied by telling him
to shut up. Such II the medical treatment the
Portuguese get. Another case that happened az
this place was with u man who came out ON the
third vessel. At the hour Of starting out to work
the poor fellow was breaking bread 10 take along.
he delayed a little. and followed about two hun
bred stops behind his companions, and just for
this an overseer came up 20 him and gave him
two blow. viii Ms uats hhu loph NM ~ Jats tAt
poor fellow was locked up for nine days, and
hned -, which WIS more than ne had yet earl
ed.
From here resolved 10 visit Maui. On embark
ing ut HIlo, I had TO pay -, u Poll tax, - for
Roads, - for Schools. There, now, II what they
bring ~ out for! IL II to pay for the native schools
and roads. a. they saw that their own Pvpula-
ton was unable 30 do H.. IL makes one dcsPcr-
ate, because what one earns \ too little o. b.
called upOn also to contribute 10 the progress of
Hawaii From All / can see Of these Islands, no
Portuguese will ever leave them with a cent they
would be fortunate to leave them with n whole
body. considering the injurious effects Of the
forced labor to which they are constantly sub
jected-
Affived at Maui. ! stopped NJ Wailuku, and
applied to a manager for labor, he wished me To
work two days to shOv what j could do. j did
80. and on the night following tine two days. be