Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-04-23
cooLIE SLAVES.
Incidents OF voyage From China
Slave Life I'm Peru

Incidents OF = voyage From China
slave Life I'm Peru
II didn't tell you all that happened
on that voyage, during which got a
Chinese queue" " said George Birkenseer
to a reporter, who was having his shoes
polished by the ex-steward Of slave
vessel.
"Wcre there any otherincidents worth
relating beside those which you told me
the other eveninglD asked the reporter.
eyes, there were several which /
did't think of when / told you the other
incidents, but it has all come back to me.
Now, will tell you an incident of the
voyage which may be interesting. You
see, every coolie ship has Chinese ply
sician aboard to look after the health Of
the slaves. When about half way across
the ocean we discovered that the ply
sician was quack and had false GER
tifcate, and had poisoned six slaves,
which was quite loss to the contractors.
These slaves would become discouraged
and want to kill themselves or jump
overheard. The physician would agree
to kill them if they would give him all
their money. They received $50 each
when they signed the contract. We
never would have found out the cause of
SO many deaths among the slaves had
not one OF them, who was at work on
deck, been taken suddenly i'll,
turned black and began to
swell. The body was taken aft and dis
sected, and we found out enough TO con-
vince us that the physician had done the
mischief, and he was placed in irons
When he was searched all the money be-
longing to the slaves whom he poisoned
was found on him. When we arrived in
Callao he was turned over to the author
tiles for trial, but I never learned the
result. 1t was noticed that the bodies
we threw overheard would not sink, but
f1oated on their backs, no matter in what
direction they were thrown in. When a
slave died he was wrapped in his own
blanket, and rope tied around him,
when he was ready for burial. This
physician, when asked why the slaves
died, would always say, Me no sabe, !
and that was all we could get out of him.
He finally confessed, and told how he
gave the slaves poison.
''Six weeks after the vessel was on
landed, the last coolie ship arrived. The
Chinese government would not allow any
more coolies to be sent out, and the Pc
ruvians threatened revolution if any
more coolies should be brought into Peru,
as they had decided prejudice against
the yellow race.
"When planter wanted to buy
coolie he would come aboard the ship
with physician and sound each coolie
on the chest and teeth untilhe found one
that suited him; then he would ask what
trade he was good at, and the sale would
be finished and the money paid over to
the contractor. If the slave was good at
blacksmithing or carpentering he was
put to work at one of these trades. A
great many slaves would be bought and
sent to the haciendas or sugar planta-
tions in the interior, where white man
would be unable to work. The coolies
would die off like sheep during drouth
sometimes, owing to the unhealthy eli
mate. When the coolies would arrive at
plantation they would be driven into
corral, and at night be taken back
again. Over every plantation a major
domo was in charge. He goes about on
horseback, armed with sword, pistols
and whip, and il any slave neglects his
work be is made to feel the LASH
''Did not the slaves resent the brutal
treatment Of the overseersq"
eyes, sometimes they did, but not
often. remember once majordomo
was killed with his own weapons by a
coolie. The proprietor Of the plantation
ordered the slave to be lashed to death
as an example to the others, SO that they
would be more careful about killing
those who had them in charge. The
proprietor didn't like to have the slave
killed, because it was $500 out Of his
pocket, but if he did not do so he
would not be able to hire another major
domo.
sTn Lima and Callao the restaurants
are owned by Chinese After they have
served eight years they have about $3.50,
which they have saved from their wages,
at $4 month. Then, say about eight OF
them form partnership and start restau-
rant. During the time they have been
in the country they have not neglected
to study the national taste and fix up
food to suit the palates Of the Peruvians.
Some of the Cinnamon are very wealthy.
---Sdatd Cruz Sentinel.