Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-03-03
AMONG THE SAVAGES.
HOW "BoYsv ARE OBTAINED TO WORK ON SUGAR PLANTATIONS.

Scenes on n Labor ship''-The Name fin Which a Glib Interpreter Capture
 Heathen Workers by the Promise O Big Pay.
 | So great is the demand for "cheap labor in the sugar growing districts of Tahalti an | and the Hawaiian Islands and in Queensland | that, it being known that the natives of th | New HebrideS were willing to ship" ol | plantations for term of years for mereil nominal wages, labor vessels" visit th | group annually to engage men and few women for that work. The manner in whicl this Is done we'll illustrates the dstrust th' natives and foreigners have for each other. Labor" vessels are always provided witt a regular arsenal of rifles and pistols. Th' main hold is fitted with gratings that separ ate thc females from the men-or boys a: they are ealled-and in these compartment are fixed certain sleeping platforms called "bunSsr The vessels engaged in this trade are generally small, seldom exceeding 2j( 1 tons measurement, and they carry theiI boats as the whalemen do, hanging from the davits, ready for immediate service.
 The captain of an English labor vessel sails her tO and from certain designated ports, and cruises about where there is the best chance of getting "bOys," but nc boat can go recruiting unless the government agent goes with it. No boy can, theoreti- cally, be brought off to the ship against his will
 There is generally on a labor vessel an ''in- terpreterr The particular one with whom the writer sailed on a Hawaiian labor vessel, was called Billy the Devil, which title suf- ficently indicates his character.
 SuppOsing a vessel after boys to have ar rived in Havana harbor, the finest in the group. on the Island of Vate; the captain generally engages at least one boats crew of the natives themselves, on the principle, per haps, that 1t takes a savage to catch a say age, there always being plenty on hand who are experienced m the business.
 Leaving Havana harbor the vessel cruises leisurely of through the groups. never being more than two or three miles from one island or another Cruising along on the lee side of these islands sharp lookout is kept for any signs of smoke on the stretches of sandy beach So dense is the foliage and so careful are the natives to conceal their villages that the only indications of there being human life on these islands Is a column
  shore, sent up by the savages to let Us know that they want to trade
 When such a smoke is seen the boats are lowered and manned ''The boats l say be- cause two are always sent in company to in terview the savages In the one that takes the lead there is, besides the crew, the inter preter and, in English vessels, the agent. There is also a box filed with trade that a as the promises made Co induce the natives to ship; tobacco, of the kind known as .'nigger head' ltweuty-siX plugs Co the pound sweet, cheap and rotten; gun caps of an ob- sOiete make; cheap pipes, strings of gay beads, a few Of which constitute what Is caIled full dress packages of matches. guaranteed not to light "on the box or any where elss by friction: soft iron hatchets. knives and needles, and other ingenious frauds with which to purchase such supplies as. yauls, pigs, cOcOanuts, etc. and also tO give as presents to the friends of those who ship. The second boat acts as cover" to the first, and both crews are heavily armed
 Nearing the beach, the leading boat is turned round and backed Co the sandy shore. care being taken Co keep it afloat, the inter preter warning the crowd of naked, brutal
 
 The crew keep their oars and rifles ready for use, and the second boat stops about 100 feet OEt from the first, and. swinging broadslde on, it's crew seize their rifles and stand by to defeat any attack on their friends. The natives, some of whom are sure to be Ire turned labOr.1 and consequently familiar with pigeon English, crowd around near the stern of the boat and hoot and yell while
 
 following:
 Hello, all you fine fella. How you dOl You come down to ship, hey, Well, spOse you want to go one fine ship-cap'n one fins man-you come long. Here, you good fella boy r pointing to some gaping native in the crowd, catch em this Ainging some bits of tobacco ashore, which are promptly fought for. 'Get plenty all same on board ship. Plenty yam" the staple tOOl;' plenty fine shirts; shoes; oh, everything. Make you biz man you come 'Spose you ship, you get one pound one moon for one yam" which means the man ispromised q tS5, per month or moon for the first year, called yam" | because it takes that length of time for that | escuient to ripen. In the midst of the profound excitement produced by this unheard of offer a grizzled | headed old rufian in the crowd spoke up:
 What for you lie. Bilyi You think all this fella boy fOoli Plenty boys ship here bef0 fO' 'el one yam" ;the regular price paid | in the colonies. "Why you talk q one | mo1nr~ And the veteran takes a firner grip | sn lis battle Gx and jabbers something con temptu0us Of Billy to the crowd, who there upon began Co handle their clubs, guns, bows, arrows and spears furtively but threatingly. | Billy is not discouraged. He points tO our ha-. which the savages are quick tO discover k new tO them, and by his elOquence and | liberal showers of tobacco and investments .n vans. bananas and cocOanuts persuades few of the natives tO ship
 But they will not do so until a good sized bundle Is mad. up from the trade box for their friends. There are displayed, therefore, | two or thrcc yards of turkey red cloth to be | given to the frightful looking, skinny old | squaw bowling on the beach, who claims to te the mother of the ''bOy." There Is meas ured out a handful of gay beads, which will sooth the anguish of the younger female, who Is the departing mans betrOthed' \ musket | an altered flint lock- Is laid aside as part .n- gift to the father, a lot of percussion caps, which won't fit or explode; handful of metallic cartrilges-thc gun is a muzZle .aa. Ter. a package of powder, damp, and some bur lead for bullets go with the musket- There are also matches, a sheath knife and lulu,itv of tobacco. All this treasure Is 1ass.,! ashorc-uuder cover of the rifles Of .h, boats crev-and the boy is showed .ion- into the bow of the boat. which is luli,d immciiatcly out Co the coming boat, o which th, "biri~ Is transferred, and We sp iu Co g.t another one
 While the recrait is being taken to the sec ,nd boat the scene on the beach Is a peculiar ,nc The bundle of gifts is being dis riDI;ei~ Gui oy the time we have shipped ,alf dozen "bOys pretty much every body on hc helch has something Or other
 Such, in its huIiauest aspect, is the manner n which labor is securel in the South seas, F. l.. Clarke in Suu Francisco Call.
 Mrs. Psryc1a, wishing 10 ha elegant, rc- er,l to apple tdGglus as "dlimP de pplc7
 Why be Twice Caught.