News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-17
CHINESE EMIGRANTS.
Their Unhappy Experience on a
Steamer from Hong Kong.

few years ago, just prior to the pas
| sage of the Chinese Restriction act, at n
lime when thousands of Cinnamon were
| landed at San Francisco almost daily, L
was passenger oD one of the Pacific
Mail steamers from Hong Kong to San
| Francisco.
We had on board some twelve hundred
or more Chinese, nine-tenths of whom
had never left their native heath before,
who spoke in all manner Of dialects and
who were, altogether, as miserable a lot
of human beings as one could possibly
imagine.
They came abroad ut Hong Kong, and
we're handled by the ships officers pret-
ty much as cattlo are handled at the
large stockyards. They were all hud-
died in tween decks. Each had small
berth to sleep in, but how so many Of
them ever managed to find accommoda-
tions in so small place 1 could not un-
derstand.
For the first few days after leaving
Hong Kong, the weather being fine, ev-
erythiug went on smoothly. At meal
times the Celestials would separate into
"gangs," the captain of each gang being
given large pan containing the rations.
This was generally boiled rice and
chunks of meat. or bran soup. The Chi
nese would squat about this and start in
with chop sticks, the slowest eater
usually going hungry.
During the day they would congre-
gate on the upper de k and play "fan
TAM" dominos and other games for
small brass coins. All this, however,
came to a sudden end. A heavy wind
sprang up, the ship began 10 roll and
toss and most of the Cinnamon got sea-
sick and remained in their berths.
Those who did venture on deck were
knocked about by the crew, who always
found them in the way. When given
their rations they would invariably spill
most of them over the deck and each
other. As they had never been to sea
before most of them got frightened and
huddled into corners, where they would
crouch in abiect fear and misery.
1t soon became necessary, in order TO
preserve the sanitary condition of the
ship, to get the seasicll Cinnamon out
of their berths and 10 clean out tho
steerage. No force nor persuasion coulL
induce these wretches to leave their
berths. A few were literally dragged
out, but these returned Immediately.
Finally, as last resort, several OF the
crew with pans of cayenne pepper went
into the steerage, placed the pans ut
various points, set fire to tho pepper,
and then ran for the deck as for dear
life.
An upro r soon followed this opera
tion. One by one the Cinnamon were
driven out, straining and coughing
and enduring all sorts of agony.
The fumes of the pepper entailed great
suffering, but there was no help for it,
After this the Cinnamon would rush for
the deck in body whenever the order
to "fumigata" was given.
For the balance of the voyage the
Cinnamon were knocked and banged
about, made the subject of practical
jokes by the crew, and generally made
as miserable rs human beings ever get.
They acted as if they saw the celestial
heaven when the Iarallones were
sighted.
Their experience as they left the ship,
pulled about and searched by the Custom
House officers, marked on the back with
a piece of chalk, and then huddled into
Oh express wagon and driven through
the streets, hooted at and stoned by the
hoodlums, no doubt made many of them
wish that they either never been born
Mt ali or had died before they left home.
.NeLC York Hcrdld