The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-14
CREWS OF ALL NATIONS.
Ships Manned by People OF all Classes
and Raoes-A Chin csc Crew in Port.

Ships Manned by People OF all Classes
and Races-A Chin ese Crew in Port
The steamships coming 70 Savannah for
cotton have crews OF all nationalities, Eu-
ropean, Asiatic and American, and occa-
sionally African The majority of sailors
coming to this port now are Scandinavians,
three-fourths Of the sailing vessels being
manned by men Of that nationality.
The English sailors no longer predomi-
nate, and Germans, Spaniards and Italians
are found upon the British steamships.
The british vessels have taken to picking
up their crews at whatever port they load
without regard TO race or nationality, and
on this account numbers OF the Bombay and
East Indian traders are carrying Hindoo
crews. chiefly Lascers taken from the
Islands below Bombay. and the vessels in
the Chinese trade are largely manned by
Chinese
The account in the MORNING NEWS few
days ago of the HIndoo crew Of the steam
EMP Iran attracted general attention and
caused much discussion as to the proper re-
liglon and nationality of the sailors.
The British steamship Northern Of Cardiff,
which arrived last Saturday and is now
lying at the wharf of the Compress, has
crew of Chinese, or rather a full engine
room OF Chinese fire tenders ami trimmers
Very little has been seen of the MonRol
sailors, however, and the fact of their pres
ence In port is not generally known. They
probably take a stroll on shore occasionally
at night. but as there is nothing in their ap-
pearance to distinguish them from the ordi-
nary washee-washee, they have attracted
no attention.
A MORNING News reporter saw Capt.
Richardson of the Northern on his ship yes
terday. The captain was in his cabin, Just
recovering from an accident which hap
pened as he was coming into port, resulting
In the breaking of the small bone In one of
his legs, caused by the rolling of a piece
OF timber upon which he stepped.
ant and very intelligent gentleman.
de says IL is no uncommon thing for YES
sells In the Chinese trade, especially those
running to Hong Kong, to have native
crews. In fact, the natives are preferred
by nearly all who have tried them, especially
as fire tenders and trimmers, where they
can work together in gangs. This is the
third trip to the states that Capt. Richard
son has made with his Chinese crew. They
shipped from Hong Hong last year on the
Northern for New York with a cargo of
tea and then shipped back 20 Hong Kong.
Another trip was made 10 New York for
grain, and this trip for cotton makes the
third for the crew.
Capt. Richardson says the custom house
vessel the first trip she made to New York
for fear some of the crew should take
notion to settle in America, button the Sec
ond trig they we're not so particular,
simply requiring all of the crew to be
present when the vessel sailed. The captain
says the Chinese are not permitted to go
ashore, but for all he knows they may take
stroll at night sometimes
The Chinese sailors that ship from Hong
Kong are Cantonese that come down there
from the province of Canton.
Capt. Richardson says that it would not
do to take crew from two separate
ports. as the Chinese from the different
provinces will not affiliate together any
more than if they were entire for
elgners and will fight each other
like dogs. The Chinese are the most salts
factory lot Of aremen he ever sailed with.
They work splendidly, never kick nor
grumble about anything, and do just what
they are told to do without any question
ing, which is just the opposite from the
English and Europeans. They never seem
to have any trouble among themselves, and
never have any with anybody else aboard
the ship. They are a wonderfully patient
people, and very faithful in their work.
They live to themselves in their end
OF the ship and do their own cooking, their
food being Chiefly rice. Those of them that
make any pretention to religion are Bud
dhists. but they do not seem to lay much
stress upon this. They chin-chin joss some
times. They are great opium smokers, but
this seldom interferes with their work.
When they have been smoking opium they
go about their work with dull and stupid
look and have nothing TO say 20 anybody
Capt. Richardson says they do as much
work as Europeans. man for man. They
have two head men, known as mo. II and
mo. Z, " who speak English little and re-
ceive the orders from the captain and direct
the work. The rest of them speak only
Chinese. There is no danger of any Of them
skipping, as their wages are not paid them
until they return to Hong Kong, and they
are not likely to leave without their money.
They spend almost nothing and receive
every cent they make almost at their dis
charge.
Capt. Richardson says he has been mas
ter fifteen years and never had so much
peace in his life as since shipping the Chi
nese. The ordinary engine-room, he says.
is filed with the ''scrapings of hell, bsdlam
and Newgate," and the only idea of the
rna lie fN