The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-10-30
QUARANTINE QUARTERS.
HOW JAPANESE LABoRERS ARE
TREATED.
What "Star" Reporter Saw at the
Quarantine Station This Morn
ing-The Food, Etc.

through the quarters now occupied by
the apanese immigrants who arrived
last week on the Miike-maru. These
consist Of two large sheds, well venti
lated and whitewashed. They are SC
constructed that draught Of pure sea
air is continually passing through them
The interior of each is divided into
four tiers of hunks, or, more literally
shelves. On these the immigrants
spread their mats, and blankets when
they have any, and stow their baggage
and other belongings, which, for the
most part, consists of one or more
queer-shaped wicker trunks or baskets,
with variety of cooking vessels I'M
known to Europeans The Inevitable
frying,pan and the tea-kettle, however,
are exceptions to this rule, and every
japanese family possesses one or more
minute specimens of each. Some of
these little tea kettles are "quite cute" "
as woman would say. The immi.
grants spend their time while at the
station in sleeping, eating and drinking
or wandering about the Enclosures in
which they are confined
This lot of Japanese come from three
separate districts, and those from each
are housed together. They are under
the control of lunas, selected at the
commencement of the voyage. About
twenty-five per cent. of them are
women, and there are no children.
Every morning the Government issues
to these lunas rations of rice, fresh beef
and vegetables. OF these articles there
is no stint; they are allowed all the rice
they can eat, the beef is of good quality
and plenty of it. while the vegetables
include potatoes, lettuce, radishes,
onions, etc. The Japanese are very
fond of vegetables, but instead of eat
ing them as salad they cut them up
and with the meat make a stew, which
to them is delicious. The cooking is
done in holes dug in the ground, plenty
of wood being furnished for that pur-
pose. The rice is boiled in large shall
low copper pans furnished by the Gov
eminent and is done under the super
vision of one of the lunas or some one
delegated by him tor that purpose.
When cooked it is measured out in
quaint little basins and afterwards rolled
into balls, which are carefully put into
baskets for future use, one for each
meal. These rice balls are generally
recooked by placing few live Goals
around them and then eaten with sugar.
Sometimes the rice after being boiled
is spread out on mat in the sun and
partially dried before being eaten.
The cooking goes on from daylight till
dark and sometimes up to midnight,
no restrictions whatever being placed
on the immigrants except that they are
required to keep their quarters clean,
but this they need no telling to do.
That the Japanese are queer little
people is well known, but to describe
what can be seen in an hours stroll
among those at the quarantine station
would take more columns than there
are in this paper. To attempt to de-
pict the various dresses worn by them
would be impossible in the space al
lowed, and besides, some of them
have no dress to speak of. The ma jor-
ity of them, however, are habited in
the national costume of dark blue,
while others, mostly single men, are
satisfied with small jacket which
comes about half way down the back
and G string around the thighs.
Many of the women are nude from the
waist up, and some even more SO; in
fact, the female immigrant thinks
nothing of making her entire toilet in
the presence of hundreds of males.
1t is all in the bringing up. Here may
be seen a group of women combing
each others hair, an operation which
is most elaborate and takes much time.
The Japanese comb is queer looking
instrument and is shaped very much
like old Neptunes trident on small
scale, the handle being whitfield down
to fine point. In another place
group are sitting in a circle smoking
long pipes with the tiniest bowls, which
look as though they would not contain
tobacco enough to furnish one decent
Whit. Further on is a Jap writing
home, to do which he lies fiat on his
stomach, while his wife looks on in the
same graceful position. Instead of a
pen he uses fine brush, which in
writing is held perpendicularly to the
paper.
Other groups are engaged in repack
ing their valuables in their trunks, and
still others, more numerous, in taking
tea This latter process is repeated at in
tervals during the day The immigrants
bring their own tea with them besides
curious little cups and saucers of blue
china. The tea, when made, is color
less, as compared with that used here.
Out in the inclosure still more strange
sights may be seen, as, for instance,
group of six or eight men without rag
on them, engaged in scrubbing each
other and taking bath in big tub,
There is plenty of water for bathing,
washing and cooking purposes furnished
from the city by pipe line, and when
the japanese takes bath, he or she does
not care rap whether the whole world
is looking on or not. Another group
500. -. - ,kal,, cArrar ,e apoYl,uaI a.,