The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-13
MUTINY ON A COOLIE SHIP.
ONE OF THE TRAGEDIES OF A BRANCH
OF THE SLzVE TRADE.

determination Of tho Crew Seen From
Another Yessel-Fury of the Chinese.
when slavery was abolished in the Brazils "
said an old sailor there sprang up 10 take it's place
a uaflc hardly less accursed. the coolio trade
The coolie was q Chinnman who agreed 10 leave
his country for a term OF years at stated wages,
but after while vessels were fitted out and dis
patched 10 various islands in the Pacific and other
seas, and thousands Of natives were abducted and
sold into perpetual slavery. These abducted
people also came to be called coolies Soon after
the trade opened the Chinese Government, which
received much for every coolie shipped away.
began sending of its offenders and malefactors
along with honest laborcrs Instead Of giving a
thief tho bastinado he was sent 70 Che coolio bar
racks: instead OF looping Of tho head OF pirate
he was deported Among ovory 500 coolies
al least 100 malefactors. and revolts at
wcro Of frequent occurrence In the year 1868
seventeen vessels in tho coolie trade were either
burned at sea or captured by tho natives aboard,
and in case OF capture not o man was spared.
Our ship. the Princess Of New York, was lying
at Macao south Of Hong Kong. In the fall Of 1858.
when four different CT ats were loading with coolies
at tho Same time. Macao was ono Of the great
shipping points and everything was carried on
under the supervision OF government officials. l
saw Brazilian brig take on $50 coolies, and
worse lot Of mon could not possibly have been
scraped together in any country They were TO be
housed between decks and the brig carried two
cannon and ten soldiers to keep them in subsection.
They must be looked after as sharply as conviets
on their way to Australia in the old days OF tho
penal settlements This brig. which was called
the Don, got away a week ahead Of u.s. and,
through some blunder. with only a few Of her
water-casks filed She had head winds for Eve
days, and We finally overlook her before she had
made 800 miles on her long voyage We sighted
her as tho wind was dying out ono afternoon,
and were carried down TO within mile OF her
before wo lost steeragcway We could make out
her name with the glass but even without that
the odor which came across the water 10 our nos
trils would have proved her coolie ship As our
captain observed, after shutting up his glass and
smiling the air
That smell would settle 1t II 1 was deaf.
dumb and blind and had no nose: sh e's a coole"
1T was about six o'clock when we lost the
breeze, and the crew knocked off for supper and
spent the following three hours EARNING and
smoking. The brig was all right so far as we
could observe, and We had particular inter
est in watching her. About nine o. clock however.
all startled into sudden activity by
most horrible din from tho coolie. II seemed as
II two or three hundred voices were yelling In
chorus, and the sound did not cease until broken
In upon by the reports Of firearms
"Il tell you exactly what's taking place on
board that fellow said the mate, who had been
listening ntcntly- He's short OF water. and tho
niggers have been put upon half or quarter allow
ance They are suffering and desperate and tho
crew have had TO shoot down some OF the leaders
I've seen 200 likely heathrns go dead for the want
Of water, but they didn't die without making
tremendous effort TO take the ship. Wen hear
ron hat In ait ipaid NJ HON
miss my plum duff II he isn't alongside OF us be-
fore long bartering for fresh water
The mate was a prophet In about half an hour
there was another chorus of yells, shrieks and
curses and we plainly heard the rattle OF chains.
Three or four muskets were fred and all was quiet
again. But 1t wasn't yet ten o'clock when the
brig launched boat five men got into her, and in
a very few minutes she was alongside and man
who announced himself as the mate OF the cooe as
on deck. Everybody knew his Grand We had
plenty Of fresh water, but would our captain spare
him a single pint? Most sailors hated coolies
as no other class did. and our captain had gone
about that evening with round oaths falling OF
his lips to think that he had one under his nose
and was helpless II he refused to spare tho
water the poor wretches would die; II he let it
go they would be spared for life of slavery
The man who boarded us was a Spaniard. and
he had surly countenance and disagreeable
voice. He didn't beat about the bush at ALL but
walked up to our captain. who was standing stfly
on the quarter deck. touched his hat and said:
I'm mate of the brig yondcr and am sent TO
SEQ II you can spare a few casks OF water
Through blunder we left Macao short and
We can't put in anywhere until we get breeze
Blast you, but you ought to be ashamed Of
the business you are in exclaimed the captain
as he paced back and forth
Every man to his own idea' calmly replied
the mate. The main thing now is to get water
for the heathens. II We don't get it, not ono Of
them will be alive by to morrow night
Our captain hung out for while While
he hated to save the coolies TO the profit of the trad
ers, he was too merciful to DO the indirect cause
OF their death and he finally consented TO spare
five casks Of water. Arrangements for the trans.
fer were being made when the furious hubbub of
an hour before was repeated, only there was more
savageness TO II this time, 1t did not die away
as before. but kept increasing in intensity and
lasting so long that the mate leaped upon the rail
and looked toward the brig and muttered:
The devils are making break at last. Why
don't the men the guns?'
His words were followed by the reports OF a
dozen muske,s. and they were still cracking away
when some one stood on the rail OF the brig and
waved his hat in our direction.
iHc 'OOHSS arc loose. exclaimed the mate
as he made for his boat That signal is for me-
but I'll return for the water soon as the out
break is put down.
He was of in a moment. and his men pulled
such a stroke that their boat was carried 10 the
briggs side in four or hve minutes. She was
nun under the bows and the men scrambled up over
the chains We knew that the outbreak was
serious, for the hubbub increased and we could
see the crew rushing wildly about, There was
a continual pop Of musketry. and We became
30 excited that every man in the ship
cook included, hurried aloft 10 look down upon
the strangers decks AS We lay broadside TO
each other and the distance was so short, we
could see all that took place. Despite the despcr-
ate efforts OF the crew. the coolies finding
their way deck They were shot and dubbed
and hacked, but they came faster than they could
be taken Of and in half an hour from the
time the mates boat left us, the Chinese had pos.
session OF at least one-hai the brig. They got
hold of some of the muskets and cutlasses, and
they knew how 10 the former well as the
aaiIpra Tho forward UyatpuS upre pricd 1T