The Opelousas courier., 1900-04-21

lts place a tratlc hardly less accursed,
the coolie trade. The coolie was i.
Chinaman who agreed. to leave his
country for 8 term of years at stated
wages, but after O while vessels were
cited out and dispatched to various
islands in the Pacific and other seas,
and thousands Of natives were ab.
Quoted and sold into perpetual slav.
cry. These abducted people also
came to be called coolies. Soon after
the trade opened the Chinese govern
ment, which received so much for
every coolie shipped away, began send
ing of its offenders and m%alefactors
along with honest laborers. Instead
Of giving a thief the bastinado he was
sent to the coolie barracks; instead of
topping off the head Of a pirate he was
deported. Among every 500 coolies
were at least 100 malefactors, and re-
volts at sea were of frequent occur
renee. In the year 1853 seventeen
vessels in the coolie trade were either
burned at sea or captured by the ma
tives aboard, and in case of capture
not a man vas spared.
Our ship, the Princess, of New
York, was lying at Macao, south Of
in the fall OF 1863, when
four different craft were loading with
coolies at the same time. Macao was
one of the great shipping points, aud
everything wa carried on under the
supervision of government officials. I
saw a Brazilian brig take on 480
coolies, and a worse lot of men could
not possibly have been scraped to.
gethsr in any country. They ware to
be housed between decks, and the brig
two cannon and ten soldiers to
keep them in subsection. They must
be looked after as sharply as convicts
on their way to Australia in the old
days Of the penal settlements. This
brig, which vas called the Don, got
away q week ahead of us, and, through
some blunder, with only a few of her
water-casks filed. She had head
winds for five days, and NE finally
overlook her before she had made 800
miles on her long voyage. We sighted
ner as the wind was dying ont one of
sernoop. and were carried down to
a mile of her before we lost
'teerageway. We could make out her
name with the glass, but ever without
hat the odor which came across the
water to our nostrils would have proved
ier a coolie ship. As our captain OBJ
ierved, after shutting up his glass and
the air:
THAT smell would settle it if I
vas deal, dumb and blind and had NO
lose; she's a coolie!"
1t was about six o'clock, when we
ost the breeze, and the crew knocked
Il for supper and spent the following
hree hours EARNING and smoking.
The brig was all right, SO far as we
ould observe, and we had no partic-
lar interest in watching her. About
inc O'Clock, however, we were all
into sudden activity by a
aost horrible din from the coolia. 1t
as If two or three hundred
oices were yelling in chorus, ami the
NA AOV COSSV unbIA DIDk6U iii I
pom by the reports of firearms.
I'll tell you exactly what's taking
lace on board that fellow" said the
late, who had been listening iltently.
He's short OF water, aud the wretches
ave been put upon half or quarter
llowance. They are suffering and
esperate, and the crew have had to
boot down some of the leaders.
We seen 200 likely heathens 60 dead
v the want Of water, but they didn't
le without making tremendous ef-
'rt to take the ship. Well hear from /,
chap again inside Of an hour, and |
II miss my plum duff If he isn't /
ongside of us before long bartering /
II fresh water" !,
The mate was O prophet. lii about
alf IN hour there wal another chorus /
yells, shrieks and curses, and we 1
emily heard the rattle of chains.
Tree or four muskets were fred and I
y vas quiet again. But il wasn't j
o'clock when the brig launched
boSt, five men got into her, anil in {
very few Minutes she was alongside. 3
ID q man who announced himsef as 1
q mate of the coolie was on deck. 3
Verybody knew his efrand. Wei !
ID plenty OF fresh water, bnt would I
u captain spare him q single Nint? {
ost sailors hated coolies 81 no ether q
did, and our captain hal zone /
out that evening with round eaths /
ling off his lips to think that hS had 4
% under his nose and was heiEaess. !
he refused to spare the watgs the 4
OF wretches would die; IL he Set IL d
they would be spared for d life OF !
avery. The mar who boarded us
e q Spaniard, and he had a surly 1,
untenance and ~disagreeable voice. 4
. didn't beat about the bush Of all. q
t walked up to orr captain. who was
snding stifay on the quarterback, d,
ached his hat and said: d
I'm mate of the brig yonder and il
! sent to see if you can spare us 4 y
y casks Of water. Through 4 blum d
7 we left Macao short. and We CAN'T II
tin anywhere until We get ) breeze" a
ought to be ashamed of the o
siness you are inls' exclaimed the b
az he paced back and forth. y
Every man TO his own idea y
Imly replied the mate. seThe main al
now Is to get water for the Il
athens. Il we don't get ii, not one 1,
them will be alive by tomorrow 81
8;
Jur captain hung out for d while. e
ale he hated ID save the coolies Is I'd
] profit Of the traders, he was too al
rciful to be the indirect d Of ps
'ir death. and he finally consented di