Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-24
C0ALING BY HAND
ONE OF THE INTERESTING SIGHTS
OF NAGAsAKI, JAPAN.
Men, Women and Children All Take
Part in the Work-We1 and
Cheaply Done.
Written for The Evening Star,

Written for The Evening Star,
There are few sites more novel or more
interesting in the far east than the coaling
of ships at Nagasalxi, Japan. All ships
outgoing and incoming stop here to fill
their coal bunkers, and 1t Is not unusual
to see vessels of a dozen nationalities at
anchor in the picturesque harbor.
Nagasaki is in a coal country famous
throughout the east and the supply seems
to be inexhaustible. The city Is not pre-
tentioUS by any means being built the
seacoast at the foot Of a chain Of hills.
While it Is one Of the largest cities in
Japan, it never came into prominence I'M
til the early part of the sixteenth century,
when the Portuguese and Spaniards set
tied there for the purpose of carrying on
trade with visiting vessels. The harbor is
not only picturesque, but perfectly safe in
the hardest kind of weather, and in the
early days was a favorte refuge for ships
that had encountered bad weather The
approach to Nagasaki is through num-
Der of beautiful and quantity shaped is
lands, many of which boast lighthouses,
and through channel perhaps quarter of
a mile wide and an inlet which extends for
three miles. The hills surrounding the har-
Dor are a mass of woodland, and the in
tense green reflected in the water forms a
picture the traveller never forgets. The
homes of the most prominent and wealthy
merchants of Nagasaki are in these hills
for here there is always pleasant weather
with constant ocean breezes.
But Nagasah received it's greatest no.
toriety commercially during the Spanish
American war: for here all transports STOP
ped for coal and warShips of other navies
found it convenient to make this place a
coaing station. Before Admiral Dewey
sailed into Manila bay Russian warships
were the most frequent visitors, and today
the visitor is confronted throughout the
settlement with signs printed in the Rus
sian language.
The coal business is in the hands of
syndicate and an immense trade is done
there each day. The quality of coal is good
for steaming purposes, and the captain Of
our ship made the astonishing statement
that the ship could be coaled at Nagasaki
by hand cheaper and quicker than it could
in San Francisco with all the modern ma
chinery. I did not marvel at this after l
had seen the people go to work.
Before the ship came to anchor it was
surrounded by sanpans (the native boat)
each one loaded with human beings, rang
ing in age from sixty-five years to the babe
Of as many days. These boats seemed to
spring from the very ocean itself, SO mys-
utes great long boats filled with coal were
"sculled' alongside. In an incredibly short
space of time every portfolio was manned
by platform, and men, women and chill
dren Swarmed over the ship like a swarm
of ants. Stationing themselves in long
rows extending from the coal barges to the
bunkers Of the ship, they started an endless
chain Of small straw baskets, each con-
tanning about twenty pounds of coal. On
several occasions 1 timed the baskets as
they came over the side of the ship and
counted sixty-eight in one minute. Every
one OF the coolies was Immaculate in spot
less clothes when he started to work, and
each wore about the head handkerchief
to protect the hair from coal dust. There
were thousands Of baskets, shaped like a
bowl. and as fast as they were emptied into
the hold of the ship they were returned to
the coal barges to be refiled. The work of re-
turning the baskets was the part assigned
the children, the eldest not over ten years
of age. For this work they received cents
per day. The men and women, and the
latter outnumbered the former two to one
(and they proved the better workmen), re-
ceived 10 cents per day, and little Chow"
as the food is called, at certain intervals
The passing of the baskets seemed a simple
process, and did not appear to be firing
They were always cheerful in their work
and smiled and cracked jokes among them
selves continually. At intervals the men
who filled the baskets In the coal barges
were relieved, for this is the hardest of the
work. and no one seemed disposed to take
an unfair advantage.
In the evening 1t became necessary to in
crease the force, and the passengers were
put ashore, while every available inch of
space was utilized by the coal passers. OF
course. they made great deal of dirt, and
the promenade deck was knee-deep in coal
at many places. The passers accompanied
their work with weird chant, and as night
came on they looked like specters from the
neither gloom" fitting noiselessly; about
with their black faces and begrimed clothes.
At.er the work was over they repaired to
their boats. and there before the entire
ship proceeded to take of the dirt, each
one in turn washing over the side Of the
boat and putting on clean Clothing.