The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-27
The Cinnamon on the Sea
IF rom Seattle to Hongkong

implicit if he hopes to live and work
in China
The Imnipotent "No. Boy"
After a Chinese crew has been Sc
cured a European in Hongkong takes
the gang in charge and fumigates them
for a sufficient amount per head to
enable him to live in one of the finest
houses on the Peak. Then the various
portions Of the crew are put in charge
of mo. 1 boys" as they are called
For example, mo. boy" in the pas
senger department has charge of all
the kitchen, pantry, dining room and
all cabin forces. If you have trouble
with your room boy, do not threaten
him with the steward, or even with
his majesty, the captain. He doesn't
mind them at all, for the worst they
can give him is a good beating, which
the Oriental takes philosopnically. Re-
.
mo. 1 boy is the one who can make
life miserable for him in China if he
so desires, and it's a terrible thing
for him to offend mo. 1 boy whom
the captain, the chief officer, the purser
and the steward take around with
them on their daily trips of inspec-
ton. Whenever anything is discovered
that needs remedying, the officers tell
mo. 1 boy and he will get more work
and quicker results out of coolie
than a whole ships brass-buttoned
crew.
Bodies Must be Returned.
Before a coolie will consent to ship
he must have guarantee that in case
of death his body will be brought back
to his native country. This agreement
is always kept by the ships captain
sometimes against the protests Of the
owners of the vessel. Not so many
the Oriental service had the temerity to
ignore the Chinese custom in this re-
spect and buried a Chinese body at
sea. AS soon as the ship touched at
Shanghai the news of this action was
assiduously spread. Immediately a boy
colt was organized against that par
nearly two years before it was able
to secure single Chinese passenger.
BY strenuous effort and by the expen-
diture of bride money to secure the
influence of several high Chinese
officials the company finally succeeded
in raising the boycott, but not until an
the bodies of no more Cinnamon would
be buried at sea.
That portion of the crew, which
works the ship is in the general charge
of a Chinese "bosun," who is a mar
vel in his way. Upon the beginning
of every homeward voyage he has his
own troubles in licking his untutored
coolies into shape-that is the new re-
cruits. His difficulties reach their eli
max in the fire drills. 1t is almost i'm
possibles to impress upon a Chinaman
the necessity of hurrying. When the
alarm sounds, he wants to take his
time and thinks that If he comes leis-
urely along fifteen or twenty minutes
afterward, it Is just as well. 1t is only
after he is kicked out Of his bunk a
half dozen times and sent on deck into
the teeth of a gale and in a half clad
condition that he begins to realize that
things will come little easier for him
if he hustles. And a Chinaman try
ing to hustle is one of the funniest
sights imaginable. AS he skips along
the decks, running like man on stills,
he jabbers away at himself and prob
ably thinks, what a funny thing a
white man is" When he is awake,
however, Chinese sailor is the
busiest thing imaginable. He works
continuously and industriously, though
most deliberately, during the entire
day in order to earn his SO a month
with his elbow" thrown in.