Glasgow Courier. — 1850-10-19 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

HORRIBLE MURDER IN ESSEX.  _.....1iiial  A fine barque, named the New-Liverpool, Captain Rowles, has arrived at Southampton from India, the Cape of Good Hope, laden with timber (teak), consigned to Messrs. Wigram, shipbuilders, at Norham. When the New-Liverpool entered the docks, the captain informed the Custom-house authorities that there was no disease or sickness on board, but that there were three or four men ill. On getting on board it was seen that a number of Lascars formed a part of the crew. The few that were seen were apparently a miserable net of creatures. They were barefooted, crouching about the wet deck, and seemed very uncomfortable. They talked to each other in subdued and melancholy accents. On Saturday information was brought to Mr. Wibliii, the quarantine surgeon at Southampton' that a Lascar was dead on board the New-Liverpool, and that others were dying. An urgent communication was made also to the Mayor of that town, and that functionary, accompanied by several gentlemen, immediately hurried towards the dock, and went on board the NewLiverpool. On entering the forecastle of the ship one of the most horrible sights presented itself. In a dark, filthy, ill-ventilated hole, one Lascar lay dead, and six more lay, apparently dying, beside him, of the scurvy. One also was afflicted with a most loathsome disease. Two of the sick Lascars were sent immediately to the work-house, but one was too ill to be removed, and by this time is probably dead. Mr. Wiblin, as soon as he , went on board, ordered a quantity of lemons and other antiscurvy medicaments to be sent to the ship. A coroner's inquest sat on the dead body of the Lascar on Saturday on board the ship, and after the body, the place where it lay, and the food on which the Lascars had fed, had been examined, and some evidence I taken, the inquest was adjourned to the Town Hall, until Monday, ! at 6 rm., in order to give the captain, against whole some serious charges were to be made, and who was then in London, an opportunity of being present. It appears that when a gang of Lasoars are hired in India to work a ship to Europe, one of their number is their chief, protector, and interpreter, and is called a seraing. He, it appears, also, is in some way answerable for their good conduct and good treatment, and if he fails to obtain the latter, gives himself up to some religious and horrible tortures when he returns to India. The captains who engage Lascars enter into a bond with the agents of the East India Company for their proper treatment, and to furnish them with that peculiar diet which their religious scruples and the climate in which they have been reared impose on them and render necessary, such as rice, fish, tamarinds, lime juice, and other kinds of food conducive to their health and strength. Numbers of persons visited the Southampton police station on Sunday to see the fish and rice on which I the Lanus had fed. The ries was swarming with large blue die' gusting looking maggots. The fish was black as a hat, hard as j iron, and as dry as a board. Some of the gentlemen who accompanied the Mayor on board was taken ill afterwards, and not able to take any food.