Year: 1871

INV AAAs OOOhAA hOSAsO1ss
Mutiny of the CcIcstials.
SHIP ssDONr rJUAN'' BURNED.
SIX JNpRED COOLIES PRRIsH
A NARROWING TALE OF SUFFERING.
Intelligence has just been received at
San Francisco from two sources, Of the
burning of the coolie ship "DOn Juan."
which left Macao on the 14th of May,
with cargo of coolies for Peru. The
information came from Macao, from
which place the crew, together with
eight Cinnamon, had escaped and was
also brought by fifty coolies who had
been rescued by junk which was pass
ing, and brought on to this port. The
Don Juan was landed at Macao, taking
six hundred and fifty coolies on board for
Peru. She was only permitted to con-
vey them upon her change of flag as
the San Salvadorian ship dolores
Ugarte." She was not allowed to carry
coolies by the Government Of Macao,
therefore she was sold to Peruvian, or
by the pro TEN. consul declared national,
and hoisted the Peruvian flag.


She left Macao on the 4th of May,
being towed to sea by the steamer
"White Cloud" and On the 9th she was
burned to the waters edge. not more
than fifty miles from Hong Kong. The
coolies who have arrived in Hong Kong
give various particulars of the catastro-
phe which are worth being noted, though
they must of course be accepted with
caution. 1t appears, however. so far as
it is possible to judge, that the men are
not in any way combined together, and
though this contingency must always be
borne in mind in accepting Chinese state.
ments, there does not appear reason to
conclude that in the accounts they have
given to the superintendent of the Jail
and others they have done otherwise
than state facts, so far as uncer the ex.
citing and terrible circumstances they
could understand them


The theory is that the fire must have
been accidental and have originated aft
In lazarette, where the stores and ships
material are kept They all aver that
their treatment by the officers and crew
was humane, and that they had nothing
whatever to complain Of, either as tc
their allowance of food or its quality OF
quantity, and their statement of theil
idea is that the whole affair was simply
accidental. The other view in question
namely, that the ship was set on fire by
designing men among the Chinese is Not
impossible, but there is difficulty in ac.
cepting this, from the fact that, as a rule
the bulkhead dividing the main hold from
the lazarette would be of very hard
wood and from four to FIVE inches thick
and wonld probably be thickly studded
with broad nails, which would effectively
prevent saws or other carpenters tools
being used without being easily heard
over the ship. 1920 @


On the other hand, there is no doubt
that any coolie could easily conceal as
much flint and steel about him as would
make fire at any moment, and it is
well known that they are most skilful in
concealing material for getting lights
1t is therefore, quite possible that the fire
might have originated among the coolies,
either by design or accident, in which
case it is quite certain that no evidence
with regard to it would be got from any
of these men. If the fire originated be-
low, it would spread with the greatest
rapidty, as the doole, or false deck, was
usually made of sof: wood, which would
burn like touchwood, as no doubt it has
been in the ship since her last voyage
and would be dry as chip. In reply to
a question, one of the men first said they
had no head men, and afterward, being
closer pressed. stated that all the head
men had been drowned. ai t.st


Very careful inquiry failed to e!Ici'
anything more definite as to the origin
of the fire than given above, and the
manner in which replies are given makes
it evident, if an official investigation
takes place, it will be found very difficult
to get at the truth of the matter. Some
of the men, however, are quite clear in
this statement, that no explosion was
heard when the fire broke out. With re
gard to the most important pOint-namely
the question whether the holds were
opened to admit the escape of the men
the whole of them agree that foreigner
came and pried locks and bol:s off with
crowbar, calling out, "Run Save life y


An incident of some importance is re
lated in connection with this, namely
that some of the men were looking out
of the gratings at the time to avoid suf
focasion from the smoke, thus showing
that the fire, whatever way it originated
must have broken ont below and well
aft. One of the men distinctly AYERS