In my last I promised to let you know as much as 1 could gather about' the Coolie traffic, and I now carry out-my promise, premising that I cannot of myself testify to the following statement, but as I got it from re-Hable goutees I place implicit Deli mit myself. The late B. E. Carneiro, who was pretty well known during his lifetime as one who made his living by trading in chu tsai, arrived at Canton some eighteen months ago to try and make arrangements for starting what was ostensibly to be a bona fide Emigration reference would be made to the Capital, gency. "He was given to iinderatand that
received, he would be allowed to lay Emigrant when, in the event of a favourable reply being Ships on the berth for Cuba, In the meantime, Carneiro engaged" baure belonging to How-Qua, next to one once occupied by the Into Mr. Tarrant, who during his lifetime was editor and proprietor of the "Friend of China." The piece of ground upon which this house is situated, is called Kum-li-fou by and is known to Europeans as ry Site." The house engaged, was fitted up as a barracoon, id est with sleeping places running each length of the house; the furni nothing but a few cases of revolvers, muskets, swords, whips &e., &c., with which to allay any nervousness that emigrants might feel whilst resident in the establishment. "The barracoon was soon broken up however, as the landlord Being a man of substance, lie did not care to ave his tenant notice to quit; stating that
lot one of his houses for the purpose of confining his countrymen. Rumour has it that this equivocal philanthropy resulted more from hints (pretty broad ones I should think) given by Mandarine, than. spontaneously. Foiled here, the coolie broker ied to Wong Sha, in the Western where he engage two one-story houses facing each other, and divided by a narrow street, across which he built a bridge to join the two upper rooms. One of these houses was on the river bank. The plan to be adopted as soon as the expected concessions were wade, was to obtain, by means of crimps, Dnumber of coolies, of which those really willing to emigrate were to be put in the houston the river bank, whils: the others were to be cooped up in the other house, until such time as the shipment was to be made; when they would be driven on board boats and conveyed to Whampoa. To make matters appear square, the cooped up coylies were to be represented by umps and others, paid for the purpose, who would have explained to them by the Chinese Authorities, assisted by the Spanish Consul, the obligations they were about to enter on. All this deep-laid scheme has fallen through because of the death of the originator, and the establishment has reverted to the landlord.
Whilst waiting for permission from Peking to open publicly his Jarracoon, Carneiro received from the interior and continued to forward to Macao, all the coolies that his crimps could possibly lay hands on, and the number was by no means small. During the operation of his little tactics, Carneiro found that his employer had succeeded in making some arrangement with a Mandarin at or near Swatow, by which the Mandarin was to receive so much a head; ently the supply of Seolies became 50 good that prices tel, and Carneiro discovered his brokerage decreasing daily. Where there's a will there's a way," and our late friend was equal to the occasion. Collecting all the information he could, both doctimentary and-oral, he posted up to Canton, and laid the whole before the authorities, who took steps to at once put a stop to the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.