From The Spectator. THE SOUTH-SEA ISLANDS COOLIE. FROM A CORRESPONDENT. SIR,The South-Sea Islands Coolie, or, as he is commonly called, the Kanaka, has been, is, and will be a person of considerable importance, both to the Australian sugar-planter who hires him, and to the English politician who talks about him. I venture, therefore, to ask for some small space in your valuable columns in which to show any of your readers whom the subject may interest or amuse, who the Coolie is, where he comes from, and how I went to fetch him. indeed, I remember that an aboriginal boy Now the planters must acknowledge and probably would not care to deny that the system of importing labourers as carried on previously to 1868 was liable to grave Anything approaching the question of abuses. The Polynesian Labourers' Act the rights of labour at home and abroad of 1868, however, abolished most of this, is now-a-days so delicate a matter that in and compelled intending employers, before the present letter I feel inclined to confine they were allowed even to apply for leave myself entirely to the subject of the South- to import coolies, to enter into heavy Sea Islanders, and to give my personal ex-bonds, by which they engaged to give perience of their life on their own islands, them rations on the Government scale, and of their treatment in the Australian consisting of 1 lb. meat and 1 lb. flour colony, which has lately raised so much discussion. The Australian labour-market has been at various times supplied with convicts, free and assisted emigrants, Chinamen and Germans; but it is only within the last few years that the introduction of sugargrowing industry into Queensland has turned our attention to that large group of islands, the New Hebrides, lying within a week's sail of our own colony, and crowded with an indigent and savage population. The planters, in despair at the restless character of the English workman, became naturally very eager to obtain a quantity of cheap and reliable labourers for the sugar season- - men who could stand the heat of the sun, who would work together in gangs without grumbling, and above all, who would bind themselves to their employers for at least three years. Under these circumstances, several small ships started for the New Hebrides in quest of men, and the first arrival of woolly, stupid-looking Kanakas was regarded with great curiosity by all classes. Most of us had heard of the South Seas, and vaguely connected the subject with coral, Cocoa-nuts, and Masterman Ready, but few English working-men, I fancy, had imagined that actual South-Sea Islanders would ever be brought to compete with them on their own ground, the general opinion evidently being that Chinamen or Germans had already sufficiently encroached upon their rights, and that the idea of anything like a "nigger" lowering their wages was monstrous and absurd; per diem, with vegetables, tea, sugar, tobacco, and soap; to pay them at the rate of £6 per annum for three years, and at the expiration of that time to send them back to their native country. In fact, the Queensland Government paid almost more attention to the welfare of the coolie than to that of the assisted immigrant from England or Germany. The Act, however, does not seem to have been very stringently enforced at first, and Captain Palmer, of H.M.S Rosario, in his interesting book on the subject, has already told. us his story of the cruise of the Daphne, and of the attempt of the charterers of that vessel to evade its very ambiguous terms. For nearly two years the importation of coolies had almost ceased, as the islanders had got tired of waiting for the return of their countrymen, and I verily believe suspected us of having eaten them. For my own part, I had always had a great longing for a cruise among these islands, and at last made up my mind that I would go myself and see whether I could not procure some labourers for the plantation. I was much amused by the conflicting pieces of advice I received on the occasion, everybody, however, agreeing that I must go armed to the teeth, while one man gravely informed me that the modus operandi was this: - You should take a trade musket, value say 15s., and having found a chief, present him with it, requiring so many men, on which he would say to his subjects, "You go to Queensland; when you get there, in about a month's time, white man will probably eat you, but | volcano that crowns this island, catching if you dare to stop here I'll eat you my- the rays of the morning sun, and standing self to-morrow." out against the sky like a mountain of gold. Lovers of the picturesque would, I believe, have been almost satisfied could they have been present at the start from Brisbane of the little schooner I had engaged. Cheers and chaff from the lookers-on upon shore, the warlike get-up of myself and trading-master, and the happy faces of the returning islanders who had served their time on some plantation, and were going home, each with a huge chest containing £18's worth of calico, axes, grindstones, knives, &c., and last, but not least, each "darkie," despairing of getting rid of his money in any other way, and not appreciating the good old Australian custom of drinking it, had bought himself a silk umbrella, and held it over his head with great glee, though there was neither sun nor rain to wash out the grease with which he had plentifully bedaubed his long frizzled locks. I think I never appreciated the lines: "Where every prospect pleases, And only man is vile " till I landed there, for a viler-looking lot it had never been my ill-fortune to behold. The shore was literally black with the lordly savage, every man with a musket over his shoulder, and every man daubed to the eyes with vermilion. It was with great satisfaction that I made out that this display merely meant that the gentlemen had had their breakfast, and were going out to fight their next neighbours a tribe headed by a warrior who had acquired the name of "Washerwoman," certainly not from his habits or his linen in which little employment they regularly spent their days, coming back in the afternoon happy and hungry, in much the same way I shall cut short the account of the as we should come in from shooting in voyage to the New Hebrides, how we England to afternoon's tea in the drawinglanded at one of the French islands, and room. I must say, however, to give them how I was incontinently seized upon by their due, they very seldom hurt anyone, two dirty soldiers without shoes, but with an islander's military tactics generally conchassepôts, who after a good deal of sisting in walking along with his musket trouble succeeded in telling me, in what at full cock, performing at the same time they called French, that all English trad- on an instrument resembling Pandean ing ships were forbidden to stop there, and pipes hung round his neck; and if during that I must give an account of myself to his martial progress he should happen to the Commandant; of my interview with see anybody or anything, or think he did, that gentleman, and how, after an ani- he would let fly forthwith, and without mated, but to me unpleasant conversation, | waiting to see whether he had bagged we fraternized, and toasted "La belle France" in rum of my own providing; and how glad I was to leave my new acquaintance and get on board again, picking up our anchor in, s believe, as short a time as ever anchor was got up in 12fathom water. It is all over now, and I can only add that the respect I have for France and her representatives has prevented my showing myself in that port again. A brisk north-east breeze took us over to Tanna, a distance of some 60 miles, before, I believe, M. le Commandant had awakened to the fact that light claret is scarcely good training for new Queensland rum. I wish I had been an artist, to paint the beautiful view that rose before me that morning, the long swell breaking heavily upon the sunken coral reef, the glassy water beyond; then the cocoa-palms down to the water's edge, the steep rocks matted with such verdure as perhaps only Tanna produces; and in the distance the light cloud of smoke hanging over the sulphur anything, he would scamper back to his own bit of beach, where after a long harangue to the women he would reload his weapon and repeat the dose. In this style of fighting the great advantage is that you are always pretty sure, judging from your own case, that your adversary's musket won't go off. The hand-shaking with these veterans was something after the manner of Martin Chuzzlewit's reception. The trade-box was taken out of the boat, and a brisk trade in yams, cocoa-nuts, and pigs was started forthwith, the native showing much shrewdness in feeling the market with small pigs before producing big ones; sometimes, however, his cupidity got the better of his judgment, and if he saw anyone with an object that struck his fancy in the way of a pipe or tomahawk, that article he would have at any sacrifice. I have often wondered at the imperfect idea of number which a native possesses, he grasps easily the idea of one pig for one axe, but three pigs for three axes bothers him. I child among the Vril-ya would have killed a krek. looked round for a chief and tried to open the conversation with him, with a view to my great object, recruits for Queensland, Surrounded by a group of admiring and commenced an animated harangue, spectators, we overhauled the chests of pointing out to him the advantages the these the first men that had ever returned men would gain in going with me, and the to Tanna from Queensland. Every artistrength they would add to the tribe when cle, from a fish-hook to a grindstone, was they brought back their muskets and pow- hailed with shrill cries of delight, and I had der. The chief smiled graciously, and little difficulty in improving the occasion manifested a sudden fancy for my sheath- and recruiting twenty or thirty young men knife, which being in a moment of weak- from the crowd around. It was when it ness given to him, he walked off leaving me came to parting that the great difficulty to a crowd of applicants for more sheath- arose. The old women on one side insistknives of the same sort. I was not a little ing that their sons should not go, and the mortified at finding out afterwards that he young men on the other indignant at behad not understood a single word, being ing treated as children, made a very pretof a different tribe from my interpreter. ty quarrel as it stood, while I, having And so I learnt a great and most impor- learnt the wisdom of the aphorism that tant lesson, in all dealings with the na- you should never interfere in family differtives, and which I cannot help thinking ences, stood by endeavouring to look as might be profitably taken to heart by unconcerned as possible. charitable London ladies,-"Never give In my subsequent experience of the away anything without value received, un- islands, I found the invariable custom of less you wish to put a stop to all trade leave-taking to be as follows:- The inand make everybody a beggar." Man tending emigrant would strip himself of after man shook his head when I asked all he had on, consisting probably of only him to come over to Queensland. The universal cry was, "We are willing enough to go and work and get muskets and powder, but we should like to see some of our brothers back here first, to hear what they say of your country." one bracelet, and sitting down on the beach, would howl melodiously in the middle of a circle of women, after the payment of which tribute to nature he would step briskly into the boat, as gleeful as a child in prospect of a holiday. If asked to bring the women with him he would indignantly refuse, evidently thinking he was already well out of that mess, and would become quite reconciled to his new life before the south-east trades had blown us over to Vaté. But I fear that I have already trespassed too far on your valuable space, and will, with your permission, leave the rest of my cruise to another letter. — I am, Sir, etc., November 27, 1871. JAMES L. A. HOPE. It has never been my good fortune to contest an election in the old country, but I had heard that "the woman once gained, the man follows," is a maxim in canvassing, and acting on this plan, I approached a matronly looking lady, with a ring in her nose and a baby on her shoulder, and tried to make friends, upon which, drawing her grass petticoat-fringe close round her, she set up such a piteous howling, that I concluded the progress of civilization had not yet wafted the notion of woman's rights to those distant regions, and that far from having any influence over her husband, she actually seemed to be afraid of him! However, on the arrival of a happy boat-load of returning brothers, every little hitch was smoothed over, and forgetful of yams and pigs, all rushed off to inspect the contents of the chests they had brought, and in the struggle that ensued in carrying those heavy chests through the breakers, I could not help thinking In reference to the destruction of the that a little less sea-water would have tea in Boston harbour, December 16, 1773, been advantageous to the silk umbrellas. I think the following characteristic letter Glad was I, then, that these men had been well treated in Queensland, for I am con- may be of interest to your readers. It is vinced that had a bad character been giv-a copy of one now in my possession, writen of us, they would have knocked us on ten by John Adams to General James Warthe head with as little compunction as a ren of Plymouth, and if I mistake not, has To DECEMBER 16, 1773. 35 COURT STREET, BOSTON, DEC. 16, 1871.) the Editors of the Boston Daily Adver tiser: never before been published.— WINSLOW | Colonies! But for him this tea might WARREN. Dr Sir BOSTON, DEC. 17, 1773. have been saved to the East India Company. Whereas this Loss if the rest of the Colonies should follow our example, will in the opinion of many Persons bankrupt the Company. The Dye is cast! The People have passed the River and cutt away the Bridge! last Night Three Cargoes of Tea were emptied into the Harbour. This is the grandest Event which has ever yet happened Since the Controversy with Britain opened! The Sublimity of it, charms me! For my own Part I cannot express my own Sentiments of it, better than in the Words of Coll. Doane to me last Evening Balch should repeat them The worst that can happen, I think, says he in Consequence of it, will be that the Province must pay for it. Now, I think the Province may pay for it, if it is burned as easily as if it is drank - and I think it is a matter of indifference whether it is drank or drowned. The Province must pay for it in either Case-But there is this difference - I believe it will take them 10 years to get the Province to pay for it-if so, The Town of Boston was never more we shall save 10 Years Interest of the Money-whereas if it is drank it must be still and calm of a Saturday night than it paid for immediately. thus He How-was last Night. All Things were conductever, He agreed with me that the Province, ed with great order, Decency and perfect No Doubt, would never pay for it.—and also in this submission to Government.that the final Ruin, of our Constitution of We all thought the Administration in betGovernment and of all American Liberties, ter Hands than it had been. would be the certain Consequence of Suffering it to be landed. However, I dare say, that the Governors and Consignees and Custom House officers, in the other Colonies will have more Wisdomn than ours have had & take effectual care that their Tea shall be sent back to England untouched—if not it will as surely be destroyed there as it has been here. Governor Hutchinson and his Family and Friends will never have done with their good services to Great Britain & the Threats, Phantoms, Bugbears, by the million, will be invented and propagated among the People upon this Occasion Individuals will be threatened with Suits and Prosecutions, Armies and Navies will be talked of, military Executions - CharTreason - Tryals in Engters annull'd But these Terrors land and all that are all but Imaginations - Yet if they should become Realities they had better be suffered, than the great Principle, of Parliamentary Taxation given up Please to make Mrs. Adams most respectful Compliments to Mrs. Warren, and mine. I am your Friend JOHN ADAMS. Therefore, let all, whether men or women, be diligent. for every one has a work to do; and let all of us strive to extend the kingdom of God to the very utmost of our abilities; for Solomon says, 'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.' Golden Hours. A QUEEN'S SPEECH. The following speech | more ought we (who live in the land) to do so. of the Queen of Madagascar was delivered at the opening of a Memorial Church: "I thank the missionaries and the friends beyond the seas who have helped to finish this house; for completion of this stone building as a place in which to pray to, and for praising God and giving glory to Jesus, on account of the redemption he has wrought, is a thing which rejoices both me and you. But not this building alone is called a House of God,' but our hearts too; for Paul says in the Corinthians, Ye are the temples of the living God.' Therefore it rejoices my heart when we all do what we can to extend the kingdom of God upon earth; for that was commanded by Jesus Christ, saying, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.' And our friends from beyond the seas have come here and do all they can to benefit us, that we may know Jesus Christ; much THE Reveue Archeologique for October continues the description of Livia's house on the Palatine, and describes two paintings which represent ladies engaged in divination with vessels of water, the well-known idpouavrela. It also supplies a detailed account of some of the statues and windows of the cathedral of Strasburg, the latter representing a series of German emperors. -- OUR ENGLISH BIBLE AND ITS ANCESTORS. (An account of the Origin and Growth of the NUMBERS OF THE LIVING AGE WANTED. The publishers are in want of Nos. 1179 and 1180 (dated respectively Jan. 5th and Jan. 12th, 1867) of THE LIVING AGE. To cubscribers, cr others, who will do us the favor to send us either or both of those numbers, we will return an equivalent, either in our publications or in cash, until our wants are supplied. FOR FIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually for to pay commission for forwarding the money. Price of the First Series, in Cloth, 36 volumes, 90 dollars. |