United States -- Description and travel; Voyages and travels
THE CHINESE JUNK.--The /Albany Evening Journal/ publishes as its leader
of Wednesday an interesting story about the junk. It seems that somebody
who can talk about the lingo of the Chinamen has been on board and has
learned from them that they have been badly used In the first place
they say that they were inveigled on board under pretence of a coasting
voyage and that after being some weeks at sea, suspecting foul play,
they refused to work and the junk drifted for two days. But the
proprietor and a few English sailors arming themselves and taking
advantage of a favorable moment, forced the Chinese to work.
Subsequently they determined to starve themselves to death, and were
nearly three days without food. The gentleman in question, according to
the /Journal/, interested some merchants in the matter who compelled the
proprietor to pay the Chinamen full wages and to make arrangements for
sending the men home, although he resisted the proposition when first
made to him.
We are not informed as to the truth of this story, but it seems to us
bear marks of a lively imagination. If it originated with the Chinamen
it is enough to say that they are unequaled liars. Moreover we
understood from Captain Kellett, some time before this gentleman is
alleged to have visited the junk, that the Chinamen were receiving
regular wages as sailors and that his intention was to send them out by
some ship going from New York to China. The only complaint we then heard
on board was from Mr. HESING who, in the confidence of friendly
conversation lamented the violence he had been compelled to do his
domestic affections by leaving his three wives. He did not, however,
charge this upon Capt. Kellett, but upon the unfortunate paucity of
accommodations in the junk for so extensive a family.
A Chinese Junketing
New York Commercial Advertiser
August 31, 1847, p.2
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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