islands to which the Chinese emigrate, and as there is no want of females for domestic purposes, or for keeping up the population, as the Chinese emigrants readily cohabit with the Native women, the Junk-owners and masters (whose profit is one great spring of this trade) have no inducement to procure Chinese women; for, independent of there being no demand, fe inales could not be obtained without an advance of money, for the return of which, with the expence of their passage, and a reasonable profit, no expectation could be entertained. * The fact of its not being the custom for females to emigrate is, perhaps, the only ground for supposing that emigration is more strictly enforced with respect to this sex than the other. It is an indisputable fact that there exist no provisions against women and children accompanying their husbands, fathers, and relations, in junks, from one part to another; and, as all foreign trade is prohibited, it is only by the evasion of this law, which, like emigration, is openly connived at, that any intercourse whatever takes place with the Eastern islands. It therefore seems fair to conclude, that, by making it the interest of the Junk-owners to procure women, there would be no difficulty in obtaining a sufficient supply; but, should any obstacles arise, any number of Buggess women may be procured: and, if necessary, Chinese labourers with their wives and families obtained (although at greater expence) from the Borneo Archipelago, where they are already established from necessity, but which situation they would readily quit on the prospect of bettering their condition, being not only exposed to great exactions, but the worst of climatest. But, before this expedient be adopt- Every thing which has a tendency to improve a country, and add to the happiness and comfort of the inhabitants, merits the attention of a bene-. ficent Potentate;-and it is presumed, that in the proposed occasion there can be no impropriety in the British Parliament requesting the Prince Regent to address the Emperor of China direct, stating, that, as China is the native land of industry and agricul ture, the English Nation, with the feelings of humanity and justice, are * Dampier says, "Being near the West-end of Borneo, we saw a brigantine; I sent the yawl aboard; she was a Chinese vessel laden with rice, arrack, tea, porceain, and other commodities. They had their wives and children aboard, and probably came to settle in some new Dutch factory." And 3 years since a Chinese woman was brought to England. + It has been justly remarked, that "Batavia is the worst of climates; the mortality of Europeans is far beyond what is known in any other settlement, exceeding in the best of times, the most fatal of the West-India islands, the Deaths being S during the first year Survivors after ditto Dutch .... 100 60 in do. From which it appears that the mortality of the Chinese at Batavia is only the average proportion of deaths that takes place in towns and manufacturing parishes in England, as given by Sir F. M. Eden; which shows how admirably constitutionally adapted these people are to a West India climate, liorate not only anxious to meliorate the condition of the Colonies, and to do away the Slave trade, but to reader slave labour unnecessary for the cultivation of the West Indies-and are therefore earnestly desirous (exclusive of a reciprocal interchange of productions and arts with different countries) to obtain in the first instance a few Chinese, who, from industry and constitutional agricultural habits (in which latter quality the English are unequal to contend with the climate) may, by the force of example, be enabled to show the ignorant and hither to oppressed Negroes the comforts and enjoyment to be derived from voluntary and skilful labour. Could this measure be accomplished, it would tend to the improvement of both China and England; and the advantages of such people aud productions to the West Indies would be (as the President of the Royal Society is said to have expressed himself) "beyond all price." At all events, as the great Nelson was wont to observe to those of less vigorous mind than his own, who doubted any proposition he offered, "It is worth the trial;" particularly as, if this overture be not acceded to, we shall still have it in our power to fix upon a depôt to which the Chinese may bring themselves in vessels of their own country. It is therefore only necessary to add, that, the less it interferes with the common and usual routine and system of emigration (consistently with the great object, a proper selection) the more likely it will be to succeed to the wished-for extent. The ultimate success of the proposed measure must, in a great degree, depend upon the selection of a proper description of cultivators. The engagement of any vagabond who may feel inclined to seek his fortune from home, without regard to his habits of life, or bis qualifications for future employment, would be, not only an idle waste of expence, but a direct means of the destruction of every good effect to be expected from the introduction of these people. The only doubt which can arise will be, whether the distance of the West India Colonies, and the consequent length of the passage, will not present objections and difficulties which no prospect of encouragement or advanlage will enable them to surmount. A consideration of the general character of the Chinese will enable us to form a pretty correct judgment as to the weight of the preceding objec tion. There is certainly nothing in their general habits or disposition which can at all justify the presumption, that those who are disposed to emigrate at all, would forego the prospect of an advantageous and comfortable settlement, merely from apprehension of the trifling inconvenience which might attend a passage little more protracted than they have been accustomed to *. The hope of gain is a China-man's ruling passion; for this he will patiently disregard exactions and oppressions against which the feelings of any other people would revolt; and it would, therefore, be completely shutting our eyes against the evidence of facts, to suppose that consideration of personal inconvenience would ever be put by him in com petition with those of pecuniary ad vantage. The strongest objection of these people to emigrate to the West would certainly be the want of that constant intercourse with their countrymen, which, if settled in the East, they would not be deprived of, and a desire for which, however we may be divested of national prejudice, it is so difficult to be weaned from. This objection, although it might at first operate in some measure as a discouragement, would apply only to the infaucy of the system, and would of course cease with its cause; as all those born in the West Indies would become Colonists. And even allowing some of the China men of the first importations to return, the women and children (for which they always provide) would remain, and the breed would be fully established. And it may not be improper to remark, that it is not uncommon for the Chinese who emigrate, and return to visit their friends, to come back again to the settlement; and after leaving a numerous offspring, to end their days there. The Commander of this enterprize, having previously fixed on the most eligible spot for the purpose of estab to make a passage from India to the *It is possible for an English vessel West Indies in as short a period as some of the Chinese junks consume in a voyage from China to the places to which they have hitherto emigrated. GENERAL LIBRARY lishing ་ * lishing the Chinese on his way out, and preconcerted a plan for their reception and employment onarriving in the West Indies, the mode of conveying them, with their wives and families, is now to be considered. For this purpose the following appears to be a very desirable plan, as it would be attended with little or no expence to the publick, or the Planters. It is proposed that the ships to be employed to convey the Colonists, from the depot, should be freighted by Government to Port Jackson with convicts: being ready fitted for the conveyance of people, they would be well adapted to the purpose; and the depot lying nearly in the usual returning track, they should be ordered to touch there, and take on board the Colonists with their stores and provisions, all which might be procured readily, and at a comparatively trifling expence. The voyage ought to be timed so as to leave China or the depot in November, by which means the ship would be certain of a fair wind and fine weather to the West Indies; and it is a consideration of great importance, that the Chinese would be landed in the most favourable season, and settled before the rains commenced. From the West Indies the ship should proceed with a cargo to England: which, if consisting of Navy timber, as suggested by the Writer in 1802, would (after the first importation) with the profit on rice, &c. from the East to the West, added to the Port Jackson freight, fully pay the expence of conveying the Chinese.-It is an essential point that the Chinese to be imported in the first instance, should not be separated from each other on their arrival in the West Indies, but should be enabled to settle on the same spot, so as to form a separate and independent Colony, and thus be come, as it were, the germ and foundation of a new and distinct popula tion; totally distinct from the Slaves, or the Slave system. Thus forming, as it were, a separate community, they will not feel themselves, as they *It was formerly proposed to make the depot at Magindanao, which is under the government of a Sultan, who is so well affected towards the English, that in 1776, with the consent of his family, a voluntary grant of the island of Bunwoot, with an offer of Pollock barbour in Magindanao, was made to them by a letter addressed to his present Majesty. otherwise would do, strangers in a foreign land, and will be enabled to maintain amongst themselves those internal regulations of civil polity, to which they are so much attached, and which, perhaps, tend more than any other cause, to keep up those national and peculiar habits which would render those people so valuable an acquisition to the West Indies. In short, with respect to each other, they should be left as much as possible to the undisturbed enjoyment of their own religious laws and customs. This arrangement will form one of the strongest inducements, to the Chinese, to engage in so novel an undertaking, and will be the most certain means of ensuring its ultimate success. The valuable collection of trees, plants, and other useful productions of the East, which it is proposed to import with the Chinese, ought to be planted in the same district, and put under the same care and management; not to be treated as exotics, and objects of curiosity, but with a view to their general propagation, and a diffusion of the knowledge of their various admirable properties and uses. The new Colony being completely settled and established, and the industry of the Colonists put in motion, the benefits of this system would soon be demonstrated by example, and no further assistauce on the part of Governmeut will be necessary; for the exertions of individualswill readily discover and employ means of obtaining a supply of these Colonists when shewn it is for their interest; and the great advantages which would in a short time be derived by the Proprietors of the Estates, would, it is not doubted, soon prompt the West India planters in general to take the most active and spirited measures for following an example fraught with such numerous and important benefits; and thus, that strongest of all human motives, selfinterest, supported upon the soundest principles of humanity and policy, would lead (and not by slow degrees) to the extension and general adoption of the proposed system, and to the suppression and final extinction of that of Slavery. Here the Writer would willingly finish the HINTS, &c.; but his original suggestions having been perverted, and very dishonourable attempts made to to deprive him of any merit in the originality, it is due to himself to insert the following Account and Letters: Soon after our acquisition of the fertile Island of Trinidad, and during the discussions which then took place on Mr. Canning's Motion in May 1802 concerning the best means of availing ourselves of its resources, the Writer (who, from many years' personal observation in the East and West Indies, and in China, had been led to a consideration of the comparative advantages attending the different modes pursued in those countries) was induced to take the liberty of suggesting to his Majesty's then Ministers, some Hints for the Cultivation of that Island, and the general improvement of the British West Indies, at a comparatively small expence; at the same time providing an effectual substitute for the Slave Trade. The Writer was introduced by Mr. Vansittart, and, at the particular desire of the then Secretary of State for the Colonial Department (Lord Buckinghamshire), explained the details of his Plan, and the means of putting it in execution; observing, that the success of the measure would much depend upon the person to whom it was confided; when his Lordship was pleased promptly to reply that he "should not think of its being carried into effect unless the Writer would undertake it." ; Notwithstanding the principle of this measure met with the unqualified approbation of his Majesty's Ministers, the Writer was told by the then under Secretary of State (Mr. Sullivan, formerly of the Madras establishment) that the carrying it into effect could not be proceeded on until an official report should be made by the Commissioners appointed for Trinidad when the Writer observed, that he trusted this communication would be more honourably treated than his suggestions for building ships of the line at Bombay, and bringing the Resources of Malabar for Naval purposes into action, on account of the scarcity of good Timber in England, and the decayed state of our ships of war; when Mr. Sullivan assured the Writer, that he " might depend upon being faily dealt by on this occasion." Being afterwards aware that the unpleasant termination of that Commission (consisting of Colonel Fullarton, Sir Samuel Hood, and Sir Thomas Picton) had prevented the possibility of any such report being made, the Writer took it for granted that no measures had been taken towards the execution of this project; and shortly after accompanied his friend Lord Nelson, to the Mediterranean. But being in England in 1805, when his Majesty's then Ministers came into power, and a determined disposition was evinced to effect a total and immediate abolition of the Slave Trade, without an intimation of attempting to provide any effectual substitute for it, the importance of the present subject appeared infinitely increased. If the adoption of its principle appeared before a matter of great policy, it now seemed oue of absolute necessity. Under this impression, the Writer ventured to submit his Plan, upon a more extensive scale, to Government, which led to an introduction, by the then Secretary of State for the Colonial Department (Mr. Windham) to Mr. Barham, of considerable West India property, who took a most lively interest in the question; and voluntarily offered to remove the Negroes from a considerable plantation, to give up the Estate worth upwards of 40,000l. as well as be at the expence of procuring, provisioning, and settling a Colony of Chinese. The question was deemed by Ministers of sufficient national consequence to be referred to the consideration of the Lords Committee of the Privy Council, before whom the Writer attended several times to give every necessary explanation and information; and their Lordships were pleased to report, a short time previously to the change of Administration,that the proposal from Mr. Barham and Capt. Layman for the execution was not unreasonable, and that carrying the Plan into effect would be attended with great national advantage; which is recorded in the Minutes of Council for January 1807. Had therefore Mr. Windham remained in office a short time longer, this Plan, so important in its object, would long ere this have been com pleted; as both Mr. Windham and Mr. Barham were heartily disposed for its accomplishment-the one hav ing the power, the other the means, and the Writer the inclination, if not the ability, to bave executed it. No No farther proceeding took place relative to the subject until Mr. Barham, from the procrastination we had experienced, signified his intention of bringing the subject at once before Parliament; and in the House of Commous on the 4th of April 1811, moved "That a Committee be appointed to consider the practicability and expediency of supplying our Colonies with Free-labourers from the East Indies, and to report their opinions to the House;" which passing nemine contradicente,the substance of the Report, dated June 12, 1811, was, 66 They (the Committee *) see no reason to suppose that the Chinese might not be inclined to extend their emigrations to the West Indies, either directly from China, or from other countries where they have already established themselves and your Commitice are fully impressed with the important advantages which might, under proper arrangements, be expected to result to those Islands, from the introduction of a class of Free people, so distinguished by their orderly and industrious habits. However, as Mr. Bar bam had been thwarted in his endeavours, and his then object of having the transaction recorded in Parliament was answered, the Report has remained upon the shelf ever since. Pending the transaction with Mr. Windham, the Writer saw a paragraph in a Newspaper, saying, "That a ship had been engaged by the East India Company, to carry Chinese settlers from Calcutta to Trinidad with a cargo of piece goods;" but, as it was not to be supposed that his Majesty's Ministers, or even the East India Company, would engage in so illicit a conand Calcutta appeared an excern, traordinary place to import Chinese from, the Writer, in consequence of what had been declared by Lord Buckinghamshire and Mr. Sullivan, paid no attention to the subject, until informed of the arrival of the ship and cargo by Mr. Windham, who reprohated the proceeding as a job he should be ashamed to have had any thing to do with; but very handsomely and *Composed of the Right hon. Sir J. Sinclair, Bart.(then President of the Board of Agriculture); Right hons. G. Canning, G. Rose, R. Peele, F. Robinson; Sir J. C. Hippisley, bart.; Messrs. Whitbread, Barbam, Wilberforce, Babington, C. Ellis, W.Smith, Goulburn, Huskisson, &c. considerately recommended the Writer to bring forward proofs as to his having suggested the original Plan. On taking leave of Mr. Windham, as the Writer relied on the honour of Lord Buckinghamshire, he first addressed his Lordship as follows: "MY LORD, Aug. 10, 1806. of "I beg leave to call to your Lordship's recollection, that, in the month of July 1802, I had the honour (through the medium of Mr. Vansittart) of submitting to your Lordship, as one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, some Hints I had digested for cultivating the Island of Trinidad by means of Chinese ; which your Lordship was pleased to approve; and directed me to explain in writing how the measure could be carried into effect, which I fully described; and the whole Plan was transferred to the Commissioners forTrinidad, that it might have the support of an Official Report.This subject has since engaged a considerable portion of my attention; and I lately suggested to the present Members of his Majesty's Government a more extensive plan, upon a similar principle, for the cultivation and improvement of the whole of the British West India islands; which project his Majesty's Ministers were pleased to consider as deserv After all the laing of consideration. bour and anxiety I have bestowed upon this object, which has ever appeared to me of the greatest National importance, I confess it surprised me very much to hear that a Ship was engaged in India to convey Chinese Settlers to Trinidad; and I was excessively mortified to have it doubted, from that circunstance, whether the idea was originally mine, because the measure had been acted upon by Members of his Majesty's Administration in 1803.-If merit can be ascribed to any plan which I may have submitted to your Lordship, I trust your Lordship will, in justice, not be backward in allowing it to me in its fullest extent. I therefore take the liberty of requesting your Lordship to inform me whether the Plan for cul tivating Trinidad by Chinese was not first suggested by me.-With many apologies for this intrusion, I beg leave to subscribe myself, Yours, &c. W. LAYMAN. Earl of Buckinghamshire." To which I received the following |