AN EXTRAORDINARY AFFAIR IN HONG KONG.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1517, 26 March 1887, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY AFFAIR IN HONG KONG.

While th« discharge of the b.s. Mnngkut, CapUinLeff, was proceeding on Jmuary 13, an extraordinary disoovery was male, A ooolle wu found undnrnoath the hollow of the lower beam la the forehold, m an emaciated and Demi-conscious condition, evidently juat waking from a long stupor, which there Ib every region to suppose must have lanted fully ten days. The ooolle was taken on deck, and with the fresh air bis appetite returned. Tea •nd food were administered to him m •mall quantities by order of (he Captain, «nd It seemed as if his appetite inoroased m ho ate, for he con tinned clamorously to demand more tra or food. The coolie c mind seemed to have retained no impreraton of what occurred daring the time he was Immured m the hold ; rb yet he lift! not evtn been able to tell how he got there. All ha can say mhe has Veen •sleep for a long t 1 mo—how long however, he cannot say. In the abßenoo of any explanation by the roan himself, the •apposition that can be made is that the coolie formed part of the gang engaged •towing tbe rioo m the forehold of the Monkut outalde Bangkok bar on the forenoon of the 3rd January. It 1b probablo that' after his work was done he had takm a stroke of opium and overcome with drowsiness, had crawled underneath this beam, where there if jaat room for a man to be atretohed out on his back and e> j>y a mow or less comfortable snooz*. When the hatch was closed, the other ooolios bad doubtless, failed to observe their companion, and he was left buriel m the rice bags. The moiat heat from the rioo had 'kept his body warm and the clammy air m the hold must have brought the man Into a coinataooondit'on from which he awoke only when freßh air was admitted. 1b such surroundings and m auoh « condition of body there must have been very littje waste of force, and there would be nothing improbably m his living even longer than ton days. Tho sweat from the rice had doubtless kept bin body moist and prevented his auccumbng from prolongad|thir t Perhaps when some of our medieil practitioners have seen the coolie we shall get a fall explanation of tbe strange occurrence. At any rate, as fasting is again the rage, we may congratulate ourselves ou having been afforded a good specimen of what can bo done without fuss m the Far East. — "OhluaMaU."