THE AFGHAN AT MELBOURNE. AN UNDESIRABLE LOT.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 264, 16 May 1888, Page 4

THE AFGHAN AT MELBOURNE. AN UNDESIRABLE LOT.

A (jklat deal of excitement was caused by the arrival in the Bay of the steamer Afghan, carry ing no less than 268 Chinese, 07 of whom desire lo land in Melbourne. A large number of them claimed the right, lo enter Victoria on tho ground thai they were naturalised British subjects, and others professed their ■willingness to pay poll tax to ob tain the privilege, Tho (Ipvernmcnt, noting in eomtormity with the law, and appaiently in sympathy with tho antiChineso sentiment of tho community, took all ju.-titiable action (o piexent tho&o Chinese horn carrying out thoir purpose, Two (.'iirl oms ofliceis and a couple ot constables weie placed on boaid to preclude (ho possibility ol escape, and the captain was held lesponsible in a line of QOO per liead tor e\ery Chinese who eluded these ptecautions. At the .same (line communication trom tho shoio was debaiied by the efleetual method ol placing the \essel in qu.nantiue. Jt is made clear that the disposition to belie\o that Austiaha is thieateued with a considerable Mongolian imasionisno s>hadowv delusio!) 1)) the passenger list of the Afghan, which shows that 89 Chinese aie 10 be dulhevedat Sydney , 105 in Mew Zealand, 2 in T.isnnni.i and 5 in whilst her ueotd shows that. c V\o lui\e bo^n landed in Ijoiuco, anot !)Oi Miitish po-so^iou. Then object in going to that isLuul is c\ idcntl> to settle upon the newly disco\eied goldheUK theie. The "' Age " ot 30th Apnl .-aid icgaiding the Chinese on bo.v.d the s *„ Afghan The toie )>ai t. ol the Afghan is commodious, hut it is not hum uioutj) to decently He eonunodate 208 Chinese. On deck theie is biiieh loom toi them to walk about without tuadinu on each olhei.s dainty toes, whilst below existence must heapripetual stew. Vei\ fos\ people, howevei cagei to aetjuiu knowledge, would taie to\otituie between decks. It i- all \ti\ well if \ouie a Nihaliou Ainu raptain ot a philuntlnopi-t to penetiate into the iu'l id dens ot Lit tie Rom ke s| i eet with the object ot com citing -oinc of the abandoned, but in \ei theie-- jue!t\, \ouny women aie otten to Ik louud t.hen , luit on the C tmifs^ nninim.inl -.Le.unei dn t has no f em uh no giaee-, and tin 1 w ould be lienetaetoi ot hi- 'pi i H's jiauscs at the open li.it i hw.i\ as ho would at tho mouth ot the Taiiaii.m Cii\e-, appalled e\i.n in the smell which emanates theiehom. Tht wt>ll delmed and sepai.ite stink- w Inch ate sud bo per \ade tlie tail cit\ t.t I olo^nc nia\ lumc be lotind in one < oneent ) at ed \.ipoui I >v: 11114 tlu -hoit tune uhub it take- to ie.ih-t the hut one- e\cs net d not met. --.ml^ be 11 1 It . and, poeiiu'j, down the laddci w,i\, one m.i\ ol)tain a tan linpie-sion ot the in teiioi. Tioin t li.i' linpies-ion it would appeal that the Mongolians aie heideii f o'^etlu 1 a- -1 »\ c- au pt ru on the pu.itieal dhonswhuh ciui-e oil theeoistot Atnca Thei< ,uo \eiy tew tai-ed bunk-, and t he ucnei.dit> ot the -leepinu (juailu- aie mute in the foi m of tattle -t ill- than m an\ otlui -h.ipo, b^msj <■>!» I ■* -ulhcioiit 1\ tailed oil to dtstingiii-h between the claim ot one iudiNidiud and the inn of anothei. The -hip pH>\ ide- no bedding, anil the ]^as -(HUM- po-s t .s- \ct\ little Within tlu 11 -mall emln-uie- thc\ pcitoim t\eiy dome-tie d tail, without tt e'.niu the le Ist dilhdoticc, -iiiokC opium, pl.ij tan tan, and mak" 1 tnends with tin- -hip- iatto icpleui-h tli* 13 -(.'int\ l.ndei Lilt niu-l mdet d bt a hidcou- dieam ,mi.in»4 tiiLin. tun 111 sight ot (\,[) Ik math the open hatches; but m the umote eomeis ot ''the hold, wheie daikne-- 1- onl\ made \isililo b\ [\\c keble l.tN ot a muik\ deadlight, existence must, be in-tiHuable imieed. To -cc them in the oj it'ii ail onh assist- one to Met lei appiciate j the hoi 101 -oft hen a--of iat ion below Such a-mok\, \illow, anmil.u fcatund and ill tas 0111 ed ci ow d( < uld not ca-ily lv- m.iti hod .Not onh aie tin y gem;ialh foul m appi .11 ani'c. but -0111 c ot t hem ai 1, absolutely gn» ti'-i|iie. bi iii'_r om e\(d, lop (Mied 01 othei \\i-e di-tiijuitd Out; Chin.imiM, who \\ Inatui.d|\ not too hand i -onv > , and \\ ai(titand\ most uiu livin, had at cfiituated the uiKuleni apfn.ai.inie ot hi- ph\-ioir imiin b\ pluugiii I.'1 .' up oiip ot I*l — nostid1 with a w .id of pant 1 and 1< a\ ing f h<" 1 ag^ed vi\i\ to piutiude downwaids <u ci hi- uppei lip.

i a mssir.u; mass unc J 1 );-fu---in'_i t lie i>(W-i!>ili< Us of an etnbai i;n In m<, r plac t d upon him, which will compel him to Like hi- ('hnu-< pa--t nyei -, aw;i\ fiom th< -c -hou>->, Captain l'o\ m.ik< - no (loiihl tli.it Mi-i- Ccll.ith, lianke> anil Pew i 11, 'i! Leaden hall - 1 1 et ( , London, jduuloi- oi the <-icat Moi^ul Sti am 1 -hip Company, by whom (he \t<j,hau i- nwiud, wiU not (]uictl\ -utimil to the 10-- which would lie inclined in t.ikiti'4 1 tlic-c peo|d( li.v L to (. hum and n tiiiulinu to thorn then pa-^a^e mone\ , not.uilh-tandins the fad- that thi- hinib j .il) cad) pio'-ceutmy one ol thehca\ie-t --ci i faiiiif; action- fit law which h;v- ye'. aiHen j ;i'_;.'iin^t two othoi inlhiential companies toi '• boyeottin^r ' then interests in the ( hma •>c.'iv He %^ CM(vliL to In- ov,Mei-5 ioi lifisjn^ t.he jiowei to m.ike a %ciy eon^ideralilc di^tui banco, t\cn in the field ot hnpeiiai politic-, it thi'y ;«ie di inch to do -o. I'ei-onally, w luKt, he feeh that he must do hi- <lut,\ «il- all ha/aid-, ho neveithele^s ]>ci Lincnt I) fi-.k- who i- lo eompeiisale ielati\e- of the nine Kuiopean- on boaid the Afghan ii the retmnin«f Chino-o inliuiatod aL hi-- tailuie to land Lhetn in Au.-Ualia, ueie, Mibsequcnt. to ln> depaitiue tiom t-he eoloiiic3, ( o Uiq -hip and niuidei them ' At pie-ent, he f-a>-, they ate only <|in'e<, because the) don'L nndunOand the object ol iheii delen lion. They think theie is meiely some tcmpoiary delay, ow in^ lo pott i emulations, and they ate likeh lo be vety disa^ieeable when lliey know the actual facts.