THE S S. HOIHOW.

[NZBC]

THE S S. HOIHOW.

The steamer Hoihow, Captain Vardin, arrived yesterday afternoon from Port Chalmers, and was berthed at the Gladstone Pier. She is consigned to the Union Steamship Company, and has on board about 120 tons of tea and sundries, original cargo, shipped at Foo Chow on July 3rd. Wellington was her first port of call, from thence she went on to Dunedin, where cargo was discharged and some taken m, including 286 coffins, containing the mortal remains of as many exhumed bodies of deceased Chinese. The steamer then came on to this port to land the balance of her original cargo and take on cargo for Wellington, Sydney, or Hong Kong, whither she proceeds to-day. The Hoihow arrived iere in excellent order, a credit to her crew of Mongolians, who are, by the way, though, officered "by Britishers. She is almost a new vessel, having been built at Greenock only in 1880 by Scott and Co. Her owner is J. S. Swire, of Billiter street, London, and there are twenty-two steamers, it ifl said, belonging to the company of which he is the managing owner. .Their trade is almost wholly connected with China, and the vessels have, as a consequence, been named after the ports of the felowery Kingdom which finds them in employment. Her length ia 248 ft 9in breadth 31ft 3in, depth 23ft 2in, register tonnage 896 (tons. Her engines, which are of the improved modern type, are of 160-horse-power nominal. There is saloon passenger accommodation on board in a comfortably furnished saloon aft for two or three passengers. Upon the hatches of the steamer being removed yesterday, when she was moored at the pier, a scene was disclosed at once novel and astounding. In the'tween decks on both aides of the ship and along the centre, extending from amidships right forward, there were temporary fixtures ranging fore and aft and a stewartships, which at a first glance would likely be mistaken by the onlooker for berths for passengers, but which upon a second look proved to be heavily wooded coffin shaped boxes, tier upon tier, in each of which was the skeleton of a deceased Celestial. No less a number than 286 of these repulsive looking packages were snugly stowed in their silent berths or bunks for the voyage to Canton. Passing along pas them it could be seen that the coffins were of various sizes and shapes. The majority were of full size, but in the centre tiers were to be seen boxes of about four feet Jong and about one foot deep and wide, and others still smaller, ranging as small as eighteen inches long and about eight inches wide and deep These latter were explained to contain the bonea of those who had been a great many years interred and were packed in together without attempt at articulation. An immense amount of labor most have been bestowed upon this extraordinary shipment, every one of the bones having undergone a process of cleaning and scraping before being shipped. The Mongolian graveyard on board the Hoihow was a sight certainly nol calculated to inspire the most cheerful] frame of mind, but it must be granted thai the cargo was not in .point of odor "one that could be said to be offensive. Though not certainly pleasant, it was not bo obnoxious as its peculiar character would justify the fellow passenger in expecting. Jsvery casket or coffin was duly labelled and branded, showing all particulars of the name, age, date of death, and so forth, of the spirit that had passed away to the happy hunting grounds. The steamer attracted a large number of Chinamen during the afternoon, many of them belonging to the steamer Gordon Castle, lying a another wharf, taking the opportunity of visiting their countrymen. The Hoihow had also on board about forty Chinese en route to their native land, some of whom might be regarded as lucky diggers, while others were said to be returning with their pockets by no means full. Press, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5583, 10 August 1883 paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18830810.2.4&srpos=6&e=-------100--1----0s+s+hoihow--

[NZBC]

Evening Post, Volume XXVI, Issue 24, 28 July 1883, Page 2

Attachments:

[NZBC]

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 231, 1 September 1883, Page 3

Attachments:

[NZBC]

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVIII, Issue 193, 15 August 1883, Page 2

Attachments:

[NZBC]

Otago Daily Times , Issue 6699, 4 August 1883, Page 2

Attachments:

[NZBC]

Otago Daily Times , Issue 6732, 12 September 1883, Page 2

Attachments:

[NZBC]

Otago Witness , Issue 1657, 25 August 1883, Page 17

Attachments:

[NZBC]

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1883.

This wholesale disinterment of the Cantonese Chinamen is surely a very peculiar piece of business. We do not allude to the practice of sending the bones back to the Flowery Land, because everything the Chinese do is peculiar, according to European ideas. What we are puzzled at is that the Government should allow the cemeteries I to be ransacked for dead Chinamen, and great numbers of bodies to be exhumed at various stages of natural decay. The law of this colony, as we understand it, is that the dead are under the charge of the public authorities, and that no private persons have any further control over them, after they have been lawfully disposed of. This is manifestly a wise and reasonable provision, having for its sole object, the health, decorum and well-being of the whole community. By the universal consent of the people, it is held that dead bodies should not be disturbed after being committed to the earth under proper regulations. The law, nevertheless, contemplates the existence of certain circumstances under which it may be to the public interest, or at least may be permissible, without j detriment to the public interest, that dead bodies should be disinterred. For example, it is sometimes necessary for the purposes of criminal justice that a body should be exhumed and examined for traces of poison or other indications of murder. It is also occasionally found expedient to remove bodies from one spot to

another, owing to the place of burial proving unsuitable or, perhaps, m order to meet the urgent requirements of relatives or friends of the deceased. Power is, therefore, given to the Colonial Secretary, the Minister who is commonly charged with the direction of domestic public affairs, to permit the disinterment of bodies under special and exceptional circumstances, and to order such disposal of them as he may see fit. The law clearly demands, however, at least by implication and intention, that the circumstances of each case of disinterment shall be special and exceptional, and, further, that the manner of the disinterment and disposal of the dead shall be m accord with public decency and public safety. Now, m this case of the Chinese, both of these limitations appear to have been totally disregarded. An application, we are informed, was made to the Colonial Secretary by a business agent, not even by the friends or relatives of the deceased for leave to disinter the bodies of some two hundred dead Chinamen, with a view to removing the flesh and sending the bones to China. And to this cool request Mr thingy assented. The whole affair, we are assured, was purely a commercial speculation, the agent issuing contracts so to speak, for the delivery of the bones m good order and condition according to Chinese rites, and be m his turn, getting his profit from the pious kinsmen of the deceased m their native place. It is said that the sum to be paid for the recovery of the bones amounts to £6000, of which, probably, one half is clear profit to the speculator mi New Zealand. The bodies were distributed pretty generally amongst all the cemeteries on the goldfields, and the contractors for the ghastly job," of preparing them for export, went to work m the most matter of fact fashion. They simply dug up the coffins, opened them, removed the bodies, scraped the flesh from the bones, amoked them, packed them neatly m small boxes, together with a portion of food and liquor, closed the boxes, labelled them, and delivered them to their employer. In all this, not the slightest regard was had to the feelings, the senses or the health of the public. The surroundings of the operation were inexpressibly filthy and barbarous. Many of the bodies had not been buried long enough for the process of decomposition to be completed. Some of them had only been buried a few weeks. In one instance, we believe, nothing more than a formal interment had taken place. Yet for the sake of the high wages offered, the resurrectionists took these gruesome corpses m hand, m a condition so horribly disgusting that it cannot be described, and went through the process of scraping, smoking and re-packing the bones, precisely as if thej had been dealing with dried mummies or fossil remains. The atmosphere m the neighborhood of these operations, we need hardly say, was simply intolerable to European nostrils. Not only was tbe stench unutterably foul, but there was a deadliness about it that not unnaturally inspired fears of infection or some subtle form of malignant disease. The cemetries were closed to ordinary visitors while the Chinese workmen were at their loathsome occupation, the local authorities, ye imagine, not caring to run the risk boundaries of the cemetries, the proceedings that had been authorised by the Government constituted an abominable nuisance, and were certainly perilous to the public health. A prosecution, we fancy, was instituted m one town where this went on; but with what result we cannot say. We should very much like to know on what conceivable grounds of public necessity or legitimate private aentiment, the Colonial Secretary allowed the bodies of these two hundred Chinamen to be disinterred. Clearly it was not for the good of the people of New Zealand, by whom and for whom alone, the laws of this country are made. It was dead against their interests that the public burial grounds Bhonld be violated and the most beastly and sickening scenes enacted there, with something more than a possibility of a plague ensuing. Then for whose good was it P For the good of some greedy speculators, who saw their way to making a few thousands out of the superstition, the credulity and the simplicity of their countrymen P Surely not. Surely Mr thingy never forgot himself so far as deliberately to debase the exercise of the responsible and extremely exceptional powers placed m hie hands, merely to gratify the avarice of a band of body snatchers. Then why did he allow the bodies to be disturbed P Out of respect for the pious feelings mistaken but none the less to be respected— of the relatives or friends of the deceased m China. Well, if that is it, all we can say is that Mr thingy must take a most extraordinary view of the duties of a Minister of the Crown m a British colony. The Chinese of Canton believe that there is no resurrection except for those who are buried m the sacred soil of their own particular locality, or under the auspices of their own particular priesthood. It is a purely local superstition, and is obviously invented and fostered by the priests for their own selfish emolument. It forms no article of the Buddhist religion or the Confucian morality; but is ridiculed by nine-tenths of the Chinese themselves. Yet it is out of deference to this degrading dogma that Mr thingy has set aside the ordinary law and custom of this country, and permitted those extraordinary proceedings which we have detailed. We should have thought the principle of Government m such a case was too plain to be missed by anybody, least of all by an experienced public man, who has hitherto had credit for sound common sense. Aliens who come to this colony, place themselves ipso facto under our laws and customs, and leave their own behind them m the land from whence they came. Not only are our Government not bound to recognise their laws or customs m any way, but they cannot recognise them m any way without inflicting a positive wrong on the people of this country. In our opinion Mr thingy has grossly misused his powers as Colonial Secretary.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=THD18830606.2.6&srpos=1&e=-------100--1----0disinterment+1883--

[NZBC]

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDA V, SEPTEMBER 12, 1883

The mortuary privileges of the Chinese threaten to become a great nusiance to the community at largp. It was a gross mistake in the first instance to select such a piece of ground in the cemetery for the interment of their dead. Now that they have been removed by themselves the same mistake ought not to be made again. Lideed if the general feeling of the different religious sections of the community carry any weight, the graveyard ceremonies peculiar to the Chinese are likely to be confined to a plot of their own. The members of the various religious denominations of Greymouth have applied under the 28th section of the Cemeteries Act, 1882, for plots of ground in the cemetery to be set apart for their respective use, and to be' permanently appropriated to them for i the exclusive interment of the bodies of members of such denominations. The recent death of another Chinaman has raised the question of the disposition of their dead temporarily until the time for the periodical disinterment of their bones comes round again. It appears that the Chinese, or those who represent them in the matter it is not easy to say from which side the difficulty arises have been offered four different pieces of ground for burial purposes but they are not satisfied with either and decline to come to terms. It is to be hoped the Cemetery Committee will afford the Chinese every reasonable facility for a portion of the God's acre at their disposal. They have a right to that, but nothing more. If by an oversight in the past the natural prejudices of the community were offended by the interment of the Chinese in the midst of the remains of deceased relatives and friends, that is a strong reason why such a breach should not be permitted again. It would appear from what we can gather that John has a fancy for reposing in consecrated ground. At any rate he seeems to be very hard to please as to the position of the piece of ground allotted to him to bury his dead in. The matter, however, ought to be a very simple one for the committee to deal with.Grey River Argus, Volume XXX, Issue 4694, 12 September 1883, Page 2 paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=GRA18830912.2.11&srpos=3&e=-------100--1----0disinterment+1883--

[NZBC]

The Chinese "bone." now lying off the quarantine station are an offensive and possibly a dangerous nuisance. Certainly they ought never to have been shipped in such a condition, and are presume that the captain -who took them on board his vessel is to be held primarily responsible. But it may be asked, why is he permitted to transfer the difficulties and responsibilities so easily? If he chose to bring a cargo into port which could not be permitted to come alongside the wharf, was it fair or equitable that quarantine should at once be placed at his disposal, that that useful boat the Faraway should be put in requisition for so vile a purpose, and all the permanent caretakers of the place suffer annoyance till it suited every- body's convenience to send the noxious freight on? The matter is more serious by reason of the expected arrival of the Assaye with 398 immigrants on board, who may probably well be 0rdered into quarantine for a day or two at least before discharge. Are all the people on board this ship to get a whiff of the channel as the first greeting in their new home . Are they to be penned up in their vessel or in the houses ashore, and to be constantly cheered by breezes bearing up their pleasant odours ? Or if smallpox chances to break out in any quarter of the city and the Faraway is required for hospital purposes, will the patients have to share the accommodation with the "bones?" It is altogether a sickening and vexatious subject. It would have been more just and healthful to all concerned had the Hoihow been compelled to steam out into deep 'water and discharge her cargo there, leaving the sharks or the deep sea to settle the question of burial. Such a course would have necessitated the owners losing their freight, and some few celestials ; the remaining fragments of their deceased relatives ; but it would have taught both parties a lesson, and have saved us much annoyance. The
matter is by no means brightened when it is remembered that the Hoihow had as supplementary cargo to the "bones'" some quantities of ham, bacon, bran, flour, and general produce. We imagine storekeepers having newly imported stocks of these articles on hand will be careful not to label them as from New Zealand, and it will certainly be sound policy for New Zealand shippers in future to be a little more careful as to the character of the goods by which their articles are to be accompanied.The Sydney Morning Herald Saturday 25 August 1883

[NZBC]

By the steamer Hoi-How, on Monday, from New Zealand for Hongkong, wero 286 boxes of defunct Chinamen, supposed to be bones only. However, on the voyage Captain Bowley found to his great annoyance that they had not been delivered on board m good order and condition ; and this is another instance of how the Heathen Chinee can come the double over his white brother. Several cases of Chinkee were refused to be taken on board, on acoount of their being too "high;" but Johnny's "nosavee" soon got over that difficulty, and they wore sent on board later on, in apparently good order. On arrival at the quarantine station these boxes were placed on board the Faraway hulk, but now nothing would induce the skipper to receive them back again on board, and, of course, they will have to be dealt with by the authorities. It is probable that the health officer will condemn the whole "cargo" of bones, and they will be relegated to a grave in the blue waters of the Pacific instead of being transmitted to Chinese soil. Meanwhile their freight to China is £4 per box, and the ship is answerable for their safe delivery. Australian Town and Country Journal Saturday 25 August 1883