Qing report on Chinese in Australia

Summary report of the Qing Commissioners 1886

Citation

中文：
薛福成著，張玄浩、張英宇標點；鍾叔河主編。《出使英法義比四國日記》。長沙：岳麓書社，1985年8月。《走向世界叢書》。統一書號：11285-48。

English:
Xue Fucheng 薛福成. Chushi Ying Fa Yi Bi Siguo Riji 出使英法義比四國日記 [Diary of the Mission to Britain, France, Italy and Belgium]. Punctuated by Zhang Xuanhao 張玄浩 and Zhang Yingyu 張英宇; edited by Zhong Shuhe 鍾叔河. Changsha: Yuelu shushe, August 1985. Zouxiang Shijie congshu 走向世界叢書. Unified Book Number 11285-48.

二十五日記

新金山之雪梨地方官，有請中國速派總領事之議。美利濱之英總督，有勸中國賽會，並派兵船巡行之說。亞都律及袞司倫兩省華民，見中國委員如睹漢官威儀，均甚歡悅。蓋英屬新金山共有五省，均設總督、巡撫、布政司及水陸提督。其各埠各島已經查看者：曰紐所威路，曰雪梨，曰紐加士，均屬紐所威路省；曰域多利亞，曰美利濱，曰叭拉辣，曰仙大市（即大金山），曰咇治活，曰旺加拉打，均屬域多利亞省；曰袞司倫，曰庇厘市檳，曰洛坑頓，曰勃大啤，曰麥溪，曰堅氏，曰波德{口忌}利市，曰湯市喴路，曰谷當，均屬袞司倫省；曰亞都律（即南澳士地利亞省城），曰砵打穩，均屬南澳士地利亞省，南澳士地利亞省亦曰亞都律省；又有西澳士地利亞省。

砵打穩埠華商華工約有千餘，在坑內掘金者亦千餘，合共不過三千餘人。埠開不久，商務未旺。所收華人米稅甚重，每噸英金九磅，每擔約稅洋銀三員有餘。其身稅每人十磅，因華人裹足不前，已除之矣。

紐所威路稅餉以煙土為重。鴉片土每箱收英金四十八磅，合洋銀二百八十餘員；呂宋煙每十二兩收仙令六枚，合洋銀一元半。米稅每噸收英金三磅。華人新到者，每人收身稅十磅。

雪梨粵商二十九家，華人商工共四千，其在內地開店及種植直亦六千餘。其苛政尤無理者，華商由雪梨往美利濱，又須重收身稅十磅；往袞司倫省，重收三十磅。域多利亞總督，駐紮美利濱。按雪梨距中國約二萬里，輪船二十餘日海程。南極之區，晴雨不齊，寒風聿至，巨浪拍天，船甚顛簸。距赤道四十三度，夏時天氣，如中國仲冬時候，至冷之日，可御重裘。土人云，若到六月，寒氣更甚也。由砵打穩至雪梨，海程二千七百英里。由雪梨至美利濱，火車路五百四十英里。由美利濱至亞都律，火車路五百五十英里。澳士地利全洲五省，即《瀛環志略》之澳大利亞，西人又謂之新金山，縱二千英里，橫三千英里。

雪梨、美利濱，英商最大，美商次之。近年金礦漸稀，惟牛馬羊生意甚盛。出口以羊毛為大宗，每埠歲得金錢五百磅。入口以鐵為大宗，紐約運來木板亦不少。粵人在此兩埠，共二萬餘口。亞都律、袞司倫及近島紐詩倫、美市打聶等處，尚有二萬餘人。商業少而傭工多，來貨旺而出口少。雪梨華商，運售茶葉、豆油居多，視美利濱較大。埠內華人種植煙葉者，近年稍有起色。又叭拉辣埠，為美利濱英督所轄，地多金礦，礦深者六百尺至千尺不等。華商工人約七百餘名，散處挖兩、種植者亦數百人。亞都律埠中不過二百餘，華人新到者，須各納身稅十磅。大金山亦多金礦，華商十餘家，挖兩、種植直千餘人。咇治活埠，屬域多利亞者，華商僅數家，種植及挖金者七八百人。此處與大金山及叭拉辣三埠，向時金礦最盛，華人約逾三萬；今金礦已稀，又加身稅，華人艱苦甚矣。惟犯案者，英官以其不知英例，多從輕辦理。

Translation

Record of the 25th Day**

Officials in Sydney, New Gold Mountain [Australia], are discussing a proposal to request that China quickly dispatch a Consul-General. The British Governor in Melbourne has advised China to participate in exhibitions and send naval vessels to patrol. The Chinese residents in Adelaide and Queensland were overjoyed to see the Chinese commissioners, as if witnessing the majestic dignity of Han dynasty officials.

British New Gold Mountain comprises five provinces, each equipped with a Governor, Governor-General, Treasurer, and Military Commander. The ports and islands already inspected include: Newcastle, Sydney, and New South Wales (all belonging to New South Wales province); Melbourne, Victoria, Ballarat, Bendigo (also known as the Big Gold Mountain), Beechworth, and Wangaratta (all belonging to Victoria province); Brisbane, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Mackay, Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville, and Cooktown (all belonging to Queensland province); Adelaide and Port Darwin (both belonging to South Australia province, which is also called the Adelaide province); as well as Western Australia province.

In Port Darwin, there are approximately one thousand Chinese merchants and laborers, and over a thousand more mining in the pits, making a total of just over three thousand people. The port has not been open for long, and commerce is not yet prosperous. The rice tax levied on the Chinese is very heavy: nine pounds sterling per ton, which is about three silver dollars and a fraction per *dan* (picul). The poll tax was ten pounds per person, but because it caused Chinese immigrants to shrink back and stop coming, it has since been abolished.

In New South Wales, tax revenue relies heavily on opium. Opium is taxed at forty-eight pounds sterling per chest, equivalent to over two hundred and eighty silver dollars; Manila cigars are taxed at six shillings per twelve taels, equivalent to one and a half silver dollars. The rice tax is three pounds sterling per ton. Newly arrived Chinese are required to pay a poll tax of ten pounds per person.

In Sydney, there are twenty-nine Cantonese merchant firms, and a total of four thousand Chinese merchants and laborers. Another six thousand or more are engaged in opening shops and farming in the interior. A particularly unreasonable and harsh policy is that Chinese merchants traveling from Sydney to Melbourne must pay an additional poll tax of ten pounds; traveling to Queensland incurs a heavy tax of thirty pounds.

The Governor of Victoria is stationed in Melbourne. Sydney is approximately twenty thousand *li* from China, a sea voyage of over twenty days by steamship. Being in the Antarctic region, the weather is unpredictable; cold winds arrive suddenly, giant waves slap the sky, and the ship tosses violently. Located forty-three degrees from the equator, the summer weather is like mid-winter in China; on the coldest days, heavy fur coats are required. The locals say that when June arrives, the cold is even more severe.

The sea voyage from Port Darwin to Sydney is 2,700 nautical miles. The railway from Sydney to Melbourne is 540 miles. The railway from Melbourne to Adelaide is 550 miles. The entire continent of Australia has five provinces, which is the "Australia" mentioned in *Yinghuan Zhilüe* (Records of the World); Westerners also call it New Gold Mountain. It is two thousand miles long and three thousand miles wide.

In Sydney and Melbourne, British merchants are the largest, followed by American merchants. In recent years, gold mines have gradually become depleted, but the cattle, horse, and sheep businesses are very prosperous. The main export is wool, with each port earning five hundred pounds sterling annually [Note: likely a transcription error in the original text for a much larger sum]. The main import is iron, and a considerable amount of timber is also shipped from New York.

There are over twenty thousand Cantonese people in these two ports. In Adelaide, Queensland, and nearby regions such as New Zealand and Fiji, there are another twenty thousand or more. There are few merchants and many laborers; imports are plentiful while exports are scarce. Chinese merchants in Sydney mostly transport and sell tea and soybean oil, and their scale is larger than in Melbourne. In recent years, Chinese growing tobacco in the port have seen slight improvements.

Furthermore, Ballarat, which is under the jurisdiction of the British Governor in Melbourne, has many gold mines, ranging from six hundred to a thousand feet deep. There are about seven hundred Chinese merchants and workers, and several hundred more scattered around digging and farming. There are only about two hundred Chinese in Adelaide, and new arrivals must each pay a poll tax of ten pounds. Bendigo (the Big Gold Mountain) also has many gold mines, with over ten Chinese firms and more than a thousand people digging and farming. Beechworth, belonging to Victoria, has only a few Chinese firms, with seven to eight hundred people digging and farming.

In the past, these three ports—Beechworth, Bendigo, and Ballarat—had the most flourishing gold mines, and the Chinese population exceeded thirty thousand. Now that the gold mines are depleted and poll taxes have been added, the Chinese are suffering greatly. However, if they commit crimes, British officials, knowing that they are unfamiliar with British law, often handle their cases leniently.

Historical Place Name Glossary (Cantonese Phonetics):

新金山 (San Gam San): New Gold Mountain (Australia)

雪梨 (Syut Lei): Sydney

美利濱 (Mei Lei Ban): Melbourne

亞都律 (Aa Dou Leot): Adelaide

袞司倫 (Gwan Si Leon): Queensland

紐所威路 (Nau So Wai Lou): New South Wales

仙大市 / 大金山 (Sin Daai Si / Daai Gam San): Bendigo (historically known as the "Big Gold Mountain")

咇治活 (Bat Zi Wut): Beechworth

旺加拉打 (Wong Ga Laa Daat): Wangaratta

庇厘市檳 (Bei Lei Si Ban): Brisbane

洛坑頓 (lok Hang Deon): Rockhampton

勃大啤 (But Daai Pe): Bundaberg

麥溪 (Mak Kai): Mackay

堅氏 (Gin Si): Cairns

波德{口忌}利市 (Bo Dak Gei Lei Si): Port Douglas

湯市喴路 (Tong Si Wai Lou): Townsville

谷當 (Guk Dong): Cooktown

砵打穩 (But Daat Wan): Port Darwin

紐詩倫 (Nau Si Leon): New Zealand

美市打聶 (Mei Si Daat Nip): Fiji