THE CHINESE IN MELBOURNE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3256, 13 July 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE CHINESE IN MELBOURNE.

(Daily Telegraph.)

Recent diHclosuresf as to the relations of certain Chinese and Europeans induced a ' visit on a late occasion to the " Chinese Quarter" in and about Little Bourko street. By the permission of the Chief Coihmiflsiener of Police', Detective Ha'rtney and the Chinese detective, Fook Sing, accompanied the writer and Borne otlufrs, to. the haunts: of these people, ho tliat actual examination might enable the readers of the Daily /Telegraph '• to have presented to them a statement as to.'tho habits and manners of the lower class of Chinese and those who mix with them. The detectives stated t at the recent arrest of Ah Quong and the people on his premises had been the m<ians of inducing many of the, opiumhouse keepers to shift their quarters so as to, escape for a time domiciliary visits ; and it haa also had the effect of making the European girls .who. frequented those places more wary. The'truth of this was soou apparent, for upon reaching the Gliinese quarter it was easy to be seen that they were ■watched > and information carried from house to house, so that ' generally, when the; visits were made, , John Chinaman was sitting alone, with ;

f A smile that was pensive and bland,"in the midst of his paraphernalia for opium-smoking.; [Endugn was seen during the visit, however, to satisfy the most sceptical that thero has grown up a distinct class of European, girls rwho carry on illicit connection with, these pagans. This class, known under the generic name of Chinamen's women, is quite distinct from the potticoatbd 'Bourke street rough or tho ordinary /pwMfl-e dv yatt/ She is mostly young and good*ldokingf, and comfortably , and, well clad;, .As a rule sho dresses plainly and well, and if met in tha street during the day tho casual observer would, but for one thing, come to tho conclusion that she was the daughter of respectable people in comfortable circumfctancos. The exception is the jewelierySvom by this c}asß of girl. It is always real;- but of j*)p raassiyp and expensive a character to bp in topping with the, qthop adjuncts. The earrings, broogh.es, and rings are always of largo,BJ7,o ; but honesty compels it to bo stated that so far as regards exr tcrnal propriety of demeanour these girls will bear favourable comparison with tho swaggering noisy creature whom tho young rough delights to honour, or the abandoned woman who too often makes night hideous.- with .oaths and obgcenity. She seems to imbibe the nature pf fcfya Qhfn,ajjjan. She is quiet, and given to slipping to. her destination by^tortuous paths"and devious ways. It 'is said in explanation of this, that the Chinese the}i]B.o)yeß havp a horror of noisy women, and Will'not associa'to with '$»ero on any account. As a rule the Chinaman's woman ia temperate, unless she should takp to smoking opium, and if so, she-is then like fch.e Englishwoman wfyo takes, tp gin —she will, .piitv^vftl |jep tpacher. ■ The major part of these, g^rls,sq iipi; .<|ii ; the Chinese* quarier, but come there froii^ the city and suburbs. Some of them, 1 however, reside there altogether^ and' many of them are married.'' The Chinaman is not much given to jealousy, and the ydke of marriage lies easy on the women. ' ,

1 'The PfWty started on their visit about lialf-pagt' $ p.Wri i&nd passing up Great Boitfke Btreetj a fpw yardji "Pyond the ;remaina of the Theatee Royal, parsed into ft. right-ofrway teaming to Little Bourke street. In. that right-of-way are a number of sheds, for they am tbe oalled nothing else, all inhabited, but' utterly unfit to bo tenanted 'by human beings. They are mostly hi wood, and people passing up and down Bourkp street^ Tyith its many jjno frontages, little know of the condition of' things behind. Passing from the .right-of-way into. Little Bourke street, the Chinefle stores were.found to be the scone of a. brisk trade, ; and the first index of the pecub'ar traffic was seen in the meeting of a' respectable-looking yuung' wonfan and a 'UTiinawitiUi" «v^ <lently fin old ! acquaintance, who addressed "him in Kin'own larignage, which she peemed to speak with'- ease and fluency! They went away together', she turning wiih.. him,,. #n& \ disappeared, up one of the numerous) alleya abounding in the; neighbourhood.' Tho inspecting painty scattered, so as to atti*act as'little attention as possible, and Bneaked after,each. ijttip? at lntprvft]s jntq an unsavoury-look-ing ■*ight : pf-wjv ?J meeting in \fpnfoj a mpftn"roQking't W o-«torey qujlaing divided ijito two dwellings. Ttie two houses were: ttiose'Hh'e party had set out to inspect Fook Sing imparted the information that there was:a back; dobr^ artd |£ was jio . Uj*e-to kdook -at thp frontl for anyone inside would be smuggled out at the rear." He wasiKerefo'ire despatched:.to?the back, ther restsitanding ailpntl^in front like a:band of conspirators. |n fti^F ffii» utes the voice ftf Foplc was heard inside, *a:id the front door of one, 'ofthe houses was opened. ,In the, first room entered on the grdun^'.^por was a! Chinaman evidently waiting' for customers with all the necessaries for'opium-smoking lying ready. An inspectionl of the other robins of this houso showed plainly that it .• , ... ■. i .'■. - t •-... .I-

was devoted to other purposes than Pinunf, smoking. Upstairs ami down stairs there were in every room beds only. The next pla^e visited was a house which a-ffew days ago had been used for the same purposee ; but the fate of Ah. Qaong 3iad.in-_| dncerl itn occupants to shift their quarters, and it was found inhabited by a younjjjwoman permanently resident with a Chinaman, who she said was her husband. Thehouses in thatquarter are.never empty -~the people Who affect them making little preparation, for removing, and one. tenant is hardly out'before'the other in in. It wa» found, after many more, visits, that the .inhabitants were, all prepared, and , tliat thero was an evident exodus of those wanted. After a hurried consultation,, it was resolved to change thp scene,, and the party took its way, to Lonsdole street in a. littlohou.se .in Beehive lane, oflf that street, the ffirst direct evidence of what tjas being sought for was obtained, Thei house was fenced ■ off with, a t galvanised^ iron fcn,ce Oft. high, and r the iron door was, securely barred.. The fence was climbed, and an entrance speedily made. 'In the front room.was found a jgemtle--1 coking Chinaman, sitting in oriental style, in attendance upon an opium tray. Beside him was a young, innocent-look-ing girl, and in another room was another young girl in bud with a Chinaman, who ungallatitly took refuge under the bed, leaving her to explain the position. Inquiries at a neighbouring house elicited the,statement that there were sometimes as many as a dozen young girls came to the ■house during the.course of a single ovening. Yariouß other places were visited, but the occupants were all evidently on the gui vixe. In a place behind the Globe hotel, a perfect don, where there was scarcely room to stand upright, an Irish woman waa found preparing pipes of opium, and three. Chinamen were lolling, waiting with all. the patience of their race for the pipes. There was only one room in this den which seemed to be occupied, and the ceiling of the next room seemed to be upheld with impromptu props. The plaster was failing from tho roof, and the .walls and tho ■ floor were covered with filthy <JAbru.■■'.■, Altogether, no man would have located a. pig in the place, unless he had meant to destroy its health. No more ylncea remained to be visited, and it was..felt that the mission had been a partial failure. , It was resolved, however, to make another, trial, at a ...later hour, and an arrangement was .made,-to go round again .about midnight. This -plan-was resolved, upon in the idea that a second visit would not bo anticipated. The second visit was not, however, much more successful. .than the first In the Morning Star right-of-way, a .'decent-, lookirig Chinaman was found enjoying a smoke of opium, and one of the party making,'an,: effort to imitate him, dido t seem to lite it, and after much spitting took ■ refuge "in a cigar. In a house in Romeo''Lane.' were found two young women, one . agftdtwenty-one, and the other eighteen, who frankly confessed that they were living there with; Clu'namen. !; The", women .looked cleanly and sober, and the house presented many aspects of comfort.