Page:The Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia (IA journalindianar00loga).pdf/63



attachment of the Chinese to their parents and families is one of the most interesting features of their character, and if is interesting to watch the modes in which it developes [sic] itself amongst those who have emigrated to the Archipelago, and remain for many years, and often for life, cut off from all direct intercourse with their homes.

During the past month, some of the Streets in the business quarter of Singapore were occasionally densely crowded by Chinese. These were principally coolies from the Gambier and Pepper plantations, who bad come into town for the purpose of sending their annual letters and remittances to their families in China by the Junks which were leaving on their return voyage, These letters and monies are either entrusted to a comrade from the same part of China, who, fortunate enough to have accumulated a small competency, is about to revisit his native land; or they ave delivered to a passenger with whom the remitter may be acquainted; or, lastly, they are confided to one of those men, to be found in almost every Junk, who make it a regular business to take charge of such remittances. Such persons are designated Seu Pé Ké, and come from all the different places of any importance from which emigrants are in the habit of repairing to the Straits. The remitter entrusts his money to the agent from his own part of the country, who for his trouble, either receives a commission of 10 per cent., if the money is to be carried in specie, or is allowed to invest if in goods, the profit or loss on which is his, as he must pay over in China the exact sum that has been delivered to him. These persons frequently for years exclusively pursue this business: not the least remarkable of the thousand-and-one modes by which the ingenuity of the Chinese in making money developes itself: until they have realized sufficient to enable them to embark in more extensive pursuits.

Remittances are made by all classes of the immigrants. While the merchant sends his hundreds of dollars, the poor coolie sends his units or tens. The amount remitted each year varies considerably,