+CHINATOWN
(1) Modern Hiſtory: Bing a Continuation of the Universal History, Book XIV, Chap. VI. Hiſtory of the Engliſh Eaſt India Company, 1759.
[Bencoolen] About ten, ſultan Catcheel undertook to accommodate matters with the country people, provided we would conſent to their chuſing new Pangarans ; to which we agreed. But before we could come to a Bechar, or conference, with them, the Portugueſe Padre's ſlave told us, that the Bugaſes and Malayes were riſen at Bencouleen, and had cut off the Padre, and moſt of the Portugueſe, without diſtinétion of ſex or ages. He had hardly finiſhed his account, when a great fire broke out at Bencouleen, another near the fort, behind Canbury Paggar, ano ther towards Sillebar, and ſoon after at the Hermitage houſe. Till this time no enemy appeared, but ſtill freſh fires were ſeen in different places, which could only have been done
by our own Bugaſes and Malayer. As no enemy as yet appeared, we diſcharged all the great guns we had mounted, at the thickeſt of theſe fires, as we thought. In doing this, one of the wads of our own guns unfortunately fell upon the top of the fort buildings, which took fire, and burnt ſo fierce, that there was no extinguiſhing it; at which time we marched out of the fort in one body to meet the enemy. We firſt paſſed the lower ground, from thence round the Horſe Stable Hill, to the Hermitage, and ſo by the China T'own and brick-ſhades, which were all on fire, but no enemy to be ſeen. We thence proceeded to the ſea-ſide, where we ſaw ſome thouſands of Malayes, headed by our Sultan and Bugiſes. Moſt of the Chineſe had ſecured themſelves in boats, and on board their own prows. We had then none to ſtand by us but our own Blacks. Under theſe diſadvantages, we thought it vain longer to hazard our lives againſt ſo numerous an enemy. Our fort and moſt of our buildings being de ſtroyed by fire, put every man upon ſaving his life by ſwimming, or getting on board the boats in the beſt man her he could; in which attempt near half our people were drowned, or killed by the enemy.
(2) "CHINESE IMMIGRATION", REPORT OF COMMITTEES OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES For the SECOND SESSION OF THE FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, 1876–77, p.11.
Our present Chinese population is estimated at 116,000, of which number about 30,000 are domiciled in this city, and of these some five or six hundred only are females, mostly occupants of the forty to fifty Chinese houses of prostitution which are known to exist in San Francisco. It is in evidence that these unfortunates are brought here from China for immoral purposes, and actually sold into the most degrading and abominable slavery. It is also in evidence, and the statement remains uncontradicted, that there are fifty to sixty
gambling-houses kept constantly open in the Chinese quarter. Coupling these facts together, it will be seen that a pretty large proportion of the class called criminal in our city is found among these people.
Here we have a China town in the heart of an American city. There is nothing else like it upon this continent. It is as foreign as any quarter of Canton or Peking, and its inhabitants are governed by the “six companies” rather than by the municipality. That they are a
very frugal people is undeniable; their wants are few and inexpensive. Hence it is that they can underwork people of European extraction, for the requirements of the latter are greater than those of the former. The American or European mechanic or laborer appreciates the decencies of life, and wants a home having separate apartments for himself and wife and children; but the Chinaman knows no such fine scruples.
(3) "FRISCO", FRASER'S MAGAZINE NEW SERIES. VOL. XVIII. JULY TO DECEMBER 1878, p.690.
A general conflagration of Chinatown was openly talked of, and hints were given of a massacre like that of St. Bartholomew.
(4) "BITS OF CHINA", THE JAPS AT HOME. FIFTH EDITION : TO WHICH ARE ADDED FOR THE FIRST TIME SOME BITS OF CHINA. DOUGLAS SLADEN, 1895.
Shanghai is a magnificent town—the Venice of the East I called it in a letter written at the time—for its long procession of stately buildings rising from its Bund like the palaces of Venice on the Grand Canal, one of them being the club, the finest in the far East, with a superb library. We had anchored in the southernmost mouth of the seventy-mile delta of the Yang-Tse-Kiang a little before midnight, and steamed up to Woo- Sung at daylight, and had started very early on a two hours' trip up the Whang-Po to Shanghai in the agent's
launch. So we presented our introductions betimes, and were strongly advised by our host to come back to him only for lunch, tea, and dinner, and spend the rest of the time in China Town and its approaches.