1867 Remarkable Pair of Chinese Coolie Arrival Manifests for the Dutch Ship Krimpen aan de Lek’s Voyage from Macau to Havana

On offer are two extremely unique 1867 Dutch ship arrival manifests, recording the names and information of 140 Chinese men who were transported from the port of Macau to Havana, Cuba to complete their indentured servitude as “coolies”, working for Cuban sugar plantation owners.

These manifests are for the Dutch Galley, Krimpen aan de Lek. This was the only recorded coolie importation voyage for this vessel. The Krimpen departed Macau on March 4,1867 with 368 Chinese men on board and arrived in Havana on June 27, 1867, with 363 living men. The first manifest was signed July 9, 1867 and the second signed July 10th. These dates correspond with the beginning of the coolie contracts. The manifests offer great detail on each coolie and list for each man: their contract number, Chinese name, Christian name, age, patron, job for which they are hired, location where they will work, and date their contract starts. The “patron” for all 110 men listed on the first manifest is Don José de la Portilla, a Cuban landowner. The coolies on the first manifest are being sent to Matanzas and Jagua [likely Jagüey Grande]. The patron for the 30 men on the second manifest is Mr. Antonio Hera. The coolies listed on this manifest will complete their contracts in Cienfuegos. Both documents were signed in Havana by “Caro Hermanos Watson”. Caro Hermano and Watson were merchant coolie importers. They were agents working with the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, which specialized in coolie trading. 

The Chinese coolie trade, a system of indentured labor that targeted young, poor Chinese men, operated from 1847-1874. Throughout this period, African slavery was slowly being abolished around the world. The coolie trade was initiated by Britain and was eventually dominated by both Britain and the United States of America. Chinese coolie laborers were sent to work in British, American and Spanish colonies, and the nature of the trade changed throughout its 27-year operation, due to social and political pressures. The coolie trade took place, in large part, between the shipping port in Macao (now a part of China, then under Portuguese rule) and Havana, Cuba (then under Spanish control). As Macau was under Portugese rule at the time of the coolie trade, they transported coolies on their vessels frequently and many of the manifests were written in Portuguese and/or Spanish. To learn more about the Chinese coolie trade and its importance in world history, click here to read our in-depth research blog on the topic. 

Both manifests measures 12.75x17 inches. The first one contains two large pages with writing on the front and back of one side, and on the front of the second, for a total of three pages of text. The manifest is unbound but was once held together with metal rings (still present on the first page). The writing is legible. The second manifest is one page with writing on one side. Both manifests exhibit age toning, small rips and tears, particularly at the centre folds, and the first manifest contains more signs of tearing at the creases. Spanish language. Overall Fair+.  

Citation: Asome, J. (2020). Coolie ships of the Chinese diaspora (1846-1874). Proverse Hong Kong.