http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4893790  

CORPSES KEPT IN JARS.

"Dear me," said Mr. Quong Tart, Sydney's principal. Chinaman, on Tuesday when informed of the disaster in the steamer Ventnor, by the wreck of which coffined corpses of 500 Chinese were recently lost. "Chinamen will regard that in a very serious light." "Do you know," continued Mr. Tart, "that it has cost the Chinese people in New Zealand some thousands of pounds to fix up for the return of those re- mains to China. The Chinese community generally will feel deeply grieved-not so much for the loss of money, but for the loss of the remains. It is a custom among Chinese to preserve the remains of their people. In China, after a body has been buried, say, for about three years, the grave is re-opened. Of course, there are only the bones left. These are carefully cleaned, and placed in a large jar – in a sitting posture, as near as they can get. If the family be rich, the jar will be very costly; if the family be poor, well, the jar will not be so gorgeous-any way, a jar of some sort is obtained. It is sealed down, then taken to a place-a happy place-and left there. The members of the family visit that place a couple of times a year, and rejoice-they say they are all there together again and are glad. In English countries people are careful about looking, after the graves of their departed loved ones and tend very carefully the flower beds at the grave In China it is different. They preserve the remains, as explained, arid have a happy time with them about twice a year. I dare say there are thousands affected by the disaster. When that news gets round there will be sorrow all over China. Where- ever there are Chinamen there will be the greatest grief. Chinamen are, not ungrateful towards one another, and I have no doubt the question, of raising the ship, or recovering the coffins, will be discussed. It is not a matter of cost, for I have no doubt that subscription lists will be opened, and a lot of money raised to assist the ship-owners or underwriters, or the Chinese them- selves might get a diver to work. As 1 said, if s a very serious matter with the Chinese, and no doubt every consideration will be given to it. If the remains can be recovered, you may depend upon it, a big effort will be put forward to, do so."

Tags: ventnor

 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4893041   

Auckland, October 29.

The steamer Ventnor, which left Wel- lington on Sunday last, with the corpses of nearly five hundred Chinese on board, for Hongkong, has foundered off the New Zealand coast, after striking the rocks off Cape Egmont.

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New Zealand AUCKLAND, December 29.

The Chinese are spending much money in an attempt to recover the corpses lost in the wrecked steamer Ventnor. They are prepared to spend thousands to get the body of Mr. Sew Hoy, a wealthy Chinaman.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4911216 

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THOSE DEAD AND GONE CHINAMEN - THE Ventnor CONSIGNMENT -  IN THE BOSOM OF THE OCEAN BURIED.

The "Otago Daily Times" of the 27th  gives the following interesting account of the preparatory work at Port Chalmers in connection with the shipping of the remains of dead Chinamen per S.S Ventnor to China, which consignment was utterly jost by the foundering of the vessel.

"The coffins containing the remains of the Chinese who have died in various parts of the South Island during a num-ber of years were taken down to Port Chalmers in seven covered railway vans on the 17th inst., and their removal to the steamer Rimu was proceeded with the first thing on Saturday morning. The operation of removing the coffins to the after hold of the steamer was supervised by a party of 15 Chinese, and was watched with curious eyes by a small gathering of Port residents, who probably expected to witness something of an uncommon character.

It may be mentioned that each coffin bore on the end particulars in Chinese characters concerning the deceased whose remains it contained. There were also shipped 11 small cases in which were the personal effects of the dead men The number of coffins from Dunedin was 263 (84 large and 181 small), from Grey mouth 173 (66 large and 107 small), and there were 86 on board from Wellington, so that the total was 474. These, together with the 11 cases pf personal ef- fects, will be taken by the Rimu to Wellington, and transhipped to the Ventnor,  which will convey them to Hong Kong.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9590689 

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INSURING CHINESE CORPSES.

The 500 coffined Chinese corpses which were lost by the wreck of the steamer Vent-nor on the New Zealand coast on Tuesday, October 28, were insured for £4,650, which represented the expense which the Chinese incurred in ' disinterring the remains and in preparing them for shipment to China.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4897048

Tags: ventnor