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Schliemann feels so sorry
for the conditions of the
Chinese that he even pro-
poses to import other men
from Madagascar and par-
ticipate in this business, but
he was unsuccessful. He is
still worried about the Rail-
road benefits and studies
all the possibilities of good
profits which are not espe-
cially good.
Back to Havana he enjoys
the view from the Isabel
II Park just in from of his
hotel as well as the nice
Charles III Promenade.
Schliemann is not healthy
by now and he complains
very often: ‘I feel bad, I
have a headache, pain in
my left knee and in the right
hand. I am very tired. I am
afraid of the fever ...’ He
also has earaches and some-
times cannot hear well.
III
He comes back in 1867 and this time he goes to Santa Isabel Hotel, very near
the harbour. In this opportunity Schliemann investigates more about the life of
the Chinese workers in Cuba and he has the patience to copy a whole contract of
many pages about the obligations of a Chinese worker named Ramiro with all the
details. He says: ‘They are badly treated and commit suicide very often because
they believe they will be born again in China.’ He adds: At least a 4% of the Chi-
nese workers die every year because of the hard work, diseases, hunger and abuse:
‘... the Chinese are talented and intelligent, but they need at least two years to get
accustomed to the hard work ...’ ‘... This year they have imported 15,000 Chinese
and the next will be approximately the same ...’
Fig. 3 – African slaves working in a sugar plantation