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PROCEEDINGS OE THE SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION, 
be, at the outside, altogether 18,000 Asiatic immigrants in 
the Colony. About 12,000 have, therefore, died or left the 
Colony, representing an annual average loss of 545 or about 
40 per cent, on the number imported. The number who 
have returned to India is probably about 8000. It is more 
difficult to ascertain the number of those who have emigra- 
ted or escaped to Venezuela. But making every allowance 
for all these causes of decrease, the mortality must be some- 
what high, and it is of little use to endeavor to venture upon 
an approximation which may range from 15 to 30 per cent. 
It might be interesting to acquire some information as to 
the expense of increasing our population. But I have been 
unable to find in any published returns the means of arriv- 
ing at a true idea of the cost of immigration, and as a very 
rough approximation, based on imperfect returns without 
details or' explanation, I have estimated that the cost of 
introducing the Asiatic immigrants cannot be less than 
£650,000, including the amount paid for interest and re- 
demption of loans, of which £70,000 has still to be paid 
(but excluding, of course, the amounts advanced from these 
loans to the Wards for Boads). Thus it would appear that 
the increase of 18,000 to our population in 22 years has cost 
us at least £36 per head. And it is to be feared that this 
alone does not give a sufficient idea of the expense caused 
to the Colony and to the Planter by these people — for the 
statistics of our jails and hospitals exhibit a very large pro- 
portion of Asiatics as requiring the active interference of 
Government. While, on the other hand, the small amount 
of taxable commodities consumed by the coolie is well known. 
As shown by the published returns, the increase by births 
in the years 1861-65, inclusive, is not more than 247. When 
we consider, however, how large a number of deaths must 
