Immigrant Ships
Transcribers Guild

SS Colon

I, Geo Mackinnon, Master of the Am S.S. Colon do solemnly, sincerely, and truly swear that the following List or Manifest, subscribed by me, and now delivered by me to the Collector of the Customs of the Collection District of San Francisco, is a full and perfect list of all Chinese passengers taken on board the said vessel at Panama & Way Ports from which port said vessel has now arrived, or that have been taken on board the said vessel at any foreign port or place, and of all such passengers now on board said vessel, and that on said List is truly designated the names and other particulars, as shown by their respective certificates.So help me God. (signature) Geo Mackinnon
Sworn to this 27 day of May 1897, before me, (signature) NS Farley, Deputy Collector of Customs

Separate List or Manifest of all the Chinese Passengers taken on board the Am S.S. Colon whereof Geo Mackinnon is Master, from Panama, burthen 1843.50 tons

Columns represent: Number, No of Certificate*, Name, Age, Occupation, Last Place of Residence, Height, Complexion*, Color of Eyes*, Physical Marks or Peculiarities and Facts of Identification, If accredited officers of Chinese Government, state facts*.

              In Transit for Hong Kong

 1  Hwang Lung     26 Merchant Panama 5'3½"                           Large scar on nose
 2  Ah    Hamp     25 Merchant Panama 5'5½"                           2 moles left temple
 3* Sing  Yuen     43 Merchant Panama 6'6½"                           Scar forehead
 4  Lee   Ling     51 Merchant Panama 4'11"                           Lump left ear
 5* Sing  Luen     21 Merchant Panama 5'4½"                           Mole left neck
 6* Saw   Ling     35 Merchant Panama 5'2"                            Scar left ear
 7  Lee   Lang     47 Merchant Panama 5'3"                            Pitted
 8  Chung Chin     36 Merchant Panama 5'6"                            deformed finger
 9  Chang Huaysuo  22 Merchant Panama 5'8½"                           Pitted
10  Lee   Yang     26 Merchant Panama 5'5"                            Scar left neck
11  Lee   Hee      47 Merchant Panama 5'6"                            Scar left neck
12* Ching Hen?ing  40 Merchant Panama 5'3½"                           Scar left temple
13* I?    Lan Hang 58 Merchant Panama 5'4½"                           Mole on Face
14  Lee   Ah  Lie  44 Merchant Panama 5'6"                            Pitted
15* A?    Woo      22 Merchant Panama 5'2"                            Scar on thumb
16* ?o    Quo      41 Merchant Panama 5'4½"                           Mole on chin
17  Ching Pow      38 Merchant Panama Landed "I.T." Transit List 6572 deformed thumb
18* Gua   L??      40 Merchant Panama Landed "I.T." Transit List 6573 Scar left ?


Transcriber's Notes:

* An asterisk indicates an error on the part of the original recorder, not the transcriber,
  or calls attention to additional information in the transcriber notes.

The pages on this film are not numbered so finding a particular ship can be difficult.  
 However, there is a system of numbering the manifests that is a part of the National
 Archives file system on Chinese persons.  These numbers are included in the identification 
 of the film and reel numbers below.

The departure port is listed as simply "Panama."  Research indicates this refers to Panama
 City.

For passengers bound for San Francisco, passengers' names and ages are followed by a stamp 
 that varies depending on the disposition of the passenger and which is stamped over whatever 
 information has been entered in the columns. 
Passengers allowed to land have the following stamp:
 Landed Collectors order (blank with a month and day date written in) 1897 by  Insp's (blank 
 for a name). 
 
Passengers not allowed to land have one of two different stamps:
 Landing Refused Habeas Corpus U.S.D.C. Case followed by a number.  These passengers were 
  probably allowed to land, but not to freely enter the country.
 Landing Refused Departed Per Steamer ______ (name of ship) _________ (date).

For passengers bound for a further destination there are two possible dispositions:
  Landed "I.T." Transit List followed by a number  These passengers expected to continue travel 
   by some other means to their destinations.
  Departed Per Steamer ______ (name of ship) _________ (date)

The following columns had no entries:
 No of Certificate
 If accredited oficers of Chinese Government, state facts

Complexion and Color of Eyes are Dark for all passengers.

All passengers departed per Belgic, Hong Kong, May 27'97.

According to the National Archives branch in San Bruno, California it is possible that they
 have some information on any Chinese passenger who arrived in San Francisco after 1886.

3,5,6 The capital S in each of these beginning names is formed differently.
      Passenger 3 it is a classic cursive capital S that looks a bit like the treble clef
      sign.  Passenger 5 it is like a larger cursive lower case s. This is a common form
      on the lists.  Passenger 6 it is a printed S, like a snake, that is the same letter
      used in a different place on the list to write Scar.
12    The second name most likely is Henping.  The middle letter is the same as the p in
      lump elsewhere on the list.  This letter also looks an f, Henfing, or could be a
      "long s" making it Hensing.
13    The first name clearly begins with an I.  The second letter could be either h or l.
15    The first name looks most like Al, but could be Ah.
16    The first name is either So or Lo.
18    The second name could be Low with the top on the o open or Liw without a dot on the
      i or Luv.  Comparing it to the name above, Pow, it is most likely Low.

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