Immigrant Ships
Transcribers Guild

SS Colombia

I, Wm. A Clark, Master of the Colombia 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) Wm. A Clark
Sworn to this 20 day of July 1896, before me, (signature) _____, Deputy Collector of Customs

Separate List or Manifest of all the Chinese Passengers taken on board the _____ whereof _____ is Master, from Panama, burthen ____ 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*.

       Cabin
1 Seung Chung 43 Attache de Legation Peru      5'6"  Dk Dk Dep per Str Belgic, Hong Kong, Aug 8-'96
2 Josi  Lui   31 Attache de Legation Peru      5'6"  Dk Dk Dep per Str Belgic, Hong Kong, Aug 8-'96

       Steerage
3 Wuang Chang 39 Servant to above    Peru      5'10" Dk Dk Dep per Str Belgic, Hong Kong, Aug 8-'96
4 Chan  Pan   44 Cook                Guatemala 5'8"  Dk Dk Dep per Str Doric, Hong Kong, July 21-'96

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) 1896 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
 Physical Marks or Peculiarities and Facts of Identification
 If accredited officers of Chinese Government, state facts

This manifest is accompanied by many attached notes describing the diplomatic status of the
 first three passengers and their disposition.

 To the Attn.
 John H. Wise, Collector of Customs, San Francisco
 I, the undersigned, His Imperial Chinese Majesty's Consul General at the port of San Francisco
  do hereby certify that Ho Se Li? and She?? Cheong and a servant, now on board of the steamship
  "Columbia" are members of the Chinese Legation at Lima Peru and that they are on their way home
  to   China.  (signature, in characters and) Fung Yung Hing, H.I.C.M's Consul General
    The names of the passengers are much more legible where they appear on the passenger list
     than in this note.  The first referenced in this note is clearly spelled Jo.si Liu on the
     list.  It is difficult to decide whether the last name is Lin or Liu in this note.  The
     second passenger's first name is very clear on the list, Seung, in the note there letters
     below the line.  Best reading in the note is Shews.

 Chinese Consulate General
 San Francisco
   Messrs. Ho & Sheong, S.S. Columbia, per kindness of Capt Ridell
    (The message is in Chinese characters)

 S.J. Ruddell, D'ty Surveyor
  Attached passenger list respectfully referred to your office for disposition of Chinese
   officials and servant.
   Respectfully, B.J. Harrison, Inspector

3 Chinese first enumerated landed by Insp Holmes in keeping with the attached order.
  Chan Pam, 44 Cook, Guatemala, departed for Hong Kong per Doric July 20-'96. Signature illegible

In view of the within certificate land the parties temporarily on identification.
  (signature) John H. W???, Collector

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.

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