Description:
They were first brought to the island as indentured servants between 1854 and the 1880s, but in comparison to the East Indians, their numbers were negligible. In 1854 after some negotiations, 472 of them were sent to Jamaica in exchange for Jamaican labour, but they were in such poor physical shape that most of them died shortly after their arrival. Another 328 were brought from Hong Kong by the government, but again the losses were high.