Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-01-05
An Adventure in the Chinese Sea.
BY sYLvxNUs COBB, JR.

Vt
hut kind-hearted son of the ocean, fifty years
old. and full of thrilling adventures Our pipes
were re-flled, and then Sampson took his turn
as follows:
ats now ten years come next November
that took charge of the Yankee She was
noble ship, and felt proud of the charge. we
lay at the wharf, down Peck Slip, 1--WE cleared
at New York, you know and got the last lot
of buds on board when felt something touch
me on the leg. turned and there stood BOY
some fourteen years old, with bundle on his
shoulder. He kind o trembled when looked
at him, but there wasn't any dishonesty IN that
face-not bit. He had great gray eyes, almost
dark enough for hazel, and his hair curled over
his head like girl just rugged for a party
Then he looked so earnestly and steadily at me,
that knew, whatever he wanted, he'd be
truthful about it.
..What is it, boy?" said l, speaking kindly.
81 want to go to sea with you" says the
boy a.,
"Who says you may go"
He pointed up to store at the head OF the
sl;p. and told me if l would only go up there
with him, could learn all about it.
"But what use will you be to me?" asked
him before we started.
''Any use you put me to, that's honest, and
that can do" he said.
I liked the answer, for | saw that he meant
it, and went up to the store with him. did
want cabin boy, but hadn't made arrange
ments for any, because just such a one as
wanted about me all the time was hard to find.
At the store asked Mr.. Want Wart (he was an
old friend of mine) about the boy. He told me
that the boys father used to be porter in his
store, but that he died two months before, and
that the boy was now an orphan, his mother
having been dead some years. Then he took
me aside, and says he:
"If you want the boy, captain, you will find
him most faithful one. He's been with me,
off and on, ever since he was SO high"
OF course l took him. His name was Edward
Grover, though he said twas Ned, and "Ned :"
we called him. Two days after that tug
towed US out of the harbor, aud we stuck our
nose clear of Sandy Hook before dinner. First
we went to Calcutta, and then to Canton; and
many and many time did bless my stars
that Ned Grover was with me, for on own child
couldn't have been more faithful than he was.
And then he was bold fellow, too; and never
was the blow that could shake him, nor the
storm that could blanche him. On the royal
yard he was like sqrrel on tree, and he was
as quick of wit rs he was of body.
Well, our business was all done. up at Canton,
and only had to touch at Singapore on my
way home, unless I chose to heave to at Bata-
via. We had a splendid run down the Chinese
Sea, making the passage to Nantunas in just
eight days. In three days from that we were
among the Anambus islands-of Malacca, you
know. Most of these islands we left on the
starboard beam, and along toward the middle
of the afternoon Lampang was on the lee bow,
and not more than six miles distant. l always
took the eastern run of Lampang, because
knew the channel Since morning the wind
had been light and variable, though no battling,
and now it had settled down in the west'rd as
though to rest itself-for with stud'n's'ls allow
and aloft, we didn't run off more than three
knots an hour at the outside.
1t was just o'clock when came on deck to
see how the land lay, and found Lamping
then just about abeam, but as the wind now
came, the island was to the windward of us,
and four miles distant had looked at the
compass and at the sails, and was then looking
out for the land, when the man at the maintop
hailed the deck.
"What is it % asked.
"a Malay proa!'' he answered, "right in
ashore by that rock. There, don't you see it,"
looked, and did see her. sent Ned for my
glass, and by the time he came with it the proa
had come out in full sight from behind the
rock. levelled the glass. and l could make
out the fellow plainly. Twas one of the largest
proas | ever saw. l should say seventy-fve
feet long, with bows like an old mans nose
turned bottom upwards, and stern about the
same. counted the men in her, and could
do it pretty surely.
"What is she. sir!" asked Walter, my first
mate.
"a Malay proa," told him.
" How many men ?"
''Seventy five at least"
g A piraten' he uttered.
sShe isn't likely to be anything else," ans
wered, assuming as much composure as Icould;
but you may be sure felt but little of it, for
Malay pirate is just about the worst thing in
the world-blood-thirsty as Bengal tiger,
with all the wit of a man to back it up. Their
very religion makes piracy holy virtue, and
man is honored among them for the many times
his knife has found human heart. And they
are powerful fellows, too, and trained from
childhood to the use of arms.
She's coming after 2" cried the man at
the top. But then he needn't have told US of it,
for had seen that from the beginning.
The men looked anxiously towards me, and
saw that they were stricken with fear. And
our position was not one to inspire poor chap
with very deep joy. The wind was still to the
west'rd, and three knots was the most the ship
could be made to run. The Malay was now
within three miles, and shooting through the
water like mad. He had twenty broad paddles
out--you know the bloody hounds can send
those long, narrow, sharp proas fast. We were
now sure that there were over seventy men in
the great boat, for we could even see their long
knives and clumsy firearms through my glass.
My crew, all mustered, numbered twenty-nine,
and one Of them was only boy. OF swords or
cutlasses, we had only six, but had thirty
brace Of good boarding pistols in the arm chest,
and dozen pixies by the mast. It was rather
dubious show, wasn't it?
However, resolved to do the best could,
for knew II those Malays captured US, we
were simply dead men; so of course there was
some ground for resistance. First, made
myself as calm as could, and then got out
the pistols, and had them all loaded. I gave
TWO TO each man, reserying two extra ones for
myself The SIX cutlasses gave to those /
thought best qualified to handle them. and then
distributed the twelve pixies. Beyond those
found four boat hoods, and these also gave
out, for they would be serviceable in repellinp
boarders when the pistols had all been fred
Nov, boys" said /, "you know what that
fellow is after; and if I'd thought r this lull in
the wind, shouldn't have run il here. But
that can't be helped now. We can't run away,
and We all know if those Malays take us, they'll