The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-06-14
51on The Ns,s York usrcurv.
- - fT0ht lHe 2fctv 1UTs1U4cHys
a Thrilling Adventure at Sea.

I
first horror of a very eventful life, and.
it's memory has never left me.
Twill describe it briefly, but truly, for
every word is q fact
We were chartered by tho British gov
ernment to carry stores, ETC., to her penal
colony in New Zealand; and besides our
cargo, had thirteen condemned Malay pl-
rates, who had been sentenced to trans
portation for life. They were in charge
of an English naval officer named McFee.
They were all ironed hand and foot; be-
sides, chained to ringbolts in the deck;
and SO securely fastened that no one
would deem it possible for them to get
loose without outside help.
Our crew, officers and all, numbered
twenty-eight souls, and was none too
large to manage such q heavy craft.
We had fine weather when we left the
Clyde, andit stayed with us until we were
AZ good way South of Gibralter One af-
ternoon, when looking at the prisoners
under his charge, Lieutenant McFee
thought he saw something wrong about
the irons of one of them, and he reported
| it to Captain Wilson, Of our ship, and
thought there had better be close in
spcction of thom. But Captain Wilson
was very easy-going man at all times +;
and supper being ready just then, he re-
marked that he guessed all was right, but
he'd have a look at them in the morning,
for the satisfaction of McFee. Alasl for
him there was-no morning to come.
It was'a clear, calm night; tho moon
| at full; not enough wind to fill the can
vass, or give the ship steerage way. An
other boy, of about my own age, and my
self were aloft, sitting in the sings Of the
fore-yard, talking about home, when all
at once we heard. rush of feet below us;
and looking down on deck, we saw, to
our terror, the whole gang Of Malays
rushing up from below, free from their
irons. They seized capstan-bars, the
cooks axe, iron Delaying pins, everything
which came handy, and rushed at the
men of the watch on deck, striking them
down Without mercy, but making no out
cry. Mr.. Bruce, the first mate, was the
first victim, and in few minutes-less
time than it takes me tell it-every man
except the man at the wheel, lay dead
upon the deck, with their brains dashed
out, or stabbed TO death with their own
sheathe-knives.
We two boys clambered UP into the
top, where we lay on our faces, as still as
death, looking on the horrible scene 60
ing on below. Another of tho crow,
named White, was asleep there, but we
did not dare to wake him, for fear we
should be discovered or overheard by the
incarnate fends below.
Captain Wilson, at this time, came out
of the cabin, hearing an unusual noise,
but was killed in an instant The wretch
es now rushed down into the forecastle,
where the labored watch was sleeping,
and soon finished them.
By this time Lieutenant McFee and
the second mate, also the carpenter, who
were in the cabin, found out what was
going on; and closing and barricading
the cabin door, they got pistols from the
.arm-chest, and commenced firing on eve
ry pirate they could see through the cab
in sky-lights. At the first fire, three of
the pirates, being close to them, fell dead;
and in minute or two, several more were
badly wounded.
The pirates had now killed every man
on deck except the helmsman at the
wheel; and making general rush at
him, they knocked him down and threw
him overheard.
While they.were doing this, the party
in the cabin shot two moro of them dead,
and wounded the chief so badly with a
boarding pike, as he stood near sky
light, that his bowels actually gushed out.
But he did not give up, but raved terri
bly, because he could not get at them.
AS the ship was in sight of land, they
now thought of escape. They hoisted
out the pinnace, and put a keg of water
in and into the boat all of the survivors,
Elk in number, got, and dropped astern,
making for the land as fast as they could
row.
Finding the deck clear of all but the
dead, the party from the cabin came out,
and then we three in the maintop went
down. There we stood, all alive, as we