Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-01

Uk{I HR6E IN kUGtX WO000oss SAAeA sssO S<sR-
tain afterwards, in telling tho story, land
20 had each Of 'em knocked in the head
with handspike before he was hung
overheard. Besides. thought il was too
good tip for 'em to be telling the other
pirates 50 that they'd wear shoes the next
time they boarded an English ship here. =
A traveller who stopped at the hotel
where lodged 1t Singapore, told me OF
an adventure in which he had narrow
escape: Il was on board trading
schooner from Ceram to Sourabaya, which
had Just touched at Celebes," said he;
looming through the channel near the
Tiger Islands and Shoals, we were be-
Gained and drifted with The current.
which threatened 70 carry Us ashore.
sWhile we were celebrating whether
to anchor to prevent getting further into
difficulty we saw proa come ont from .
little nook in the shore about four miles
away. She had twenty oars on side
forty rowers in all-and there must have
been forty or fifty more men in her to do
the fighting. We got out our firearms
In fact, we were all ready in
the cabin, as we never knew when
We might want them - and prepared
to give the fellows the best reception we
could. Our crew was light one for fight
ing, as we were only five white men all
told and dozen Lascars. The Lascars
can't be counted on for fight and don't
even know how to handle gun. The case
was desperate, but we determined to make
the best of il, since we fought for life. /
could already feel the kriss OF Malay at
my throat. and knew there wasn't the least
hope of escape if they overpowered US.
Il had repeating rifle which friend
had brought me from America few
months before. had tried it few times
and found it good weapon at long range
and thought that now was an excellent
time to test its utility. got it all ready,
selected good position. and when |
judged the proa was fairly within range
fred and brought down the fellow who
was steering her As he fell he carried
the helm over SO that the proa came broad
side on to US. and embraced the chance
to the best of my abilities. At the second
shot brought down the juragan or cap
tain, aud at the third fetched the fellow
who was taking the place OF the slain or
wounded steersman. Next attended to
the man who was rowing stroke, and his
fall confused the crew generally. never
knew was so good marksman; had
done some fair shooting in my time, but
was so long out of practice that l feared
for the result. 1t must have been that the
great peril we would have been in if the
proa had got under our bows steadied my
nerves and made every shot tell.
1.-The fellows were all shouting at once,
and the confusion among them was so
great that they almost came to standstill.
This gave chance tor the other rifles,
which were in good hands or at least two
of them were. One of them was made
for crocodile hunting and fired explosive
bullets. 1t was in the hands of the mate,
and he managed to put one of those bull
lets where it would do the most good. 1t
bored the proa just at the water line, and
think it must have damaged some of the
Malay legs, as it exploded at the moment
of striking and scattered its fragments
about. l emptied the magazine of my
rifle, and as soon as could charge it again
its operations were renewed.
'Inside of ten minutes from the firing
of the first shot the proa was padding
away from u.s., and wasn't padding with
anything like the gayety of its approach.
We were afraid the pirates would come
back with re-inforcements.b but before they
reached land we caught breeze from the
southwark, and in a little while had left
the island hull down in the distance. 1t
was the only shave ever had among the
pirates OF the archipelago, and it was the
American rifle that saved u.s."