The Portland daily press., 1886-08-28
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUST %.
BRUSH WITH PIRATES.
HighWaymen of the Sea At
tack a British Merchant
man.
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette,


ships began to sail, and I'm thinking it will
be long before the business is entirely wiped
out. There are hundreds OF Islands IN the
Java and Banda Seas, and each one OF them
offers secure headquarters for gang Of
native pirates. They are not so bold as be-
fore the government cruisers got orders to
patrol those waters and sink every craft
which could not show honest papers; but
they are there still, and the temptations are
too great to expect they can ever be entirely
suppressed. On our way up, when off the
Red Islands, ON the northern coast of Suma-
ira, we overhauled an Italian brig called the
Campello. She was stripped of her sails, cor
dage and most of her cargo, and had been
set fire to and scuttled. For some reason the
flames died out, and the water came in so
slowly that she was floated six hours after
the pirates abandoned her. Our mate. was
sent off to board her, and he found a shock
ing state Of affairs. She had been laid aboard
without resistance by two native boats,
armed only with muskets and pistols The
crew had at once been made prisoners, and
set to work to strip the ship and hoist out
such cargo as the pirates coveted. She was
run in behind one of the islands and an
chored, and for three days and nights the
pirates were hard at work on her. Each
man of the crew worked under guard dur
ing the day, and at night captain, r., and all
were secured in the forecastle. The crew
numbered fourteen. Toward evening of the
third day the pirates had secured all their
plunder. Several native crafts had been
loaded and sailed up the coast to some rem
devious, and only one remained to take on
the last of the plunder. AS no actual vio-
lence had been offered captain or crew dur
ing the three days, there was hope that the
pirates would go away and leave them in
possession of the robbed and dismantled
brig. Just what Shift thew would have made
in this case cannot say, for the craft was
left without sail, rope, block or provisions.
About four O'Clock in the afternoon the crew
were ordered forward, while the natives col
lnnfG Loft and nt ritvn CT wv
opened on the defenseless men. To their
credit let it be recorded that they seized
whatever weapons they could lay hands on
and dashed at the pirates, but it was simply
to die like brave men. In ten minutes the
last man was shot down.
The pirates then raised the anchor and got
it into their boat bored holes in the ships
bottom, and started a fire in the hold amid
ships. The information | have given you
came from little chap on board, who was
making his first voyage as an apprentice. He
was, if | remember right only thirteen years
cid. On the morning of the third day he
managed to hide among the cargo, and the
pirates completed their work and sent the
hulk drifting out to sea without having
missed him. He was on deck to catch the
painter of the mates boat when she drew
alongside, and to one of our crew who could
speak Italian he gave the story as straight as
the captain could have talked.
We reported the affair at Singapore, and a
British gunboat was sent off to investigate.
She returned before we had completed our
loading and reported that she had made no
discoveries. 1t was warning for our cap
tain, and he wisely determined to heed it.
We took on she'll and grape for our cannon,
dozen revolvers were purchased for the
crew, and on the very day we left the cap
tain brought aboard two very heavy rifles,
which he had picked up somewhere at bar
gain. call them rifles, but they were young
cannon, carrying a three-ounce ball, with
powder enough behind it to kick the marks
man half way across the ship. We left Sing,
apore as well prepared as merchant vessel
could be, and it seems that the Captain was
advised to bear up toward BoIneo, and give
the Red Islands wide berth. We crossed
the equator at least hundred miles to the
east of the islands, as | overheard the Cap
tain say, and then altered our course to the
southeast, calculating to pass to the east of
Billion Island before hauling away for Sun
da Strait.
The bark made good weather of it, and we
had crossed the equator and run down on
the new course until Billion might have been
sighted from the masthead, when there came
a calm. The wind had died away about mid
forenoon, and the drift of the bark was to
but nothing came, and the night passed with
out wind enough to move a feather. My
watch was below when daylight came, and
we got the word to turn up lively. To the
northeast, off the coast of BorneO, two or
three green islands were in sight, and be-
tween us and the islands were two native
craft bearing down upon us. These craft
were about the size of pilot boats, half
decked over, and rugged like a catboat. They
had been sighted when six or seven miles
away, and as my watch came on deck the
mate descended from the perch aloft, where
he had been using the glass, and reported to
the Captain that the craft were approaching
us by the use of sweeps. The calm still held
but it was clear enough to sailor eye that
we should have breeze as soon as the sun
began to climb up. No man asked himself
the errand of those boats making out for the
Huntress. At that time and locality there
could be but one answer. The Captain pres
emily called us aft and said:
"Men, the crafts which you see pulling out
for us are pirates. We shall have a breeze
within an hour, but they will be here first
If we can not beat them off, we are dead
men. They take no prisoners. | look to see
every man do his duty"
We gave him cheer and began our pre-
parations. The cook was ordered to fill his
cOppers full of water and start a rousing fire.
and the arms were brought up and served
out There were three or four men who had
served at heavy gun, and these took charge
of the cannon, and the piece was loaded with
shell. When the Captain called for some
one to use the rifles, the only man who an
swered was an American. He took them
aft, loaded them with his own hands, and by
the time the pirates were within a mile, we
were as ready as we could be:
The bark was lying with her head to the
from the north, on our broadsde The mate
kept his glass going, and announced that
beth craft were crowded with men, but that
he could see no cannon. They made slow
progress, and we were impatient to open the
fight. By and by, when they might have
been three-quarters of mile away, the Cap
tain passed word for the gunners to send
them shot. In a few seconds the big gun
roared, and we all saw that the shell flew
over the pirates and burst in the air. 1t was
n c0mpthinp
but before the cannon sent another shot the
American had try with one of the rifles.
The mate was watching his shot from the
rigging, and the repot had scarcely died
away before he shouted:
"Good for the Yankee! He hit at least
couple of them"
The second shell from the cannon burst
over one of the boats and took effect on some
of the men as reported by the mate. The
American then fired again, and again his
bullet told. We were doing bravely and
were full of enthusiasm, but the struggle was
yet to come. The fellows bent their ener-
opened on us with musketry, and the balls
began to sing through the rigging In a lively
manner. We had our musketS ready, but
the captain ordered us to hold our fire and
keep sheltered behind the rail.
One of the piratical craft was a quarter of
a mile in advance of the other, and the third
shell from the cannon burst aboard OF her |
and must haye.killed andwounded dozen or
more men. lnere was great CONFUSION OH
board, and she remained stationary until the |
other craft came up. During this interval |
the American got in two more shots, which |
found victims.
We now looked upon the victory as as |
sured and there was cheering from one end |
of the ship to the other. We were little
ahead of time. The third shot from our big |
gun burst it, and although none of the men |
was hurt, we were thus deprived of great
advantage.
AS soon as the Captain knew what had
happened, he called upon all the crew to
shelter themselves and wait to fire at close
quarters. One man was detailed to assist
the cook with the hot water, and powder and
bullets were placed handy for reloading the
muskets. / was stationed near the gun car
riage and / noticed several shells lying
about under foot. The American kept firing
away with the rifles, knocking over pirate
at every shot, and pretty soon the two crafts
were near enough for us to open fire with
the muskets. | presume we wasted good
many shots, for we were green hands and
greatly excited, but l am likewise certain
that we also did great execution. We had q
plunging fire down upon mass OF hall
naked fellows, and we must have weeded
out full third of them. There was no air
stirring. and the smoke soon grew about us.
By and by the shouts and yellS of the pirates
sounded close at hand, and their craft were
laid alongside We now flung down the mus
ketS and used the revolvers and pixies.
hn llN Y.k1y-r rad