The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-10
FIGHT WITH PIRATES.


the seventies We left Singapore bound to the
south by way of the Straits of Sunda We
had sixteen hands on the bark, and for arma-
mcnt wo had a nine-poundcr mounted on n
carriage and n COOL supply of muskets and
pixies. All Of the seas To the north of Aus
tralia are suspicious waters for an honest
ship. Pirates have abOundcd there ever
since shiIs began to sail, and I'm thinking it
viii bc long before the business is entirely
wiped out There are hundreds of islands i'll
the Java and Banda seas, and each one of
them offers a secure headquarters for n gang
of native pirates. They are not bold
before the government cruisers got orders To
patrol tho-r 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 lie entirely sup
pressed On our way up, when of the Red
islands, ON the northern coast of Sumatra,
overhauled an Italian brig called the
Campello. She was stripped of sails, cord
age ami most OF her cargo, and had been set
fire u and scuttlcd. For some reason the
flames dsl out and the water came in so
slowly that She was floating six hours after
the pirates abandoned her Our mate was
sent OF to board her and lac found IA shock
ing state of affairs.
She had been laid aboard without resistance
by two native boats, armed only with mus
kcts and pistols. The crew had at once been
made prisoners, AMI st To work to strip the
ship AMI hoist out such cargo rs the pirates
coveted. She was run in behind one of the
islands and anchored, and for three days and
nights the pirates were hard at work ON her.
Each man of the crew worked under n guard
during the day, and ut night captain and all
were secured in the forccastle. The crew
numbered fourteen.
Toward evening of the third day the pirates
had secured all their plumber Several native
crafts had been loaded and sailed up the coast
to some rendezvous, and only one remained
Ia take on the last of the plumber. As no
actual violence had been offered captain or
crew during TIA" 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 they would have made in this
case cannot say, for the craft was left with
out sail, rope, block, or provisions About
O'Clock in the afternoon the crew Were ordered
forward, while the natives collected aft, and
at a given signal fire was opened ON the de
fcnSelt=Ss men. To their credit let it lie re
corded 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 tho last one shot
down. The pirates then raised the anchor
AMI got il into their boat, bored holes in the
ships bottom, and started fire III the hold
ami,lshiIS. The information l have given
you came from IA little chap on board who
WAS making his first voyage as an apprentice.
lie was. If | remember right, only Is years
oil On the morning of tho third day no
managed To- hide among the cargo, and the
pirates completed their work and sent the
hulk drifting ant Ia without having
missed him. lie was on deck To- catch tho
painter If the mates boat when she drew
alunE. -. and u one of our crew who could
speak Italian hc gave the story straight as
the captain could have talked
W. reported the affair at Singapore and a
British ;.uuhnat sent of Ia investigate.
She returned before we Ind complctcd our
loading AMI reported that she had made no
discoveries. 1t Al warning for our cap
tain, and he wisely determined Ia heed it
We took On shell and grape for our cannon,
dozen rcvolvers We're purchased for the
crew and on the very day We left the cap
tain brought aboard two very heavy rifles
which Ia had picked up somewhere at Il i,ar-
gain | ,..ll them rifles hut 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
sSin-: ,nrc as well prepared a merchant
vessel could Ia, and il seems that the captain
was advised To- bear up well toward Bornco
and give the Red islands wide berth. We
crossed the equator at least 100 miles to the
east of the islands, rs / overheard the cap
tam say, and then altered our course to the
southeast, calculating Ia pass to the east of
Hilit"u island before hauling away for Sunda
strait
The bark made good weather of it, and we
had crossed the equator and run down ON the
new course until Biliton 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 the
north We looked for a change Mt sunset, but
nothing came, and the night passed without
wind enough to move feather. My watch
was below when daylight came, and We got
the word To turn up lively. To the northeast,
of the coast of Bornco, two or three green
islands We're in sight and between us and the
islands were two native craft hearing down
upon us. These craft We're 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
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 10y the use of sweeps. The
calm still held, but it was clear enough to a
sailors eye that should have a breeze AS
soon as the sun began IL climb up. No man
asked himself the errand OF those boats max
ing ont for the HuntreSs. At that time and
locality there could be but one answer. The
captain presently called us aft and said:
Men, til" craft which you see pulling out
for us are pirates. We shall have a breeze
within au hour, iut they will be here first
If We cannot hrat them oil we are dead men
They take no prisoners. | look to see every
man do his duty
We gave him cheer, and began our prep
arations The cook ordered to fill his
cuppcr' fun Of water and start rousing fire
aud the arms We're brought up and served
out. There were three or four men who hal
served at IL heavy gun, and these took charge
uf the cannon, and the piece was loaded with
a she'll When the captain called for some one
L. the rifles, the only one who answered.
was AN American lie took them aft, loale,t
them with his own han,ls, and 10y the time the
pirates We're within mile we were as ready
IrS could I've. The bark was lying witt.
her head Ia the east, and the fellows wer,.
npnrusl, hing us from the north ON our broad