Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-07-26
CHINESE PIRATES.
a Brief but Successful Warfare
Upon Them.
How Two Gangs OF Cut-Throats and Their
Leaders Were Disposed of-A Fearful
RetrIbutIon for Their Mon
strous Grimes.

From the year 1852 to 1854 the Chi
nese Sea, from Shanghai in the
north TO Singapore In the south. was
infested with pirate craft As for that
matter, this sea had been the cruising
ground OF pirates for a score Of years
previously, but l mention these two
years for particular reasons. One was
that / was engaged in vigorous
warfare against them, and the other
that the close of 1854 witnessed the
death OF the leading spirits and broke
up piracy as trade.
In those far-back days comparatively
nothing was known OF China outside
OF a few seaports. Treaties we're OF
little account, and Consuls were few
and far between. Every merchant
ship was expected 10 defend herself,
and the Captain OF every man-of-war
had authority TO lombard any town
which refused TO renew his water and
provisions. All nations were trading
with China, but, aside from a few sea-
ports, all China hated all other people.
AT the docks at Hong Kong could
drink tea with the Chinese merchants.
lLah mile away the people would
have cut me TO pieces. While the
country wanted to sell its products, it
hated the men who bought them. While
1t wanted the goods OF other countries.
II despised the makers and shippers.
There Is no doubt that the Chinese
Government taeitly encouraged piracy,
and, could the great mass OF the popu-
lation have had its say, not single for
eigner would have ever been allowed to
land on the coast.
In the year '54 there was an asso-
citation at Canton called the " Foreign
Traders. II was composed Of Ameri-
cans, Englishmen, Germans. French
mon, Spaniards aud Russians, and
numbered over sixty Representatives.
The capital represented amounted 10
millions, and the object was threefold.
We had more power with the Chinese
Governmcnt than any foreign Minister.
We had rules and regulations regard
ing the tea trade. We could carry "A
point by protests and threats. Every
pound Of tea from district five hun
dsed miles square had to pass through
our hands. We filed many protests
against the pirates and the laxity OF
the Government in hunting them
down, and were finally officially in
formed that we were at liberty 10 take
any steps we deemed best in the mat
ter That meant that we could ft out
craft and go for the rascals right and
loit-hnnded. We had been anticipat-
ing this, and had craft ready AT
Hong Kong. She was an American
schooner Of excellent model and large
spread OF sail, and we knew that we
could outsail any thing, native or
foreign, We had ever seen in those wa
tcrs. We armed her with Long Tom
and four twenty-four Founders, having
fought the guns from the sale Of the
salvage OF French man-of-war.
Ihon we picked up a crew OF fifty men
AL Foreigners and sailors-and when
wo went out OF Hong Kong we were
prepared 70 give the pirates Hail Co
lumbia. ! was purser OF the schooner.
which was called the Revenge, and her
Captain was an Englishman named
Wetherbee, who had served as COM
missioned officer In tho regular service.
The First Lieutenant was an American.
and the other officers were divided up
umong the other nntionalisies. We
iew the association flag. and while we
were az liberty TO go for pirates, we
were warned that any mistakes would
be made 70 cost us dearly.
Tho two boss pirates of that date
Wero Shung-Wong and chin-Lung.
The lirsi had o heet OF seven or eight
craft, and haunted the sea from Singa-
pore north 70 the Tong-Kin Islands.
The second cruised from thonce as far
north a. Shanghai, having his head
quarters II Formosa Island He WAS