Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-21


SCENES At NoSKAY--A PART OF THE WORLD
MUCH MATERIAL.
FROM The STARS Travelling Commissioner.
Before leaving Tonking 1 was lucky enough
10 have an opportunity of getting as far as the
actual frontier Of Tonking and China, in the
very midst OF the pirates and Chinese free
hooters, where fighting is constantly on hand
and bloody outrages not yet uncommon. My
friend, VI. Bavier Chauffeur, the managing
director of the Tonking coal mining company,
most kindly offered me the use of his launch,
the Fanny, a powerful and luxurious little
vessel OF 80 tons, and finally accompanied me
himself, with one OF his lieutenants. Mr..
Watts, a man of huge build and fierce beard,
much-traveled aud charming companion and
an intrepid raconteur. The trip was one Of the
greatest interest. and il Is safe TO say that no
Enghshman, except Mr.. James Hart, who
helped to delimit the frontier, has been near
the spot before.
From Hatou where the coal mines are. we
steamed due north along the coast, enter
ing almost at the unique scenery of
Along bay. For hours here we threaded our
way among rocks as thick as trees IN an orchard
enormous towering hills a thousand feet high,
great boulders hanging over sea worn caves,
tall trembling steeples, tiny wood rock islets.
shimmering grottos, and an infinite number of
grotesque water-carved forms-the monk, the
inkstand, the cap of liberty. Ali the afternoon
there was one of these within gun shos on each
side. On one of them we shot an eagle, on an
other big monkey. This is the pirates haunt.
and II Is indeed a glorious thing to be pirate
king when you can run from your pursuer into
Along bay and disappear instantly at any point.
On our way down we came across fleet of sam
pans, carrying a thousand wood cutters to their
WORK. conveyed by gunboat. The commander
hailed US and we went on board. II engage
you 10 be cautious" he said; there IS a we'll
armed band OF pirates reported on the coast.
L would come a little way with you, but have
Just received Geographic orders to stand by
these boats. However, keep good look out"
RUN AGROUND.
By the evening of the second DAY we were
close to our destinaIion-the mouth of the river
separating TOngking and China. 1t was very
foggy internationally, and the pilot had got
about to the end OF his knowledge. He be-
Heved Us, however, to be lust OFF the mouth of
the river. So we held council of war Oh the
bridge aud decided to anchor. The word Was
hardly out of our hosts mouth when-scrunch.
scrunch, under the keel told US it was too late
tuu speed astern, anchors laid out, everybody
on board run backward and forward across the
vessel-none of these things moved Us. We
were high and dry, on a falling tide. Then the
fog lifted for a moment and we saw where we
were--far beyond the mouth of the river
within quarter OF a mile OF the mainland Of
China, and in probably the very worst spot for
the very worst pirate in the whole world. And
IN these seas there is only one tide in the
twenty-four hours. Even profane man would
hardly have done justice to the occasion, and
We were quite silent Then Watts slowly rose
TO the height of six feet three inches took our
wretched Annamlte pilot by the scruf of the
neck, turned him round, and solemnly admin
istered a sound kicking.
The chastisement was deserved, it was thor
ough, and 1t was picturesque; but it did not
help Us In the least For twenty hours we
should be on the sand bank, in two or three
hours we could walk round the launch; never
IN their lives would the pirates have had a such
chance at such prize as the Fanny, and they
could come In any number from the mainland
We tried TO laugh at our bad luck, but the stu
alton was decidedly unpleasant. Watts knew
the country very well, and the natives, as he
speaks Annamese, but We all knew enough to
know one thing-namely, that it would never
do to be taken alive. To blow ones brains out
II necessary is one thing; to be skinned alive is
another. So we made
PREPARATIONS FOR OUR pEFEvsE.
No craft travels in these waters without being
armed and We were particularly well off. We
had each his gun, rife and revolver; three
Sikh guards that NJ Bavier-Chauffour had
brought from the mines had their rifles and
there were six WiDchesters in the rack in the
saloon. The Chinese captain and crew could
all be depended upon; so we posted a sentry
Forward, one aft and one on the bridge to be
renewed every two hours and with orders first
to hail and then to FIRE at anybody or boat
that might approach Then. after dinner we
laid our reyolvers on the table and commenced
an all-nlght game-the second time in NV life
that have assisted at the unholy union of
poker and pistols. Once only were we dis
turbed. About O'Clock the Sikh in the bows
shouted ''SampanI' In an instant We we're on
deck and there. sure enough, was O big black
boat approaching from the sea. We waited
TIL 1t was within couple of hundred yard
long enough to see that it was full of men and
was being rowed in unusual silence; then Watts
shouted In Annamese, ''If you doa't show a light
instantly we shall shoot" There was no an
swer and still the boat came on. He shouted
again and the rifles were at our shoulders.
when the boat showed a lantern. Then slowly
II disappeared back into darkness.
so ended our desperate affair with the pi-
rates. Their existence is no Joke. however
Numbers OF native junks fall into their hands
and within the last two months several Euro
peans have been murdered By them and two
or three, with sums of money in their possess
sion, have completely disappeared A fort
night ago two redoubtable pirate chiefs were
captured, 200 men With l20 breechloaders after
an expedition costing seven thousand dollars
and hundred killed and wounded At a place
called CaobaBg. they are still formidable in the
field, kept BY their IL aders under strict discip-
line and training, and, when hard pressed saws
the Courier dH,qphOng, make their escan.
across the frontier into China where the man
darins help them. And of course every Junk
that leaves the Canton river is heavily armed
with brass cannon, and every European steamer
that pies on IL has open stack Of loaded
rines In the saloon for the passengers use.
AT MoSKAY.
It il long row up the river 10 the little
frontier town OF Monkay This is-or rather
was--a very peculiar place. 1t was built half
on each side of the little stream that forms the
setual frontier. l believe the two halves had
different names, the Tonking one only being
called Monkay, but they were practically one
town. The reason for using the past tense
VIII De plain PRESENTLY The town had no poor
quarter; Its streets were mathematically laid
out; It's houses were ali of brick and stone with
richIy carved and ornamented lintels and caves !:
their inhabitants were all rich In some way or
other this was the outcome Of the alliance of
piracy aud smuggling. When the French came
they did not interfere with the town on their
side of the stream, but on the top of a suyar-
loaf hill fhree-quarters OF a mile back they be-
gan 70 build little fort, and under its guns
they laid out a 'cItadel" inside which to locate
the barracks, officers quarters magazines. &c
Among the first to be sent there was a civilian
ofhcial named Haitce. One day whilst ont
with small party they were attacked by a
band OF Chinese soldiers. They fed, some were
shot, some escaped, Haitce only was captured
He was taken back to a house in the principal
street of the model little town of Monkay tied
down upon table and skinned alive.