The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-04
CLEANING OUT PIRATES.

end of the Malay peninsula, the China SEE
to the north for four hundred miles il
studded with islands. They number, great
and small, a good hundred. Some are not
more than an acre in extent, and some arr
fifteen miles long A portion Of these
islands is occupied by Malays, and the re
mainder by Dyaks. The first come from
the peninsula, and the second from Borneo
There is but little difference between the
two races, but what there is favors the
| Dyak. He Is cleaner in his habits and has
more mercy on his captges.
Up to the year 1850 these islands in the
China sea were the rendezvous of pirates
| There was at this time some inter.
national dispute about the islands and
John Bull fought shy of complicating mat
| tiers by opening war on people who even
| boasted that they were pirates.
In this emergency the foreign traders on
the peninsula, assisted by othersin Siam
! and along the China coast, bought the brig
Campo of her Scotch owners and quietly
fitted her out as a man-of-war. She was a
large, stout and handsome craft, and she
was QUILTED at Pahang. She was armed
with nine guns on a side, with a Long
hang she had 100 men aboard. That was
| crowding her somewhat. but as she was a
clean, new ship and well provisioned there
was no growing. Her crew had been
picked up at half dozen different points,
and were all sailors and white men. l am
quite sure that the captain and lieutenant
and fourteen English sailors aboard were
quietly drafted from n. ID. S. Kildare, but
fl.aN
rious American, French, German and Rus
sian ships. When the brig went out Of
Pahang she was match for anything Of
her size ever foated, and no crew were
ever under better discipline. She carried
three extra boats, and, as had helped to
stow her ammunition, / knew that she
had great plenty.
There were men on the peninsula who
were in communication with the pirates,
and to befog them we ran off up the Gulf
of Siam until we sighted Cape Campodia
Then we headed to the northeast, and at
once began the work of Disgusting the brig
An old set of sails were bent on, the paint
pots brought out, and in the course of
twenty-four hours we made the Relief, as
she was called, look like tea barge or
trader. 1t was no use to hunt pirates with
a man-of-war. They were altogether too
sharp to be caught under her guns.
We cruised up and down the China sea
for week, keeping well over toward the
8Orneo coast, but met with no adventure.
Then we got the tail end of a hurricane,
which we rode out safely, and after it sub
sided we limped along TO the north with
foretopmasts down and sails torn and rent.
4 sailor looking at US from a distance of
nalf mile would have said that we had
pulled through by the skin of our teeth. A
dead calm usually follows storm in that
sea, and as we were opposite Opokonoke,
or the westernmost island of the Philippine
group, we were not surprised to find our
selves within five or six miles of the green
coast and without steerage way. This was
The state of affairs at sunrise on very sui
try morning. and as the tide set shoreward
we drifted in for couple of miles and then
let go our anchor in forty feet of water.
The Dyaks not only had as good marine
glasses as any ship carried, but they had
erected platforms in the tops of tall trees,
and could see as far out over the ocean as a
man at our masthead could see inland.
We knew that they infested that island,
and had no doubt we should soon be an OBJ
iect of scrutiny. For this reason all but q
dozen men were sent below, and those re-
manning on deck were dressed as merchant
sailors There was a man or two in the
rigging, apparently engaged in making re-
pairs, but really to watch the coast, and at
about high noon it was reported that a
sarpan was approaching. The craft is
sort of Indian canoe mads of bark, and in
this case there was but one occupant. He
was doubtless coming as u scout to see how
matters stood. He came straight on until
within half a mile OF us, and then halted
and took n long survey. Our ports were
up, yards askew, lot of rattle hanging
over the stern, and il did not take him long
to determine that We were a merchantmen
in distress. To further this idea we waved
n white cloth at him, as if inviting him TO
come on board. He came no nearer, al
though he stood up and waved his arms, as
if saying that he would return TO the shore
and bring US help. Back he went, padding
with all his might. and then We felt quite
sure that the game Was in our hanGs. The
crew were called to quarters shot, shell,
and grape passed up, and when cutlasses
and pistols had been served out we were
ready.
As the tide was setting inshore the
briEIs stern was toward the island. We
quietly tailed on to the spring which had
been set and brought her taTbeard broad
side 20 bear. This maneuver might have
aroused the suspicious of the DyAks had
we not taken so much pains 10 disguise the
brig. AS it was. they doubtless argued
thar il was for the purpose Of assisting Is
in our repairs. At any rate, At about
O'Clock IN the afternoon, we caught sight
OF their fleet coming cut The sea WIS
smooth and CLASSY, and we could see the
craft almost 80 soon rs they ieft shore,
There were i've Of the native CRATE called
prahnS, These are clumsy looking affairs
to European, but, rs matter az fact,
arc light, buoyant ana quite safe q
heavy sea, None Of those approaching rs
had TaGsts or sails, but were propelled o.
rowcrs- Each had small iroa cSnner
mounted on the bows. and the rowing and
steering was done from behind screen or
uarr!t;on, which crossed the boat about a
third Of its length from the bow. As thc-
came nearer we could count about twenty
men in front of each screen. Some had
and all had the sword like weapon
called 6 kris.
While cur guns were loaded ard the
ports ready TO be dropped the most OF our
crew were out Of sight behind the bui-
warks. The prAhns came o. IL hue until
about half = mile away, and eren they
formed in line the other way. That i,
zach was now bow On 20 us, vita "a IN
- - -,,t mora than ian fast bot -Aer ~.