Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-02-04
OUTWITTED PIRATES

In the year 1859 British steamer
allied the Fairfax arrived at Shanghai
distress, and upon investigation her
Gamages were found to be SO extensive
lat she was sold to a corporation
mown as "The Golden Tea Company"
was composed of five British tea
Iouses and it had four coasting vessels
1 its trade. This steamer was wanted
o establish line TO the Lioo-Kioo
stands, in the Pacific ocean, but more
.articularly to the Island of Kiu-Siu,
yhere the company intended to estab-
ish branch headquarters.
The Fairfax was side-wheeler of
% tons burden, and noted as being
Iery fast. She was changed about
reat deal in making repairs, and
when | went aboard of her as a wheels
nan l found several things to excite
ny curiosity. The cabin had been
lone away with, and in its place was
an officers messroom aft, and a COM
portable dining-room forward. The
pace between was used for berths and
Ttorage, / noticed that great deal of
he interior wood work was covered
With heavy sheet iron, which had been
painted to resemble wood. The doors
we're very heavy, and were further
protected by metal. The engine room
Was entirely enclosed, and when came
% the wheelhouse 1 was surprised to
ind it so arranged that iron shutters
hung on the inside, could be closed so
is to make little fortress of the place.
Two rifles and pair of revolvers COM
prised the armament. When I came to
ask questions of the mate he informed
me that they were going among law
less and desperate lot, and were pre-
pared for any emergency. In addition
10 what 1 had seen he showed me a six
pound field piece on the promenade
deck, and a score or more of rifles r
room set apart for an armory.
The steamer made her first and
second trips without adventure. The
crew in each instance was composed
almost entirely of white men-English,
American, German, and French
sailors, who had been picked up in
Shanghai. The cook, steward, and
stokers were natives, and on each
trip we carried quite number Of
native passengers, On the third trip
about one-half of the white crew lid
to be replaced by natives, and when
we left Shanghai we had sixty native
passengers. l remarked on the
singular fact that all were men, and
the mate explained matters by saying
it was religious body on their way
to a famous temple situated on the
island we were bouA for. They
looked to me like a crafty, villainous
lot, and my fellow wheelsman, who
was an American named White, pre-
dicted that we should have trouble
with them before the voyage was over.
We had scarcely left port before we
saw to it that all our weapons were
loaded, and we got ''the hang" of the
iron blinds so that we could shut them
quickly. One of us would certainly
be IN the wheelhouse, no matter a.
what hour trouble might come.
AS the steamer only had small load
Of freight, and that was all in the hold,
the party of natives were quartered on
the lower deck. The weather was very
mild and they did not need covering.
The distance from Shanghai to Kiu-Siu
Is about two hundred and fifty miles.
AS we left port at o'clock in the
morning, and averaged twelve miles
per hour until four the next morning,
we were pretty fairly across the big
bay or straits created right there by
the lay of the coast and the location Of
the islands. 1 came on watch at 4
o'clock. 1t was then fairly daylight ,
and the sea was smooth and every
thing very quiet.
My chum gave me the course, re
ported that there was nothing new, ane
went off to turn in. He had scarcely
disappeared when 1 rose two junks
dead ahead, and five minutes later the
lookout on the bows reported them to
Mr. Graham, the first mate. 1t could
pot have been more than ,wo minutes