Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-09-25
Cleaning Out Pirates.

pore for traffic in the Java Sea mysteri-
ously disappeared, and no trace of them
could be discovered. Two more were
added to the list early in 1869 and about
July it was whispered around that n
nest of pirates had been discovered on
an island of the north coast of Java.
II the news was true the chieftain of the
gang must be Il bold fellow indeed. and
needed looking after at once.
The merchants ut Singapore were talk
ing of fitting out ship to investigate
when II. NJ. cruiser The Shark arrived
She was one of the old-fashioncd ten
gun briggs once so numerous, and Mt that
time was engaged in survey of the
south coast of Bornco, or about TO be
AS L was one of her crew l can relate
what happened during the next two
weeks iirst-handed.
1t seemed that the story of the pirate
was accepted us fact, for we over.
hauled our armament, took in n LOT of
ammunition and strengthened our crew
by fourteen men before sailing. These
men were drafted out of n crew belonu
ing to man. of-war which had been
wrt cked on the Malay coast, and nil
were old hands. The captain rot his
bearings from some source unknown to
us, and when we left Singapore the brig
was headed to the east. We logged
along down the coast of Sumatra for n
week without finding any unusual incl
dent, and though we spoke score of
crafts none of them had any information
about the pirate. The crew had berun
to rldicule the idea when something oc-
CURED to open our eyes very wide.
One morning, about an hour after dav
light, we came up with n Dutch trader
which was taking care of herself. Ali
her sails had been cut away, ropes were
flying in every direction and she was SO
low III the water that we wondered WHY
she didn't 30 down. When n boat
pulled off to her it was to find the can
tain mortally wounded and his wife and
two sailors still aYd dead and horribly
mutllated on the deck beside him. We
got him oil, but had no time to give the
bodies burial before the little craft went
down. The captain was man about
forty years of age, aud though hardly
alive when we found him he rallied
ShNuSh W lGii HIS story.
The trader had been traffickinr alono
the Java coast and had finally complete
his cargo and headed for Singapore.
Just ut sunset on the previous evening he
had been ovcrhauled by native craft
carrying about forty men. He was then
about ten miles off the coast and about
five miles south of an island known as
"Queen's Bower" He had no suspicion
whatever Of the natives, and the first
thing he knew they boarded his craft
and began to cut and slash. When they
had finished the crew they began to
plumber and strip the vessel, and were
with her until midnight. Before leaving
they bored her full OF holes, and we had
reached her just i'll time to rescue the
captain. The first craft was joined by
two others later on, and the three car
RED at least hundred desperate fellows.
The captain heard and understood enouph
to satisfy him that they were an organ
iZcd gang OF pirates and that they were
also well equipped for their bloody bust.
ness.
The island mentioned was not over
twenty mics away, and rs the Java Sea
was and is a great highway, it did not
seem possible that men would take such
risk rs those pirates had. The trader
said that no less than three friendly
sails were in sight when nc was attacked,
but all too far away to signal, even if he
had been warned iii time to do some
thing. Owing to the shoals surround
irg the island our craft could not an.
proach near enough to use her guns and
shell the fellows out, and we were no.
strong enough to land from our boats
and deal with them. The sight of an
armed vessel nosing around would put
pirates on their guard, and so it was re.
solved to play them Yankee trick. We
ran into bay on the coast and set to
work.
You are probably aware of the fact
that an English man-of- war, no matter
how large or how small, is pattern of
neatncss and regulation, and the cut of
her sails will alone establish her idcn-
tlty while her hull is yet below the
water line. We had, therefore, to I'M
do and overhaul great deal. We put
everything in seeming confusion aloft,
disguised her hull as much rs possible.
and when we left the bay The Shark
mao the look of merchantmen which
had been through typhoon and was
too short handed to make repairs. Tho
Dutch captain died on the day after we
found him, and his last words were n
prayer that we might fall in with and
punish the pirates.
1t was just at daylight that we an
peared off the north coast of the island
and anchored on a bank about three
miles from the beach. Men were sent
aloft as if engaged in repairs, boat wa,
got down as if to work on the hull. and
the bulk of the crew remained in hidino
below. No doubt the fellows ashore had
lookout in some trees, and provided
with good glass he could see every.
thing going on aboard. 1t was hardly
sunrise when small native craft with
four men in her came out to within pistol
shot OF us to make an investigation. Our
captain hailed them and they replied