The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-13

that the French had been successful in their
operations against the pirates, who have
been keeping third OF that country In tur-
moil for over two years past. 1t is long
existing evil that assumed its most formid-
able phases only after France, four years
ago, ended the buccaneerpg exploits OF
about 500 outlawed Chinese who inhabit-
ing the little islands of the coast, known
as the Pirate Islands, had been a terror to
the coast towns, and had almost parafy zed
the junk trade. When the French invaded
the islands they found stone slabs erected by
Chinese generals declaring that the islands
had been depopulated because their inhabit-
ants were pirates, and forbiddiug any one,
under penalty of death, TO settle there; and
the children of pirates were playing gayly
around the ominous stones.
Not long after the eighty miles Of Pirate
Islands were swept clean of outlaws trouble
began to brew among the mountains of
Northeast Tonquin. Chinese outlaws crossed
the border In larger numbers than ever be-
fore and built strongholds among the
mountains. They found it easy 10 make a
living by plundering native villages and
carrying al kinds of valuables, including
food supplies, to their stockaded camps
But more profitable business was stealing
Tonquinese women and taking them to
China to adorn the harems or the kitchens
of the wealthy.
DR.. Hocquard has described that odious
traffic, which was carried to some extent
long before the French made themselves
masters of Tonquin. At FIRST it was not easy
90 dispose of the poor slaves, but the pirates
asked SO small price that the traffic grew
gradually. To-day the Tonquinese women,
gentle, submissive and laborious, bring a
good price in China, and the pirates and
Chinese middemen, who take the human
freight to China. have become very bold in
carrying on the traffic. The outlaw bands,
surprising village. drag off all the
desirable women to their stronghold
There they are turned over to 500
called merchants, who carry them
over the border into China Some Of
these slave Graders, however, had the
audacity to put the women on boats ship
them down the rivers, past the French posts,
TO the sea, and thence to China, the women
meanwhile being so stupehed with opium
that they were unable to make their pres
ence known. Only girls and young women
are desired for the traffic. The laws of
China prohibit slavery, but that difficulty
is easily surmounted. The code permits the
rich to become the legal guardians Of the
children OF the poor by paying an agreed
sum to the parents The slave dealers pose
as the poor fathers. and the officials wink at
the subterfuge, and, doubtless, profit largely
by the transaction.
The French have been exerting every
energy TO put an end to the crimes Of the
land pirates, aud in particular to stop the
capture and sale Of women. The pirates,
well armed and disciplined, have fought
desperately. Thirty or forty skirmishes OF
battles have occurred. The French loss
has at times been heavy, and hundreds of
the pirates have been killed. The French
have decapitated all the pirates who have
fallen into their hands and one of the Illus
trations made from an instantaneous pho~
tograph, shows an executioner and his
victim the moment before the fatal blow
was struck. The present indications, hap
PLY, point to the speedy suppression of the
widespread brigandage that has brought
so much suffering upon Tonquin.
Another class of Chinese bandits. whom
the French have reduced to submission, are
the famous Black Flags. deserters from the
Chinese army, who nearly a quarter Of
century ago, took part in the TAPPING rebel
lion, and attacked the posts open to
Europeans. Defeated by the Chinese army
about 1000 of the Black Flag rebels crossed
the frontier into Tonquin and terrorized the
couHtry along the s ng Koi riv err where
they lived by brigandage and imposing a
heavy tax on the river commerce. Most OF
the Black Flags are compelled now to earn
their living by honest and peaceable
methods.
Brgaudage has been the greatest evil
with which both French and English have
bad to contend in their Oriental pos essions.
For years England has waged war on the
Dacoits, who live by plumber and have kept
Upper Burmah terror stricken and disor-
gained ever since the soldiers of the Indian
government steamed up the Irrawady to
Mandalay. The British are at last getting
the upper hand of these outlaws, and one of
the most effective measures against them
has p oven to be the law requiring the dis
arming of the entire population, which is
now being carried out.