New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
CHINESE PIRATES

CHINESE PIRATES
AMONG; TYPHOOys AND PIRATE CRAFT BY Cap
tain Lindsay Anderson; WIN hl man '''
PIP. 284. London Chapman d Hail.
All who have read Captain Anderson's Crnise IN an
Opium Clipper will know what TO expect III 'he pres
emit volume The adventures described date a eooo
many years back the period being Just before 'e opc
ing Of Japan to foreign commerce. The author a' ''
time was serving third mate on board TIE opium cap
ner q" Famont " which, being tempting pize Tor the
chinese prates whose lorchas infested the CHINA seds
and this whether she carrying her full cargo OF Tue
drug or WAS returning gha in ballast WIN her
treasure room packed with million or so OF Mexican
iollars-had to prepared for desperate hgs a an,
moment The lamont Of course was built LOT s"ll'
ness and with the sodity OF war vessel bqua'>
~ course she was armed with effective guns plenty Vi
rifles. revolvers cutasses and small-arm ammunition.
q carried q large crew and the drill ard discipline OF
II man.ofwar were practised board OF her Her cap
TAIN Cnllivar presumably fictitious naine) was an au
nlrablc seaman, always ready either 10 hs"l Vi n
noeuvH, and in both proving more thah Hhtch io '0
pirates who perpetuslly plotted his capture inoS'
whose business in those days OF the Tapping rebeio
were compelled to take the risks OF the sea VII uo
coast OF China knew perfectly well that with THESE p
rates there could be urse but tghtng 10 INC
death for the pirates not only gave no quarter ouV
tured their prisoners In the most horrible ihaner' q"
amuse themselves, and Captain GullVar ana MS INC"
he'd given them too many motives for vengeance 10 nope
for anything out the worst ana most lerocous "0"'
ment should they be captured
very embarras sing feature Of the general situation
WAS tbe imposslby OF keeping knowledge OF the opium
clipper's movements from their enemies his arose
from the fast that the pirates had powerful cohhec
lions On shore 1t has long been notorious tlat I'M
nese merchants. and sometimes even Mandailhs' were
frequently interested in patcal expeditions ana some
times actually owned the vessels engaged III such work.
These men we're able the plans OF the opium
traders They would send their spies into business OIL
fees on plausible preexts of business or would 20 tep
selves They would employ these creatures 10 "aVo"
the loading merchant ships and find out the nature
value and disposition Of the cargo, so that when inc
ship sailed the pirates had all necessary Information
concerning her. and could lay their plans Tor oeSes
her with the greatest advantage To themselves the
opium traders tried to battle them by staonns receN-
ing ships ut at From these the clippers received
their csrgoes and in them the treasure brought bhck
was deposited These receivng-shps were so heavily
armed and vigilany watched that they deheu a'ch
Their guns of such calibre that no pirate couu
come within range OF them, and the pirates after max
ing one or two futile attempts upon them had recoS
nized their nvunerability and let them alone thehce
forward But with ali their watchfuiness the captains
of the receiving ships found it impossible TO prevent
information about the clippers from LEAKING out lhev
were compelled to employ Chinese "schrois' as alds
and Intermediates and also 10 admit on board CneSe
merchants; and all these men talked
The present volume naIrates, in highly Interesting
and spirited manner. the experiences OF the lamont
In her trips from and to Shanghai and contains also
a curious account Of hey employment In furthenhg 'he
commercial treaties with Japan which followed Com
nodore Perry,s expedition This last was piece OF
secret service at the beginning of which an amusing
incident occurred. The lamont arrived at NagasaM
In the night. and anchored. Next day swarm VI
Japanese small boats, one hundred and fifty in number
puDed out from the shore under the direction OF some
high official and fastening to tho Eamonts'
barO of he m
tain Gulivar and his officers enjoyed the ex-
ner,ment greatly but after watching the futile
efforts Of the japanese for some time, tey
took pity on the would-be towers. and gave them
10 understand that while the anchor was down they
never could move the vessel. On realizing this the
enterprise was abandoned, and the japanese author
tiles contented themselves with staonng guard boats
all round the ship Curiously enough. though the
men OF the lamont" had been refused permission to
20 ashore, and though strong guard OF soldiers occu
pied the landng-paoe. no attempt to prevent the
landing o. the white men was made when they made
the experiment In effort to procure fresh meat
and they were allowed to carry of bullock when
they had been unable to find an owner for. They
left on the ground where the animal had been fastened
a sum OF money representing its full value, and no
complaint was ever made about the transaction
But to return to the "Eamont's' adventures with
the prates Bound a port In the Gulf OF Petchee"'
Captain Gullvar resolved to save time by running
through a passage in the Saddle Islands, aud to avoid
the pirates this to be done at night. All Dgh'e
were put out or covered, and the was begun The
passage might have been made safely but for a NIUE
misunderstanding. Captain Gulivar. who Of course
remained deck all night, called for light lot MS
cigar and the man TO whom he spoke, not understand
Ing that he merely wanted a match, brought great
battle lantern, the glare of which almost Immediately
drew the fire OF masked battery on shore captain
Gulivar then discovered that two pirate lorchas were
living under the shelter of this battery, close shore
and he determined to silence the battery and destroy
the lorchas With his long pivot guns he engaged the
battery manoeuvrng his ship meanwhile so as 10 con-
h,se his antagonists. The torches could no nothing
In this long-range duel and when the battery was
senced the lamont" was run IN TO where the
lorchas lay and faced their fire Of small arms return
ing IL with her broadside guns. In little whlie tie
Cinnamon had had enough, and when Captain Guiliv%
manned his boats and proceeded to board the enemy
he found them empty, the crews having escaped
ashore The boats then searched, everything OF
yalue taken out of them and they were set on fire
and burned.
Captain Anderson took part IN many encounters OF
the kind, but tho fine seamanship and cool Judgment
OF CAPTAIN Gullivar always banned the hungry pnes,
md sometimes inflicted heavy loss upon them They on
heir part would repeat their attempts with stubborn
resolution, and fought with bravery worthy better
cause. A Chinaman named An Cheong, an adventnref
and millionaire plays quite an important part In the
narrative, and the author and one OF his brother
OfncerS na0 an excitng 4uVcnturc III omuseihS ~"
Choong out OF Shanghai when he was "wanted' by
the authorities for serious rascates Later, his
rescuers made him pay rOndly for this service by
threatening take him back from Japan to Shanghai
Captain Anderson prudently avoids all consideration
OF the ethics Of the business in which he was engaged
and confines himself TO a recital OF the strange and
often thrilling experiences in which he took part. lie
critics uncommony well for a who makes no pre-
Sence of literary training practice. and his narrative
Is all the more interesting for being chronicle OF
sctual occurrences. The book can be heartily com
mended to who like records OF out of theway and ex
citing adventure.
nsskl