Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-24

TONER and cast in plaster, which adorn shell
| In the National Museum at Washington, give {
| notion that they must be the most horrible
VILLAINS imaginable. In fact, the scenes Of
butchery and outrage enacted when their free
booting junks capture a vessel are usually toe
oread1ul Tor description. 1t is remarkable that
whereas piracy was common all over the world
century ago. SO that no unarmed ship was safe
anywhere from being bounced upon by nautical
cutthroits. at present. this form Of crime ID
practcaily limited to the China seas.
10 catch pirates ia part of the business of all
vessels OF the United States navy. When q
freebooting craft is overhauled she is seized and
prize crew Is put aboard to fetch her to the
nearest port belonging to the captor. There
she Is condemned and sold, the persons who
manned her being handed over to the civil law
Tor punishment. A ship without n nationality
which commits depredations is pirate How
ever, France regards and treats as q pirate any
ship found on the high seas whose papers are
irregular. even though she has done no violence.
vessel flying a national flag without right to
DO so may be taken and confiscated by any ship
representing the nation to which the colors In
question belong. The United States and Eng
land both regard slave traders as pirates. This
country bangs savers. The last execution of
this sort occurred in 1861. the capture being
made by the sloop of war Mohican. Up to that
year, by treaty with Great Britain, Uncle Sam
was Obliged 70 keep a certain number of men
and guns on the west coast Of Africa for the
suppression of the slave trade.
THE SLAVE TRAFFIC.
Slavery being wiped out in both North and
South America there is no longer any traffic in
negroes between Africa and the new world.
Trade in such merchandise still prospers on the
east coas. OF Africa. however, where a British
squadron is maintained for the sole purpose of
capturing Arab dhows which carry cargoes of
blacks. As late as 1880 the United States main
tanned fleet in the West Indies with no other
object worth mentioning than to catch pirates
About 1910 the island of Barataria, near the
mouth of the Mississippi river, had become a
great rendezvous for freebo2ters number
of armed schooners-dubbed the mosquito
fleet on account of their size-were sent by
this government to nose out the robbers, cruis-
ing around the gulf and the Florida Kevs. One
of these little vessels was commanded by a
young man who died in Washington q wear
ago, Admiral David d. Porter.
In 1882, while taking load Of pepper in the
harbor OF Quallah Batoo, on the west shore Of
Sumatra, the American ship Friendship was
seized and looted by piratical natives. Com
modore Downes was sent to avenge the outrage
He found the place defended by several small
forts, which he proceeded to take by assault.
one after another. They were defended with
desperate courage by the Malays, but all OF
them were captured after great slaughter. 1t
Is by infiictlng salutary lessons in cases Of this
Is assured. one OF the latest instances OF
piracy WIN wnicn our navy has mad to deal oc-
ouI.eu III ioii. steamer caiieo the Forward,
wltno9t halohal1y, haa oeeh committing
uePreoatiohs In tne southern racine. The
s,ooP Vi war honiean pursued ner into the
Teacapan river, on the west coast Of Mexico
There the Forward ran aground and her people
fled to the shore. opening fire from the banks
upon the Mohican. The latter boarded the
PA~Ae"1 'i"i' "niie uiioer nre anu burned ner.
IN THE WEST INDIAN SEAS.
The souadron enpaoed IN bunt;no ont n;ro.os
in IN. Wa, Irdias b.d o,rvars s,es,;... -,
'"i''e"' o0ou-
pauon. Up 70 iooo freepooting was regular
business in these waters. numerous vessels
being constructed especially for carrying it on.
They found refuge in the curious little harbors
around the island OF Cuba. All over that region
there are ever 20 many uninhabited islands and
keys. with harbors secure and convenient for
the cleaning and refitting of vessels. These
isles have plenty of water and abound with
food in the shape OF turtles, sea fowl and fish
Thus they were most admirably adapted to the
purpose OF rowing outlaws. At the same time
.no 9aiinuS ,i,, .n U Via rr"lce. SPAN
Countless prizes in the wav Of merchant cros. '
1t was hardly possible for ships of war to catch
the rovers among the inlets and little bays
which they knew SO well. From these refugees
their piratical expeditions set forth to Guinea
and the Azores, sailing even as far as NADIA
gascar and the East Indies.
In l69o William Ill, King OF England, fitted
out an EXPEDITION against the pirates Of the
west indies. Inc OBJECT OF 1t was chiefly to
get booty, because the rovers had become SC
prosperous that their treasure-laden vessels were
apt to be the richest sort OF prizes. For this
purpose me monarch. being In great need OF
cash, formed sort OF company with half a
dozen noblemen and gentlemen. They put in
the money, while he contributed his royal in
fuence and approval. The gains secured were
not to go into the British treasury. but were to be
dlvlded among the SPECTATORS. What was con-
templated was in effect piratical expedition
against pirates-rather curious anomaly, to
be sure. robert Livingston, the first of that
name to emigrate to america, was at that time
in London. He Joined the enterprise and
recommended one William Kidd for the COM
mand OF the sPoil-seeking ship that was to be
sent out. Kidd was merchant Of excellent
repute. he had commanded a privateer in the
war against France. Having sailed all over the
seas frequented by the buccaneers, he was IA
mlilar with their haunts.
CAPT. KIDDs ApvENTUREs,
William III gave Kidd his Communication a., IT,.
..a 81, h.,ono, G.. ,C:,,. W.
"u0 "AN 0"p' "Aian hiuo.
lrl8ate, carrying twenty guns. called the Adven-
ture, was purchased for 10000, Of which sum
Kidd and Livingston furnished $4,000 each
The vessel sailed in May, 1886, and arrived in
the harbor Of New York in July following.
There the crew Of so men was increased to l55
For reasons best known to himself, Kidd. in
stead Of seeking prey on the American Goa at