The record-union., 1894-11-02


there for a season. Don't go to Japan, be-
cause the people of that lovely country
are extraordinarily honest and polite
They wouldn't rob man under any con-
sideration, and as for making poor devil
walk plank, or Sitting the windpipe of
lnckless captive, they would much
rather perform hara-kiri and pass to an
other and better world.
But right across the way from the Land
OF the Rising Sun is China, which was a
mother of pirates before the first pyramid
was built, and still produces them in
regular harvests year by year. l have
studied the Chinese pirate in his home
and native lair and have heard weird tales
OF piracy from the lips of pirates them
selves. At least that is what they made
when the translator had done with them.
For instance:
In the good old days, when pirate
had achieved a certain amount of sue
cess he could come back to his own
country and after a little negotiation
could be welcomed by the officials and no.
bles who before had set a price upon his
head. Nor has the practice died out even
to-day. In 1860 young man in South
China by the name OF Ii Yu, who was
ferocious courage, started out on the
career OF crime. He was a thief, burglar,
bighwayman. murderer and pirate. His
name and fame spread far ana wide until
the Chinese Government offered a
princely ransom for his capture, living
or dead.
He defied the officers of the law and
organized band of men of the same type
and nature as himself. They adopted the
old pirate banner, the ''black flag" and
under the name of "Black Flags" became
famous or Infamous throughout the Mon
golian Empire.
MADE GOOD FIGHTERS.
When the Franco Chinese war broke
out the French were at first successful
and drove the Chinese through 1onquin
and across its boundaries into two ad
joining provinces. When the Chinese
General was in despair Lii Yu came for
ward and volunteered with his men upon
condition OF amnesty, with uniform and
rations. His request was complied with,
and the following week the Chinese
army, led by the "Black Flags broke
the French regiments into pieces and
gave them the worst defeat they expert
enced in their Asiatic campaign. When
the war closed the Chinese Government
made Ii Yu MajorGeneral with full
pay and a handsome honorarium for his
past services and gave to each OF his staff
officers lucrative position i'll the civil
service, army or navy. Even at the
present moment the ex-thief and assassin
is one of the great lords OF the Celestial
common wealth.
He visits Canton and The other leading
cities in south China from time to time,
and is received with open arms by tho
Mandarins, who have been enrolled in
the book of honor for their virtues and
pIobity. but whenever he comes every
shopkeeper, merchant and banker who
learns OF the fact closes his establishment
Ior the day and converts it in lily into
a fortress, with every clerk armed for the
emergency.
More than one hundred families of high
distinction in China derive their title and
their social position from some pirate an
cestor. Such examples as these form the
staple subject OF conversation throughout
the Empire. They exert profound in
nuence and lead them to believe that
crime, however reprehensble in single
transaction, becomes respectable and
1nerjtorious when committed wholesale,
and that piracy is one of the best callings
III which to attain fame, fortune aud i'm
perial favor.
HoTBEDs OF BUCCANEERS.
The two great hotbeds of buccaneers
in the East are the same to-day as they
have been for centuries-Amoy and Can
ton. In each case the name is not strictly
accurate. The Annoy people proper. who
walled city, are very quiet, peaceable and
orderly, and have pronounced antip-
athy Tor fighting, whether on sea or
shore. But back of Annoy is the noun
famous district of Tong-an. 1t is con-
nected with the ocean by many arms of
the sea. Its soil is sterile and its re-
sources are very few; Its people, iik o
ell mountalneerS, are thin, muscular
brave and resolute. Even to-day they
preserve a semi-independence of mill
tary nature.
They are admired and feared by all
their more pacific neghbors. Once
aroused they are perfect demons in the
fray. In 1871 a new local tax was as
sessed by q Government official, of which
large portion was levied upon this dis
trict. Although the exaction was unjust
and uncalled for, all the other districts
paid their share uncomplainingly and
without protest.
The elders of Tong-an, however, sent
word that they would not pay one farth-
ing. The Mandarins replied that they
would go up and collect it there them
selves. The response was prompt and
significant: Come and collect, but bring
your army with you" A General was
accordingly dispatched with q regiment.
with instructions to collect the impost
and TO behead all the elders VINO had
taken part in the refusal He marched
into the district and met with no opposi-
tion until he reached the leading town
He found it deserted and every house
empty. This SO enraged him that he
burned and destroyed number of houses
and killed or captured many buffaloes
and horned cattle.
MADE SHORT WORK OF HIM.
1t was evening when he got through his
work OF obstruction, and, desirous of get
ting out OF the country as soon as possible
he started on his return march. At
nightfall, when moving through narrow
pass, has command was surprised and am
pushed by the natives, who killed two
thirds OF his soldiers and took MIN pris-
oner. They wasted no time, but buried him
in hole up TO his neck in quicklime and
then put molasses upon his head to at
tract the insects. He was, of course. dead
the next morning when they cut off his
swollen and dlshgured head and SEM il
with their compliments to the local gov
Rrnment.
The tax was never collected.
THE PIRATE KING.
There is an old man who lives in luxurv
on the island of Hainan. He aconireC
his wealth by long years of freebootinr
and is known to. day as the King of tha
Pirates, His house is a rambling bunpa-
low, one story in hight, which incloses a
labyrinth of rooms and corridors. They
are fitted up with view to comfort. and
contain enough furniture for seaside
hotel. Around about are fertile fields,
which supply five or six crops each year.
and in front is the sea, which at this point
IS particularly rich in fisheries. What
with farming and fishing the old man is
independently rich from Chinese point
of view. But it is whispered he increases
his income materially by means of we'll
manned and well armed junk, which lies