The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-02-14

4 0ans combined in {; protest to the Chi
nose government, and several expedi-
tions were fitted out and many piratical
nests broken up. but the best work OF
. all was done in 1857 by the expedition
fitted out by the Chinese authorities.
To the astonishnent Of all other nations
and the pirates themselves, the govern
! ment decided to move against Whang-
aoa- Wing, sea robber who haunted the
coast between Shanghai and the mouth
of the Whang-Ho river to the north.
/ Between these two points there are over
200 islands and many small rivers and
bays, and as near as could be figured
the boss pirate had ~ craft and about
500 men. Had he attended strictly to
the business Of capturing, robbing,
burning and killing the Chinese author
titles wouldn't have bestirred them
selves, but when it was found that he
was melting rebellion rs well and boast
ing that the government was afraid OF
him up it was decided to break him up
as soon as possible.
z In the spring of 1867, when it was
decided to move, there were many
Americans in Shanghai. Among them
were at least 80 ex-Confederate naval
and army officers The Chinese govern
meDt entered into contract with Lieu
tenant r. D. Rhodes, who was for
time in command of a harbor defense
craft at Charleston, to fit out and man
q vessel to hunt down and break up
4 Whang- Hoa- Ying's band. He regularly
%h4 a
title and received carte blanche to go
ahead in his own way. For many rea-
sons he selected sailing vessel instead
of q steamer. The other expedition re-
ferred to had made use Of steamers, and
the pirates had become suspicious Of that
sort of craft. An American bark called
the Hope, which had made her first
voyage to those waters, was purchased
and fitted out, and when the crew came
to be made up every American who
would join was given the preference.
After them came nine Engllshmen,
three Frenchmen and four Germans To
tell the truth about these 16 men, all
I were deserters from men-of-war, and in
several instances they had been encour-
I aged to desert by the offer of high
wages. The pay Of common seaman
was raised to $2S per month, sum
which made the Chinese authorities col
lapse with amazement, but Rhodes in
sisted that they must have picked men
if the expedition accomplished any
thing When all was ready, we had
crew of 60 men, 40 of whom were Eng
\ ish speaking, and the other 20 had been
drafted off Chinese war junks and rec
commended as fighters
The bark was renamed the Red
Dragon, nine guns and plenty Of small
arms put aboard, and when she sailed
4 away in search of the pirates the govern
ment authorized Rhodes to attack, sink,
burn and destroy any and all suspicious
craft, and to shoot, hang or otherwise
kill any subject of China whom he
might suspect of being a freebooter.
q Under these instructions he could have
. sunk hundred peaceful traders and
Il hung thousand innocent men, and
there would have been no official in
I quiry. No time was set as to the dura-
ton of the search, the bark was permit
4 ted to go where she pleased, and writ
d ten order would compel any public off,
cial or private person to supply her
with anything wanted in the way OF
stores at whatever port she called. The
fact that an expedition was fitting out
could not be kept secret, nor was any
care taken to prevent news from reach
ing the ears of the pirates. The day be-
fore we sailed we received letter from
sold Whang- Hoa- Wing, in which he said,
va shall be ready for you and not run
II away, and within two weeks your ship
4 shall be mine, and will have the head
scf every man of the crew." We realized
shat we were going in search Of a crafty,
\ desperate outlaw, who would show no
mercy and was not given to boasting,
but nevertheless all were in good spirits
! y we laid our course for the north
There are four or five mouths to the
svhang- Ho river, with dozen large and
1 small islands off the coast, and it was
publicly reported that the pirate CHIEF
1 Ia his rendezvous in that neighbor-
Mod. he had escaped the other expedi-
/ tacn By going up the main stream and
Il tributaries In sailing up the coast
4 d made numerous stops to search the