Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-12-07
PIRATES IN EASTERN WATERS.
Maipys Arc Stiii the Terror Of tho Seas
Toward the south of Asia.

IOwufu TIC SOutn OF Aseus
Tho Malay ana Eastern waters swarm
with seemingly commercial junks and
proaS. which wear all the air of re-
spcciablity. but are none the less oh
II constant watch for bccalmcd traders
and cargo ships undcrmanncd. In the
Formosa channel the outward and
horncward passengers will see appar.
emily innocent vessels lcis,,rcly drift.
ing in pairs before the wind. They
drag between them huge cable to
which Is fastened u sweep net: ana. II
nothing better turn up, they have I"
he content with what tunnics ana t,r-
tie they may thus catch OF the Pcsra-
dorcs. or the Baracels or In those wa.
trrs. the home of the cyclone. where
rises the lonely Picdra blanca. IT,
however, q Tonkincsc or Chinese ric"
or opium boat drifts near by. anu no
embarrassing European boat Is near.
the nets are draw n In, the swartly isil-
crincn get out their spears ana mus
kc,s. and combine to board and ravagc
the unlucky trader. cutting the throats
of al on board. and sinking the JUNK
when she has been thoroughly cleaned
out. Instances have been known In
which Canton or Foo Choo pirates have
shipped as seemingly harmless ana re-
spectacle voyagcrs on board even Euro
pcan steamers sailing ont of Chinese
ports, ana have risen. when the vessel
was well out mt sea. and mass;tcrcd her
captain and crew. In such Il case one
hears OF Il. for European blood Is An
expensive liquid to spill In the Fast;
hut no mention ever comes To pubic
cars of the hundreds of craft sailed
AMI owned by natives which, year by
year. in the seas east of Singapore. fail
victims 10 the trcachcrOus pirate OF the
Malay peninsula or Cclcbcs or Javan
archipelago.
A wcll.manaed merchant ship with Il
Maxim gun on board would be fairly
safe. for they can only attack In their
boats, md any Qulck-iiring cannon OF
the modern type would he more than
they could comfortably face. 4 steam
or. too. lis long as her engines keep go.
Ing. Is perfectly secure. for their best
chance il In those dead Gains which
come upon the Eastern seas. when the
trader Is helplessly fixed, while tho
"watcr rats" can bring their dhOw or
proa close up with long sweeps, and lin.
ish of the rest In their boats. Yet, IL
this Kind of ancient villainy Is to 20 on
IN those distant waters. at least until
the Japanese have gained firm hold Of
Formosn, II Is outrageous that exam.
pies Of IL revival should 10 furnished
III
Gibraltar
We sincerely hope that vigorous meas.
nrcs viii BE- adopted by the military
authorities of Great Britain In the Med.
i,crrauean 10 identify and clear out this
nest Of pirates 80 near "thc rock" D''
plomacy and diplomatic scruplcs should
all be Pot on one side until the Alhucr-
mas scopndrcds have been c0ndignly
punished, and becoming number of
countrymcn along the ltiif coast. We
shall otherwise have an English mail
or passenger seamer run asher, there
some day with the result of being plum.
dered and her company murdered. The
maritime Arabs along tho coast are
Just the same now, In point Of morality,
as when they rOved the middle sea. n
terror TO all Its shores and when the
Algerinc galleys drove roaring trade
In Christian captives. 4 felucca IL not
much from the point Of view of I.loyds
Shipping Register. but 1t IL an eminent.
~ serious thing that any vessel fiyina
the British cOlOrs should be boarded
and plundered within tho hearing OF
the guns upon the rOck.-LOndOn Tele,
grlph.