The Washington times., 1895-06-02
1lth and r Sts.
CHINESE PIRATES.
Copyright, 1887

IN the summer of the year 1S49 the Eng
lish frigate Panther was cruising up and
down the Yellow Sea, and one afternoon,
when we lay becaImed behind the head
land OF Kiung, we heard sharp firing IN
the bay around to the south. AS the frig-
ate herself could not move five boats were
lowered and ordered to pull around and
investigate.
The sound Of the guns tnspirited the
men to fresh exertions and mad race to
be first ensued between the crews The
first lieutenant, who was in the pinnace.
and, nOirofficer, commanded the party.
encouraged the sailors TO pull their best.
Give way, men-puH your hardestf
The pirates have attacked some craft which
ran IN here for shelter, and il NAV be one
Of our own cOuntrymeni" he called out,
and the crews nobIy responded TO his ap-
peal
Now we were rounding the point and
opening out the bay. There, sure enough,
before our eyes deed OF blood was being
enacted in broad daylight and under the
open canopy OF heaven A small English
Dark was resisting an OyeTpOWering attack
from some half dozen piraticaI boats. The
smoke yet curied laZily above the scene OF
the conflict, but the guns had ceased to
throw the deadly shot and firearms were
laid aside. for the pirates were now running
their boats alongside the helpless vessel, in
tending TO carry her By boardiDg-an oper-
alton their greatly superior numerical
strength would easily enable them to effect
At sight of the imminent peril in which
their cOuntrymen were placed the Pan
ther's men gave way with. If possible. re
doubled energy. 1t was an exciting mo-
meDt
UDaccust omed to witnessing. such a
game OF life and death, looked anxiOusIy
ahead as tue swarm of pigtailed ruffians
began TO pour on board the iII-fateG bark
1t was terrible to think OF the fate await
ing the small crew who had kept up the
unequal conflict so long if they could not
maintain it Just a few minutes more I
could hear my heart beat as 1 strained my
eyes TO watch the desperate struggle
'HurTahF' could not help the express
sion OF satisfaction from rising to nv lips
as I gathered that the villains were taking
to their boats with all possible speed Our
brave fellows CheeTed Justify on learning
the good news, which was not slow in
communicating to them. The pirates had
caught sight of US and were preparing to
Zee from an enemy they dared not face.
Our boats almost spraDg out of the water
as the Lieutenant sang out:
Give sheet, men. They are making
for the shorel''
Our course was now slightly altered as
we steeTed in pursuit OF the fugitives. They
made for the bottom OF the bay, and we,
like sleuth hounds, followed to cut them
off. As we neared this point we found
that it was to all appearances their head
quarters. counted four rOwbOats fun OF
pirates making for the shore, and there
were three ordinary sized Iunlls at anchor
near the beach, between projecting rocks
which formed a sort Of small Iand-lecked
cove. 1t was from these junkS that our
friends had sailed, and thither they were
returning with all possible dispatch
On the shore were gathered number OF
people, chiefly women, awaiting the result
of the chase. The pirates had a consider
able start, and consequently reached the
Junks before US From the fact Of their
taking TO their large craft. and not max
ing for the land, we concluded that they
Intended to risk an encounter, and not
suffer their shipping to be burned without
an effort at defense Nothing Ioath were
any of our men. Yet it was in reality a
hazardous attempt, for the pirates Ger
tainly outEumbeTed US, and for anything
We knew they might be REINFORCED from
the shore.
Now we neared the junks. which were
crowded with men, fierce-loOking fellows,
having the sinister cast of cOuntenance OF
the Tartar race. As we approached the
enemy opened fire with their gingalIs and
muskets. The shot flew about US on all
sides, but our fellows, nothing daunted by
the iron hail. did not relax their efforts in
the slightest, but pulled as il they were
racing at regatta. Allthree boats dashed
on, with their bows almost in line.
Weigh enOughi'' called out the officer,
and in an instant the oars were flung in
board simultaneously and every man rose
to his feet, cutlass in hand The time
had come for measuring our strength with
the foe, and all around US were prepared
e. =
crowd OF copper cOloTed eager faces sglaring
down on US, while some OF the pirates
clambered up to the rail in their anxiety
to be foremost in giving us a suitable re-
ceptiOn. In consequence OF our great nu-
merical inferiority, the first lieutenant
ordered all the boats to board in the first
instance the outermOst junk. which was
also the largest. The two cutters. one on
each side, took the bows as their point OF
attack, for from the weH-knOwn peculiar
of the fore part Of these craft,
they offer great facilities for boarding in
that quarter. The pinnacle. meantime was
going to try it on" at the port broadside,
where steps had beenfixed TO theside.
For perhaps three minutes the pirates
stood up so Ranfully that not one of us
could reach the rail. Then a way was
was either go overheard OF fight with the
pirates, and though they determined on
the latter course we drove them back and
cut them down until only three Were LEFT
to Surrender.
We then took two other Junks in rota.
ton, meeting with more or less fighting.
but by that time every pirate who could
get away made for the shore, and the
whole fleet fell into our possession to be
looted and burned. Only four men of the
crew or twelve ON the bark had ESCAPED
death, but We had savagely Feyenged the
dead Inthe conflict we killed 112 pirates,
and in capturing the fleet we broke up
the most notorious gang iufesting the yell
low sea. LIEUTENANT TRIGG.