The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24


him to go ahead at III speed without
paying any attention to the fog. and in
different as TO whether or not we might
run down and sink any OF the pestilen-
tial junks"
The captain was a veteran OF these
China seas, man OF tried courage who
bore on his breast two medals which he
had received for jumping from his quar-
terdeck into shark-infested waters to
save sailors from drowning. / could.
therefore. only bow to his superior wis
dom and experience and confess that
what had at first seemed to me TO be q !,
piece OF heartlessness was. after all tho
wisest thing that could have been done.
ELUSIyENESS OF THE JUNK.
When we reached our destination .
couple of days later without further adj
venture our skipper. as soon as he had
cast anchor. caused a boat to be low
cred and pulled of toward an English
cruiser that was lying In port. He COM
municated to the captain the fact OF our
passage through the pirate fleet and the
latitude and longitude in which we had
found it, intimating at the same time
that there were one or more white
the cruiser steamed out or the harbor on
an errand Of rescue and OF punishment
that being the kind of work for which
American and English men-of-war and
gunboats are mainly employed in
Chinese waters. namely. the police duty.
But when she reached the spot to which
our skipper had directed her the birds
or Ill omen had flown. That Is just the
difficulty with these pirate junks OF the
Chinese-they are so difficult TO catch
even when found. For. when hard
pressed by cruiser, they VIII deliber-
ately run ashore. no matter what kind OF
coast there may be in front OF them.
and in the space OF ten minutes no trace
remains Of the junk. The latter Is built
somewhat after the manner Of these
Chinese puzzles that are made for the
entertainment Of children. Not a nail -
used in the whole concern; nothing but
leather thongs. which the water serves
to tighten. All that the pirate has to do
when he runs his junk ashore Is just 70
cut half dozen thongs with his creeso
knife and the entire fabric tuInbles to
pieces, while the sails he either buries
in the sand or drags UP into the brush
wood OF some neighboring hill.
The only really successful campaign
that has ever been waged against these
pirates was by the captain OF an old
American man-of-war. the name OF
which / forget. She was little better
than a tug-one OF those old-fashioned
=
guns, but with no speed whatsoever.
The captain, knowing that he could
never succeed in catching up with the
junks before they reached land. was
wont to use ruse. He would have the
sides OF his ship covered with tarpaulin
painted in such a manner as TO make
them resemble those of some merchants
man. Then he would slacken all the
ropes halyards and rigging so as 10 give
the ship very slovenly aspect, and
would then drift along with no one on
deck. so as to convey the impression that
no watch was being kept. The pirates.
Of course. would think that they had an
easy prey within their grasp; and scores
OF junks. each more frightfuI looking
than the others. would be seen gliding
steaithily but rapidly out from shore
When they were within about hum
dred yards Of the cruiser. but not before.
the word would be given by the captain.
The tarpaulins would go up like the cur
tain OF a theater, and before the pirates
had time TO recover from their surprise
or 10 port their helms they would be
raked by an entire broadside OF guns
which would send three-Quarters or their
number 10 the bottom and disable the
remainder.
In conclusion. let me add that, accord
ing TO the government reports which
have just been brought before the Cham
Der OF Deputies at Paris there are at
present in the hands OF Tonking pirates
no fewer than a dozen prominent French
colonial officials, with their wives and
children. who were captured at the
mouth Of the river Meinam by fleet
OF these corsairs. who found no difficulty
In mastering the little steamer on which
the officials In question were proceeding
to their destination From this II viii
be seen that pirates are far from being
an extinct race. and that the world has
by no means seen the last or the black
flag adorned with q skull and cross
bones.