The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-10-15
Man Who Teuorized the Ships
Captains of Pacific.
ALWAYS KIND TO HIS FRIENDS.
Would XIII RuthlessIy and Sometimes
Torment Those Who InsulUed Him.
Always in Trouble With Natives.
Revenge the Death of White Men.

| News has just come to hand by the
recruiting vessel Rio Loge (says the
! "Bundaberg Starr of the death of one
| of those celebrities or characters of the
South Seas known as Pirate Martin.
| On interviewing Mr.. Douglas Rannie
our representative CLEANED the follow
| ing particuIars:-I knew Pirate" Mar
| tin we'll and often met him during my
travels. He was f1ne-looking, hand
some man, and had the appearance
| more OF a soldier than a sailor. He
seemed to be always in hot water, and
never met him without he had a griev-
ance on hand. My first introduction
to him was to dress a wound in his
chest He had been gambling in a
traders house, and had a large sum of
money about him Whilst sitting in a
room adjoining the store Ghe store be-
ing in darkness) a shot came from the
store, and the bullet ploughed across
Martins chest, making very ugly
wound The would-be assassin was
the man who managed the store, and
Immediately decamped after firing the
shot. But not to be outdone, Martin
brought case of dynamite ashore and
placing it under the store threatened
to blow the whole concern ''skyhigh''
if the skunk who shot him did not turn
up. The result was that search party
went out and soon returned with the
deliquent, who was shaking with fear.
Martin then gave him a chance of set
Ting the affair with weapons on the
beach, but the trader was too much
of cur and a coward to fight, SO Mar
tin, whose temper had cooled down,
let him off for a consideration.
The next occasion on which 1 came
across Martin was when l was taking
a trip on a French schooner Ghe Dau-
phine, Capt. Demoselle), my own vessel
having been lost. The only other
Britisher on board the Dauphine ex-
cept myself was the mate, Dick Hen
derson. AS it happened one fine morn
| ing, we were close to Ambrym, when
| what should run out but the cutter
Constantine, ''Pirate" Martin in charge.
He wanted us to heave-to, and he ran
up the French flag to his mast head,
but old Demoselle would not heave-to,
! but called his mate, and said, Dick,
bring de pig The pig was brought.
Now den, Dick bring Won bottle"
| An empty bottle then showed up. Now
then, Dick, made the bottle fast to de
pigs head, den bend on the signal hal
| IL 70 +Io ~
peak And up went pig, bottle, and
all as a reply to Martins signal and
old Frenchy drew himself up as he
remarked, Deere now you tam Bucca-
neer, l tell you you Won drunken pig"
Sacre nom de Diem, Sacre Cochon.
Martins reply was a shot which made
| old Frenchy scuttle below, and sing out
| to the mate, More sail, Dick, put on
| all de sail you can" We returned in a
week or two in the Dauphine to Port
Sandwich, and there we found Martin
waiting for us. We were all bad with
| fever on the Dauphine at the time And
| Martin came on board with a challenge
to Demoselle to fight him for the insult
! given when off the coast of Ambrym.
! But Demoselle was too i'll to fight, and
| the duel was postponed. l was con-
fined to my bed at the time, but I must
/ say that never experienced such kind
ness, attention and nursing, as I re-
/ ceived from Pirate" Martin. He
brought me every delicacy he could get
from his own ship, and any that money
could buy ashore. And through his
care and kindness | was soon able TO be
about again. In the meantime he rob-
bed the Dauphine of everything he took
a fancy to. When DemoselIe managed
/ to walk about, one fine day Martin put
a bullet through the crown of his hat
| at a distance of about twenty paces
I just to let Frenchy know how near he
could go without hurting him. He was
! reckoned about the best shot with rifle
or revolver to be met with about the
/ New Hebrides.
Martin was supposed to be trading
for firm of Noumean merchants when
sailing the Constantine. But when he
/ got full ship he disposed of the car
60 sold the ship and proceeded to Sgd
ney, where he lived in quite a royal
style till the money was spent. Then
the longing came over him, and he
started for the islands again. When
! the steamer in which he was a passen-
ger called at Noumea the French po-
lice got word of his being on board,
and went TO arrest him, but too late, as
Martin had got the tip and gone ashore.
There he annexed boat, took in sup
plies, and made for the New Hebrides
| all alone, and arrived in due time. The
next time l met him he was in charge
of a smart cutter named the Paul
JONES' suggestive nance. He was
then lying at anchor off the Rev Mr.
! Morton's station at Mallicolo. AS usual
p. he was in trouble. [ boarded him on
my way to call on Mr.. Morton, and he
/ then called my attention 10 the state
J of his dingy, which / noticed was all
! smeared in blood. He then informed