Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-12-24

Experience Of an Amateur Pirate on the
Chinese Coast.

experience OF an Amateur PIRATE on the
Chinese Coast
1t has surely fallen to the lot Of few
men 10 come near starving to denth in
land Of plenty, with over 5000 in gold
in their pocket--nay, by reason Of that
very fact. l had shipped at Rangoon
on board a steamer bound for Shanghai,
says writer. When / signed she was
flying Jardine's flag at the main, but
believed she carried the ensign Of every
nation and half the house flags Of the
world in her signal locker. An opium
smuggler 1 was prepared to find her,
that her chief business on the waters
was piracy Of the vilest sort and unre-
deemed by CLINT of romance came
upon me certainly as a revelation.
We attacked no ships, as far as
know, but, handled with marvellous
skill and knowledge of the intricate
coast navigation, she would run in after
nightfall among the rocks and banks
where one would expect sampan 10
take the bottom, while shrieks, flames,
the report OF firearms and clash of steel
would testify to the descent Of my de-
lectable shipmates upon one or another
OF the numerous fishing villages which
fringe the shores of the China sea.
After four months duress 1 struck
blow for liberty. My little hoard OF
morphia-jealously guarded toward
this ntuality-deepened the marco
tism In which the whole crew lay
stepped after a ghastly debauch as we
rode at anchor, and, forsaking all my
goods and chattels and seizing in lieu
such moneys as could find, dropped
into the dlngey and pulled off, shoeless,
hatless, arrayed only in a shirt, trousers
and belt containing the above named
sum (close on e20O), hoping to reach
German gunboat which had been sight
ed In the offing earlier in the day.
But the night was thick and in less
than an hour l found myself close In
shore. The question Of what TO do was
speedily settled by the boat capsizing
among the breakers, leaving me no al
tentative but TO land. Day was break
ing and l lay till next morning In tomb
utabove the road in the hillside, and for
the next three weeks 1 nearly perished
for lack Of nourishment, not daring TO
exhibit gold piece. for had no weap-
on and would certainly have been
robbed and murdered.
would gladly have thrown away all
but one piece, but there was no single
small coin in the sum total, and the re-
suit would have been the same Though
a good walker at that age q had made
a record of 20 miles not long before and
could cover 800 a week without Bills
teri l accomplished no more than zoo
miles in 20 days-traveling only by
night and hiding in tombs or bitches
all day, often rushing back TO my last
deserted lair in terror Of the advancing
sun when no suitable place Of conceal
ment hove In sight.
With paddy and plantains snatched
precariously here and there managed
to exist during those awful weeks
Chan-Chan Is not regarded as a terres-
trial paradise by those Europeans
whom fate malign has compelled TO
sojourn there, but Walhalla was never
hailed with greater ecstacy by the
world-worn pilgrim than was that ce-
lestial sink by myself. Toward the
20th day the smell OF meat cooking abb
solutely oyercame me one morning, and,
at the peril of my life, / emerged into
the light Of day, and laid felonious
hands and teeth on what I believed
was part Of baked cat, in the tempo
rary absence Of the legitimate landlord
thereof.--LondonS Standard.