Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-05-08
THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE.
THRILLING INCIDENTS AND OAR.
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA.
A Fierce Battle With Ruthless Chi
nese Pirates-A Tale of Disaster
ut Sea-A Cowboys Nerve.

IN the year 1860, writes w. L.
Merton. in the New York Ledger,
piracy had become a crime of so
frequent occurrence on the east
coast OF China that, upon the suppli-
cation of body of ship owners in
Hong Kong, the British Admiral upon
that station resolved to take strenuous
measures tor its suppression. A
strong, teak-built bark, the "Rajah, u
was lying in port, waiting for char
ter; che had been on East Indiaman,
and though anything but fast sailer.
was sturdy old vessel that would
stand any amount of battering from
the Chinese trading junks OF those
days. The Admiral saw the captain
and consignees of this ship and made
arrangements with them that she
should ostensibly be placed on the
berth for Shanghai, receive fictitious
cargo of apparently great value, be
secretly armed and equipped, and sent
out to be preyed upon by the pirates.
A large quantity Of rice was first
sent on board then many long, heavy
cases, supposed to contain machinery,
but really Armstrong guns and Mimic
rifles; flour barrels hall filled with
powder, and lastly, under strong
guard, fifty treasure boxes, duly
marked as specie from q wcll.known
bank; the dollars, however, we're
spherical shot and shell. The blue.
peter was hoisted, the vessel duly
cleared and towed through the Ly.ee.
moon passage by small steamer, one
rather foggy afternoon. The last and
most necessary thing now remained to
be accomplished, viz, the shipment
of crew of ''blue. jackets" and that,
OF course, had to be performed under
cover of darkness, and when the
"Rajah" was fairly out of harbor.
was one of the few in the secret OF
the expedition, and after much per-
suasion the captain of the bark per.
mitted me to accompany him. Two
days prior to our departure several
heavily armed tai-mungs Grading
junks), of most suspicious appearance,
left port, and we had but little doubt
these would prove our adversaries.
We anchored at given spot near the
entrance to the Ly-ee. moon, and, OBJ
scured from sight by the fog, two
boats, with muifled oars, containing
forty men. of.war's men and two Off.
GERS, came of to us, and, silently as
possible, We proceeded to the work
OF mounting the guns, and getting
everything ready to give n warm re-
ception to our foes. Before morning
broke all this was accomplished; we
weighed anchor. and stood out to sea.
The morning breeze lifted tho mist
which had enveloped us, and as we
sailed in, on the port tack, towards
Mrs Bay, we deserted n fleet of five
large junks lodging about under easy
sail, and evidently edging towards us.
We let few ropes hang slack, and
four men laboriously hoisted fore
topmast studding sail, to give us ar
appearance OF being n hort-handed
and slovenly ship; then hauled il
down again as it would not stand. ant
sailed along most unsuspectingly
Presently the five junks managed tc
hem us in circle, and n heavy sho'
hurting through our mainsail bespoke
the real character of our erstwhilt
consorts. We Immediately tackled shir
and pretended to flee, but before We
were well out of stays-for the
'Rajah" was slow on her heel-tht
junks ranged right alongside, and, af
ter delivering heavy volley, com
menced to board us. Then our port
flew open. a crashing broudside wa
poured into the vessels OF our assail
ants, and the fight began in earnest
Up went the st. Georges ensign t.
the peak, and n ringing British chee
drowned the cries and imprecation
of our enemies, rs terrific hand-to
hand fight ensued. The tars were il
their element, and how they did fight
Steady and sure was every blow struck
and every death. dealing gun fired
Our decks were bestrewn with tn
corpses of our foes; three junks wen
down beneath the ruddied waves
bearing the living and the dead; bu
still the battle was not ended. Th
other two tried to steal oil in diferen
directions. but we followed up the on
and sank her with our heavy metal
the other would have outsailed us, bu
her main-mast had been shot away
and we ranged up to her. We calle
on her to surrender, but she turne
like tiger at bay, snarling her rag
and hatred till she too succumbed t
Neptune.
Lieutenant Mninwaring, our com
mander, was brave, kind.hearte
sailor he had the boats lowered an
sent to pick mp many of our toes VIII
were swimming around. They woul
not accept the proffered succor, br
chose present watery grave to
gibbet that ioomed in the future.
was dogged courage they displayed
and 1 could have pitied any but sue
ruthless fiends rs they.
The fight was over, our mission fu
filed, and now all that remained wa
to muster our crew, clear up deck
and sail back to port. Six of th
"blue .jackets' and two of th
"Rajahs" crew were killed, while owe
a dozen OF the rest, including tn
second lieutenant, were more or les
wounded. The loss on the pirates
side must have been fearful, as eac
boat contained over hundred mer
: We received quite an ovation on on
= return to Hong Kong, and Chimes
, pirates, for some years after. had
! good, wholesome dread of molestjn
foreign merchant vessels.
Thrilling RESCUE of n Crew.
When the British tank steame
Snow Flake, from Penarth, arrived {
, Philadelphia recently. n thrilling tai
of disaster, suffering and rescue of
crew of twenty -one men from an abar
doned ship was unfolded. The rescue
men composed tho crew Of the MOI
wegiau ship Senta.
. 1t was on March 16 last that th
Senta set ont from St. John, Ne
Brunswick, for Newport, England