The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-06-09
THE FIELD or ADVENTURE
rHp1r11Na INCIDENTS AND OAR
ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA
A Fierce Battle with Ruthless chi
nese Pirates--A Tale OF Dlsaster
ot Sca--A Cowboys Nerve.

A Fierce Battle with Ruthless 'h'
nese Pirates-A Tale OF Disaster
Mt sea-A Cowboys Nerve
TN tho year 1860, writes W, L.
Merton, in the New York Ledger
piracy had become crime Oh sc
frequent occurrence on the east
coast of China that, upon the suppil'
cation of n body OF ship owners IN
Hong Kong, the British Admiral upon
that station resolved totake strenuous
measures Tor its suppression. a
strong. teak. built bark, the "RaIah,
was living in port, waiting for char-
for she had been an East lndiaman,
and though anything but fast saileir,,
was n sturdy old vessel that would
stand any amount of batterlng 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 a 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 MIME
rifles; flour barrels hall filed with
powder, and lastly, under q strong
auard. fifty treasure boxes, duly
marked as specie from q woll-known
bank; the dollars, however, were
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 a crew of "blue.jackets, and that,
of course, had to be performed under
cover of darkness, and when the
"Raiah" was fairly out OF harbor.
Twas one Of the few in the secret OF
the expedition, and alter 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 trading
junks), of most suspicious appearance,
left port, and we had but little doubt
these would prove our adyersarles.
We anchored at given spot near the
entrance to the Ly-ee.moon, and, OBJ
scured from sight by the fog, two
boats, with muhlod oars, containing
forty men.of- wars men and two Off
GERS, came Oft to us, and, silently as
possible, we proceeded to the work
OF mounting the guns, and getting
everything ready to give a 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 fleet of five
large iunks lodging about under easy
sail, and evidently edging towards us.
We let few ropes hang slack, and
four men laboriously hoisted fore
stndding sail, to give us an
appearance of being a short-handed |
and sloyenly ship; then hauled it
Town again as it would not stand, and |
sailed along most unsuspectingly.
Presently the five junks managed to
lem us in circle, and heavy shot
lurling through our mainsail bespoke
he real character of our erstwhile
,onsorts. We Immediately tackled ship
md pretended to flee, but before we
we're well out of stays-for the
'Rajah" was slow on her heel-the
inks ranged right alongside, and, at
er delivering heavy volley, com
nenced to board rs. Then our ports
leWv openY aocrashing broadside was
'eured into the vessels OF our assail.
nts, and the fight began in earnest.
Up went the st. Georges ensign to
he peak, and ringing British cheer
rowned the cries and imprecations
i our enemies, as terrific hand.to-
and fight ensued. The tars were in
heir element, and how they did fight
teady and sure was every blow struck,
nd every deathdealing gun fired.
,ur decks were bestrewn with the
orpses of our foes; three junks went
own beneath the ruddied waves,
caring the living and the dead; but
till the battle was not ended. The
Their two tried to steal of in different
irections, but we followed up the one
nd sank her with our heavy metal
lie other would have outsailed us, but
er main-mast had been shot away,
nd we ranged up to her. We called
4 her to surrender, but she turnel
Ike tiger at bay, snarling her rage
Id hatred till she too succumbed to
eptune.
Lieutenant Mainwaring, our com
ander, was brave, kind hearted ,
ilor; he had the boats lowered and
mt to pick up many of our foes who ,
ere swimming around. They would {
1t accept the proifered succor, but
ose a present watery grave to a
bbet that loomed in the future. 1t
Is uoBgeu courage they displayed, S
d l could have pitied any but such +
thless fiends as they. !
The fight was over, our mission full ,
led, and now all that remained was
muster our crew, clear up decks
d sail back to port. Six of the
and two of the +
iajah's" crew were killed, while over /
dozen of the rest, including the !
'ond lieutenant, were more or less /
unded. The loss on the pirates h
e must have been fearful, as each +
at contained over hundred men.
received quite an ovation on our a
urn to Hong Kong, and Chinese r
ates, for some years after, had h
ID, wholesome dread of molestine :,