Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-06-03
OUR EXPERIENCES WITH
PIRATES
WAS reading in ,hc paper the

that piracy was by no means eNtlnSS
in the east. The article said that piracy
n quite prevalent among the Chinese.
Mlays and other eastern races. and
that many native vessels and few
European ones are plundered every
yea-.~
u has some experience with those
pirafical fellows while ia the Arethuse
on the Tonquin station" said the Rhode
Islander who had been in the French
navy. and but for me one Of cur finest
vessels pveuld have been lost
1T was on a beautiful spring after
noon that cur feet came 70 anchor OF
The mouth % the GUmchew river, where
We had been sent 70 invest gate pratt
cal ocsraCes reported 70 have occurred
IN that vicinity
we had heard that the head man OF
The 6ss1ric; had been killed BY the
pirates, 50 we were glad when a whole
aees CT little beats came out OF the
river bringing messages from him and
p-esenrs Of al kinds ct fruit. vegc "a bles
and poultry. I don't know Why. but
when I saw that procession OF natives
/ come up over the ships SIDE. with their
t.asszstS. I couldn't help fearing treach-
I cry. and said as much - the admiral.
The natives ran around the vessel.
handing fruit 70 the crew and max
/ INK friends, bat wouldn't have any
| thing 10 co With 'eu.. ard stood by
the forcmasi talking 20 the admiral
who was eating a banana. AL of a
( sudden there was q chorus OF ycis
the ship was abiaze with flashes ca
ClisteninC steel. and every one ot those
natives stood With e long snaky knife
a cresse. they cal if--poinung 81 a
sailors throat. The C-ccstS were made
q lin her steel. and those cusses had
wound EN- around their waists inside
their b7eech-ciouts-
The admiral and I Skipped up into
the c-oss-trees % the fo-cmast ST ths
6-st alarm. nd there we sat ard
watched tse natives bind the crew a1o
stow EN- below decks
The admiral hoped the rest Ct the
sect would notice that something was
wrong. bot ID didn't ard. when niEh'
b fel. tie natives hitched ou their az
tie boats and the Arethuse began x
creep slowly &C the shore. Only tvv.
ra-ivss STAYED aboard. and they stoo,
side bv side CT the forecastie henea1.
rs. 20 keep rs from getting down
r I'VE must attack them ot once.
, sad the admiral. and, q We 0verpoVve
\ them. discharge az sLe guns and alarm
e the rest % the feet
Just Jet me arrange IT, sad Z
There was 4 COL q rope on th
cruss-S-ees. fastened around . litti
roiIer-and-crsnk arrangement used 60
: / rzislug ammunition 1 took the en-
B OK this rope and put il through q Pul
ley high above u Then I tied
around ny body.
- i want you g st ne and this rop
swinging like a pendulum across -
ship said l. Let the rope out a Zoo
ever time get 10 tie end % the swinS
and when yell ie; il out six feet
Gradually I reared the two men a
reerly under me Swish. swish. swisl
swish. Sill shey didn't hear me-
NY feet swung bs within two Zee
/ % their heads. and. as ] completed IL
!. end q The swing and was high in ID
sir- gave q yell. the rope slackere
: and I came back with terrible fore
l / lust on tie plane Ct the two nafiFel
The blow swept fAeIn on the forecast
3 into the sea
k III two minutes we had the Calling
working OF the lttle boats ahead. az
n Few minutes more the water 20
dere6 and the air shook with the Z.
- cLs2rge OF the great guns A q 2
!. ward the admiral ordered me q lie
- fena1tcy; bu- ! wsz already a lie'
fenans n the Rhode Island militia. az
= rss only in The French navy 10 lear
I 4 i
= could have 40 the iewel-y on the p
tires Ne had shot. and they al VOL
Big gold earringN"
DID you make much cut OF that
y zsioed the EtorekSeper.
"CrocodileS ATE al but one OF q
y natives. and his earrings were plate
ones. and were made by Connectic
~ arn.- said the Rhode Islander who hs
been In the French navy.
I've net then ere MALAY pirate
too said the ex-sergeart q the Dey9
n shire Blues. Il wasn't in the arm
then. but belonged 80 little thestTlc
q and circus company what I'D be'
q pizyin' il Australia We wa hour
. for Irjy ln little ssllln' weEsel Ct
got becalned II Torres straits II
sailors 81 once begun 70 talk aoc
| pirates. and sure enough about 20
, ln the srternoor along come rnesz
= EN- and etfacksd The skip. We foug
e 50 well e. we could but VERY so
d they bearded ard Grove "a into q
cabin and Ebof al u whenever Ii
got . chance. and ~e treated them Z
= same.
Tiers ~as one Of 'eTB who COZ