Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-11-09

captain, as he paced back and forth.
'Every man to his own idea, "
calmly replied the mate. 1.-The main
thing now is to get water for the
heathens. If we don't get ii, not one
of them will be alive by tomorrow
night"
Our captain hung out for a while.
While he hated to save the coolies to
the profit of the traders, he was too
merciful to be the indirect cause of
their death, and he finally consented
to spare five casks of water. Arrange
ments for the transfer were being
made when the furious hubbub of an
hour before was repeated, only there
was more savageness to it this time.
1t did not die away as before, but kept
increasing in intensity and lasting so
long that the mate leaped upon the
rail and looked toward the brig and
muttered:
"The scound rels are making q
break at last! Why don't the men
use the guns?"
His words were followed by the
reports of q dozen muskets, and they
were still cracking away when some
one stood on the rail of the brig and
waved his hat in our direction.
"The coolies are loose" exclaimed
the mate as he made for his boat.
"Ihat signal is foc me, but Til return
for the water as soon as the outbreak
is put down."
He was off in moment, and his
men pullel such stroke that their
boat was carried to the briggs side in
four or five minutes. She was run
under the bows and the men scram-
bled up over the chains. We knew
that the outbreak was serious, for the
hubbub increased, and we could see
the crew rushing wildly about. There
was continued pop of musketry, and
we became so excited that every man
in the ship, cook included, hurried
aloft to look down upon tho strangers
decks AS we lay broadside to each
other. and the distance was so short,
we could see all that took place. De-
spite the desperate efforts of the crew,
tle coolies were finding their way on
deck. They were shot and dubbed
and hacked, but they came faster than
they could be taken care of, and in
half an hour from the time the mates
boat left US, the Chinese had posses
sion OF at least one halfthe brig. They
got hold of some of the muskets and
cutlasses. and they knew how to use
the former as well as the sailors. The
forward gratings were pried off and
the hold emptied of its living cargo,
and during all this time there was
fierce fighting in the waist of the
brig.
The coolies had no fear, and once
loose their savage natures were thor
oughly aroused. When they got pos
session of half the vessel they cap
tured the water-butt on deck, and we
saw them drinking with the bullets
flying past their ears. The water
seemed to add to their desperation, TO,
soon after getting possession of it a
hundred or more made grand rush,
armed with every sort of weapon, and
after conflict of five minutes they
had possession of the ship Three
of the crew saved their lives for the
time being by running aloft, but all
the others seemed to have been killed.
You cannot suppose that we were
quiet spectators of such scene. We
wanted to be called away to help sup
press the outbreak, but our captain
had mortal hatred for coolies and
announced that he would not interfere
in the slightest. 1t cut us men,
though, to see the crew making fl hit
against such odds, and gradually fall
ing back and fighting to the last, with
out getting our help. When the grand
rush was made, and the remnant of
the crew driven aloft, sort of groan
went through our ship, and more than
tain's policy. When the Chinese got
full possession many of them drank
sea water, and it was only a short
time before cask of rum was broached
and served out to all. When the vile
stuff began to take effect fury was let
loose aboard the brig. Such surging
to and fro! Such jabbering and shout
ing and screaming! The bodies of the
dead sailors were stripped naked,
kicked about the decks and mutilated
in the most horrible manner, and then
iiuuS ONcIOodtUs AZ tuo very uTbt
splash we saw at least dozen sharks
make for the spot, and after that their
dorsal fins were cutting the water in
every direction.
AS I told you before, three of the
briggs crew escaped instant death by
running aloft, where they were for the
time forgotten. They went as high as
they could go and concealed themselves
as we'll as possible. They dared not
shout to us, but they implored us by
gestures to come to their relief, and
gave us to understand that the coolies
supposed our bark to be loaded with
Chinese also, and that we would be
attacked in an effort to set them free.
They also made it clear, the night
being almost as light as day, that the
fellows had score of muskets, and
We could easily understand that .