Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-10-04
IN PERIL OF DEATH.
Remarkable Adventures of an English
Steamboat Man.


Recalled by the troubles in the
orient is this account of the exciting
adventures of an Englishman in Bur
nah while he was in charge Of a pad
die steamboat on the river IrraWaddy.
At the beginning of the last Bur
mese war in 1885 there was trading
up and down the river Irrawaddy, be
tween Rangoon and the higher
reaches, a small paddle steamer, the
Okpho, of about $50 tons and light
dTaught, commanded by man named
Redman, the only white man on board.
The kings favorite wife, Sopayat La
or Mrs. Theebaw, as the English
troops used to call herr, who held
high sway at the time, either had TAX
en- a violent dislike to him on account
of his nationality or otherwise coveted
his boat for purposes of her own
probably both-and she issued an or
der to her people for his capture and
the seizure of his boat.
His first knowledge that something
was wrong came to him one morning
when his little vessel had run aground
on a sand bank about twenty miles
above Mandalay on his voyage up the
river. He had just succeeded in get
ting her clear when he noticed that
500 or 600 Burmese OF all sorts. all
armed with some weapon or other,
wading out with the evident intention
of attacking him. He had only two re-
volveTs on board, but he did not make
so much use of them as of the paddle
wheels, which he found were much
more effective, as the engines we're
put speed astern or ahead, according
to whether they attacked him from the
front or the rear. By this means he
disabled not a few of them. and there
is no doubt that some of them would
not have recovered their legs or arms
under two or three miles off, and some
would never recover them at all. He
made such good use of the paddles
that none of the gallant 600 managed
to get on board.
After this scrimmage he steamed up
the river, and the next morning found
the Okpho tied up to the bank near !
small trading village. Here several
wOOns (chiefs) came Oh board and we're
pleased to stay to breakfast in the lit
tie saloon at the captains invitation.
Immediately afterward he noticed
something peculiar about the bushes
on shore and thought he would be
safer in midstream, so, apOlOgizing to
lis guests for his being obliged to
leave them for a minute, he went On
leck to slip the cable, but he was too
ate. His guests gave the signal and
he ship was boarded. The captain
hen took his stand on the companion
way ladder and dropped three or four
Of the assailants with his revolver, but
his guests inteTfered and secured him
from behind. He was then tied to a
5tanchion on deck. while the woons de-
liberated as to what should be done
with him. Meanwhile two shots were
fred at him by the chiefs followers,
but luckily neither did him any dam
age. Whether they were meant to hit
him or not was hard to say, but at any
rate it was far from pleasant to act as
a target for the Burmese firing prac-
tice.
After the woons' deliberation had
come to an end he was informed they
were acting in accordance with orders
from Mandalay, and they had decided
to cut his throat. He was then Sc
curely bound and taken on shore and
was actually laid upon the ground
waiting to be operated upon, when one
of the chiefs. with whom he had had
some dealings before, suddenly took
his part, and, assisted by about $50 of
his followers, carried him off to his
own house a short distance away
Here he was more or less safe. except
that musketry firing began through
the roof and was kept up most of the
night.
In the early morning he was placed
on his boat by the friendly woon and
was soon steaming up the river, as he
knew we'll that to return was 70 invite
capture, and that it was just possible
there was safety higher up, where he
was well known. and where the order
issued from Mandalay probably had
reached.
The following day he reached a
place called Kyoukmyoung (pro-
nounced Chuck-me-young) and soon
became aware that here, also, the peo-
pie had received their orders Imme-
diately after arrival, but not without a
determined resistance he was made a