The Opelousas courier., 1900-04-21
MUTINY ON A C0OLIE SHIP.
One Of the Tragedies Of a Branch
of the Slave Trade.

It did not die away as before, but kep
increasing in intensity and lasting s
long that the mate leaped upon tn
rail and looked toward the brig an,
muttered:
s'The scound rels are making
break at last! Why don't the mel
use the guns?"
His words were followed by th,
reports of Q dozen muskets, and the.
were still cracking away when som,
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.
"That signal is for me, but I'll return
for the water as 500 as the outbreak
is put down."
He was of in q moment, and his
men pulled such a 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 q continued pop of musketry. and
we became SO excited that every man
IN the ship, cook included, hurried
9. oft 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-halft the brig. They
got hold of some of the. muskets and
%cutiasses. and they knew how to use
the former az we'll as the sailors. The
forward gratings were pried off and
the hold emptied of its living cargo,
and during all this time there vas
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 DOS.
session of half the vessel they cap-
tured the water butt ON deck. and we
saw them drinking with the bullets
nying past their ears. The water
seemed to add to their desperation, fo,
soon after getting possession OF it a
hundred or moro made a grand rush,
armed with every sort of weapon, and
after a 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 q scene. We
wanted to be called away to help sup
press the outbreak, but u captain
had a mortal hatred for coolies and
annonnced that he would not interfere
IN the slightest. It cut us med,
though, to see the crew making a faint
against s1ch odds, and gradually fall |
ing back and fighting to the last. with
out getting our help. When the grand
was made, and the remnant of
the crew driven aloft, a sort of groan
went through our ship, and more than
.ne man muttered against our cap
tain's policy. When the Chinese got
Iult possession many of them drank
sea water, and it was only O short
lime before a cask of rum was preached
md served out to all. When the vile
'tuH began to take effect fury vas let
oose aboard the brig. Such q surging
% and frol Such iabbering and shout
ng and screaming! The bodies of the
lead sailors were stripped naked.
,icked about the decks and mutilated
n the most horrible manner, and then
lung overheard. AT the very first
p.ash We saw at least a dozen sharks
the spot, and after that their
were cutting the water in
very erection.
AS IAiold you before, three Of the
cRsw escaped instant death by
INNING atoft, where they we're for the
fsegotten. They went as high as
hey 9ouldgo and concealed themselves
9 Wall ~ possible. They dared not
bout to as, but they implored us by
estures to come to their relief. and
ave rs to understand that the coolies
opposed mi bark to be loaded with
'hinese also, and that we would be
tackled IN an effort to set them free.
hey also made it clear, the night
eing almost 81 light as day, that the
BLOWS had q score of muskets. aud
Q could easily understand that o
harp cutlass in the hands OF a des-
crate coolie would be q wicked
'eapon.
Down with Jon, lads, and prepare
defend the ship with your lives
allied tho captain, and every Il re-
with alacrity.
As We had NO firearms of any con-
'quence, everything which eoald be I
as q missile or weapon was speed J
J gathered, and every utensil In
hich wafer could be heated was
laeed on the stove in the cooks gal
y. We opened the midship-hatch :
broke out OF the cargo 4 lot OF !,
'essed brick which had been ordered
2 contractor OF Singapore. They t
elghed about i've pounds each, and &
. piled up q thousand or more at
fferent points on the deck. We were t
III handling the bricks when the Chi i
,se suddenly remem bered the three i
ilors in the rigging OF the brig, AMI 9
ghS OF ten started aloft after them. y
sailors called out to our captain i
! Gods sake to con1e TO their relief. /
q he answered them tina Il own I
'sition was SO full OF peril that he |
q not dare send of ! boat. The i