Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-21
BOLD CHINESE PIRATES
PLY THEIR TRADE UNDER THE
EYES OF THE BRITISH.
Maritime Robbery Committed in the
Waters About Hong Kong Close
to English Fleet.
From the London Globe.

FROM the LONDON GloOe
Although piracy upon a large scale has
ceased to exist upon the China coast, it is
still carried on in a small way, and that
right under the nose of the British author
tiles at Hong Kong and within shot of the
fleet lying quietly at anchor in the shadow
of Victoria Park. Only a few months ago
a daring piracy took place in the waters of
Hong Kong harbor-at least, the first part
of the little drama was acted there A ferry
boat small steamer of some thirty tons.
plies between Hong Kong and within shot
of the fleet lying opposite the mainland.
The whole trip only takes fifteen minutes,
and all the while the ferry is well in sight
of the fleet. One night the ferry left the
Hong Kong side at o'clock, and failed to
turn up at Yau-ma-ti. the suburb to which
it piled. Inquiries were made. and nothing
was heard of the craft until a couple OF
days afterward, when she returned with
her crew and passengers, and romantic
tale of piracy. 1t appears that when the
launch in the middle of the harbor
some of the passengers drew revolvers and
held up their fellow travellers and the
crew. They then forced the native engi-
neers to run the engines, and having bat
tened the rest of the crew and passengers
down below. headed for the Canton river,
where three or four large junks were
pirated one after another. The pirates,
them ran the launch ashore in small
creek and ATsndoned her, the crew taking
possession oiHss more. and bringing her
back to Hong Kong when she foated with
the rising tide.
On West River.
On the West river gangs of pirates ter
rorize certain districts and levy blackmail,
which all boats have to pay unless they
carry sufficient force to make bold fight.
1t is no uncommon thing to see heavily
laden junk going up or down stream flying
as many three pirate flags as sign that
she has paid blackmail and received safe
conduct. The writer once a large tim
Der raft floating down which had not only
taken the precautiOn to hire special guard
boat for its protection, but had also hoiSted
flags belonging to no fewer than four diff
ferent pirate chiefs. A guard boat as often
as not accompanies these large RATS, but
they are utterly useless, and are usually
only hired to appeaSe the mandarinS to
whom they belong.
1t is now some ten years since the Ma
moa pirated outside Hong Kong, but
her case shows that the Chinese pirate still
has some of the pluck of his ancestors The
Namoa left Hong Kong, bound to Swallow,
Annoy and Foo-Chow, at about 0 o'clock
one morning. She had among her passen-
gers a large number of Cinnamon who were
returning to their homes IN FO-kien prov
Elements, and they were bringing their &C
cumulated savings with them. 1t was also
said that she had on board a considerable
amount of specie but this, it fortunately
turned out. had not been shipped by her.
All went well until tiffin-time when in
descending into the saloon to that meal
one of the passengers, pointing to the arm
rack In the cOmpanionway, asked the cap
tain why rifles were carried, and was
1aughingly told that they were relics of the
old days, when China coasters were wont
to be held up by pirates. The meal had
hardly commenced when 1t was interrupted
by revolver shots fired down the skylight
while some stinkpots found their way into
the saloon by the same entrance. Captain
Pocock Sprang from his seat and COM
menced a parley with the pirate who
promised not to harm him if he would
come on deck and make terms with them
but no sooner had he come up the ladder
than he was shot and mortally wounded.
The passengers and other officers were
taken and locked in the captains bin
with the wounded man, and there they
found the rest of the Europeans on board,
with the exception of one passenger who
had been left on deck, seasick. and the en-
gineer. who was on watch, and who man
aged to find a hiding place. 1t seems that
the pirates had come on board disguised
as passengers, and with revolvers conceal
ed about them They divided into two
gangs, one of which attacked the saloon
and held the after part of the ship and en-
5lHe iooii, Willie lHe look charge
forward and held up the officer on watch on
the bridge. Two Malay Quartermasters
who offered resistance were promptly shot
and dropped overheard
Europeans Retake Ship.
The ship was then kept nearly on her
course, the pirates forcing the Chinese greas-
ers to work her engines, and although an
other vessel of the same line was passed
shortly after, nothing suspicious was no
ticed. The pirates proceeded to a small bay
behind an island, and there they anchored: