The daily Alaskan., 1905-07-06

NNN AAAAa anu NAA JUS H+ wy rNr@N four weeks the Comet captured seven coasting vessels. In each and every case the crews were put to death, the cargoes transShlppsd and the craft scuttled.
 It was piracy after the old style, eN- cent that the brig did not dare at tack larger vessels Her acts finally reached the ears of the authorities, and men-of-war started from Bombay and Calcutta to overhaul her.
 After sailing part of the way up thc coast of CeylOn the Comet put about and she was halfway back Co her har- bor of refuge when the Serpent man- of-warl sighted her. lt was during a heavy gale, and nothing could hc done but chase It was three days before the Serpent fired a gun, Just as even ing was coming on on the third day and after the mutinecrs had refused to surrender she Crcpt up and fired a brnadside into the brig and sent her to the bottom. lt was supposed at the time that everybody aboard was drowned. but two months later news reacAed Bombay that nOndra and four other half casteS had got away in boat and reached an island at the mouth of the gulf of Manaar. A gun boat was sent down Co make an in. vestigatiOn and reward ot t2,UOo offered for the five men.
 In the month of September ot the year mentioned the bark Southland, bound from Liverpool to Bombay, was making her way up the Malahar coast under light brcezeS. One night in the middle watch 1t fell a dead calm, and this state of weather continued ali next day and night At midnight on the second night the officer oG tle deck heard faint shouting and singing Co the east and as no vessel had been sighted in that direction hc was mys- tiled. As the noises continued the mate awOke the captain, and it was finally decided that thCrc were men afoat in a small boat a mile or so away. We burned flare Co guide them and heard shouts in reply, but 1t was two hours before yawl crcpt up to us out Of the darkness. The lit- tie craft contained five half caste Hm- aoos, and they were suffering terribly for the want of food and water, There was but one oar and no sal
 The story told by the men, an ot whom spoke English fairly well was that they were part of the crew ot a coaster named the Emerald and while she was making her way up the gulf of Manaar she had been struck by a squall and turned turtle, They had clung to her bottom for several hours, but had finally managed to loosen the boat and drift out Co sea. They claim ed to have been atloat for three days. We had no room to stow their boat and it was cast adrift, but not before we had seen that her name had been erased.
 When questioned separately the sto- ries of the men did not agree, but as we had heard nothing about the pirates we could not make out what the fel- lows had been up to. Their leader was an impudent swaggercr, who would not promise to do any work In return for his passage to Bombay, and be had not been aboard two days when the captain ordered him into irons. This action sobered him up, and presently he was as humble as you please and begging for his release. When restored to liberty he was zcalouS in his duty, and all suspicious on our part would have been lulled but for a discovery made by one Of the apprentices who understood the lindoo language.
 Thinking then selves alone in the forecastle one afternoon, the strangers plotted to take the ship, and the lad overheard every word and carried the news to the captain. He passed word to the crew, and Of a sudden the Hin doos were fallen upon and made pris- oners.
 Not three hours later the g,mboat from Bombay boarded us tO give us the news about the pirates and ask that we keep our eyes open for them. Great was the surprise Of her commander to find that we had prisoners aboard who answered to the description of those he was after.
 The HlndOos saw that the game was up, and one of them made a confession. Their leader was Dondra himself, and they had been hiding on an island In the gulf. Learning that their where abouts was known. they had put on to sea In a panic and In boat stolen from another vessel. Two of their number had been stabbed to death during a quarrel and their bodies thrown over board. The five survivors intended to fall upon our crew of eleven men and murder us all.
 Of course the men were surrendered to the gunboat, and upon being taken to Bombay proof sufficient to hang them was easily obtained, and within three months of their boarding us In midocesn they were dangling at the ends of hangmsn's ropes. We had done little or nothing to bring about their capture. but the government of India paid us the reward and added its thanks to the money. M. QUAD