Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-08-09
A Queer Capture

| steamer comet leIC ISOnDay 70 rebur-
vey the Maldive islands.
The Comet had shipped ten new men
before starting out, all half castles and,
as appeared later on, members Of a
secret band that had sworn vengeance
on anything British. These men mu-
tinted and, having. got possession Of
the brig, ran her into Shark bay, on
the northernmost island. The captain
and other officers were set ahoat on a
raft, unprovided with sail, water or
provisions, and no doubt they perIshed
in the storm that swept over the wa
tiers next day.
The leader Of the half castles was a
man known as Dondra He was
sailor by occupation and probably as
great a rufian as could be found in all
India. When start was made from
Shark harbor a course was laid for
Ceylon, and during a voyage lasting
four weeks the Comet captured seven
coasting vessels. In each and every
case the crews were put to death. the
cargoes transshipped and the craft
scuttled.
1t was piracy after the old style, ex'
cept 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 the
coast Of Ceylon the Comet put about,
and she was. halfway back to her har-
Dor of refuge when the Serpent (man-
of-war) sighted her. 1t was during
heavy gale, and nothing could be done
but chase. 1t was three days before
the Serpent fred gun. Just as even
Ing was coming on on the third day
and after the mutineers had refused to
surrender she erept up and fired a
brOadside into the brig and sent her
to the bottom. 1t was supposed at
the time that everybody aboard was
drowned, but two months later news
reached Bombay that Dondra and four
other half castles had got away In a
boat and reached IN island at the
mouth Of the gulf of Manaar, A gun
boat was sent down to make an In
vesttgation and a reward of $1,000
offered for the five men.
In the month of September Of the
year mentioned the bark Southland,
bound from Liverpool to Bombay, was
making her way up the Malabar coast
under light breezes. One night In the
middle watch It fell dead calm, and
this state of weather continued all
next day and night. At midnight on
the second night the officer Of the deck
heard faint shouting and singing to
the east, and as no vessel had been
sighted in that direction he was mys-
tilted. AS the noises continued the
mate awoke the captain. and 1t was
finally decided that there were men
afoat In q small boat a mile or so
away. We burned a fare to guide
them and heard shouts In reply, but |
It was two hours before a yawl crept |
up to us out of the darkness. The lit |
tie craft contained five half caste Hin |
docs, and they were suffering terribly |
for the want of food and water. There
was but one oar and no sail.
The story told by the men, all Of |
whom spoke English fairly we'll, was
that they were part Of the crew Of
coaster named the Emerald and while
she was making her way up the gulf
Of Manaar she had been struck by q
souall and turned turtle. They had
chung to her bottom for several hours,
but had finally managed to loosen the
bost and drift out to sea. They claim
ed to have been afloat 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 fell
lows had been up to. Their leader was
an impudent swaggerer, who would
not promise to do any work in return
for his passage to Bombay, and he 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 jealous 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 Hindoo language.
Thinking themselves 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
docs were fallen upon and made pris-
oners.
Not three hours later the gunboat
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 off to
sea In q 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 i,
mldocean they were dangling at the +,
ends Of hangman's ropes. We had done