The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-12-05
THE END
OF MATEO

ago,
Mateo's father had made the mistake
OF numbering the crew OF trading
vessel, and when word had been pass.
ed around the white men would trade
with him no more. The son sent word
far and wide that all traders should be
safe with him, and In time many yes
sells called at his islands. He had
copra and oil and other things to sell,
but he wanted guns and ammunition
In exchange.
He hired white men 10 drill his war.
riors and build forts fer him. He even
got hold Of a number of cannon a. |
had them IA united. He had the largest
feet OF war canoes on the big island.
II his men could have been made sail
ora OF, the old chap could have gone
into the pirate business In FIRST class
shape.
For ave years King Mateo encour-
aged traders and whaIers and got
ready for grand coup. and then he
struck blow that made his name in
famous In every eastern sea. In his
principal harbor were lying two Eng.
lish whalers and Ave trading vessels
when he gave grand feast. II was
bis wish that the crews OF all the yes
sells be present. and only two or three
men were left aboard when the feast
began BY dragging the liquor and
food Mated made about hundred men
helpless, and when they had their
senses again II was to fnd all their
vessels captured and every person n
prisoner. when the various craft had
been robbed and stripped they were
lowed to sea and scuttled BY this
stroke the king secured many more
firearms and barrels more Of powder,
as well as other things to Increase his
wealth and arrogance.
Three months after the attack Can.
tain Williams OF an Australian trader
managed To escape to sea In canoe,
but had neither food nor water. lie
was picked up by vessel hundred
miles away II was four months later
before a British war vessel started
from Singapore to convince King Ma.
teO that there We're other monarclYs on
the face Of this earth. During these
seven months Mateo had grown 80 az.
rogant that he defied the world. Twen.
ty-one Of the white slaves had sue.
cumbed TO the climate and the hard
work and scanty food.
No more traders had called In, and.
being angry at this, the king had dete
mined ON a grand feast at which IT,
last Of his white prisoners should be
slain for the amusement Of his people
This feast would have been held two
weeks before her majesy's manor wal
Revenge reached the islands had not
the ruler had a spell OF sickness. lie
had issued his royal proclamation when
the armed craft came sailing into his
harbor. She was an auxiliary, but was
not using steam. For once the British
captain resorted to a trick. He made
the Revenge look as much as possible
like a whaler after long voyage, and
the few men OF her crew allowed on
deck were gged out any old way. Shs
had six gu 4. but these were so well |
covered thn the spies who were sent
aboard did not notice them. They re
turned to the king 10 report an ord.
nary whaler. and be invited the crew
to feast. lis invitation was refused |
He thereupon ordered the craft out OF |
his harbOr. She refused to 20.
The Brit sh captain had been In |
structed TO move carefully aud let Ma /
teO take TIN lead In overt acts. He did |
not have q wait long. In broad dsy.
light on thu third day. and after semi.
Ing or word Of what he was going |
to do, Mateo attacked the Brltishei /
with seventy war canoes, each one
holding ten men. They padded out
from shore singing their war songs and /
INDUCING in many boasts. The Re.
venge had furled her sails and got /
steam up. and she steamed down to the
mouth OF the harbor and waited When
the FIRST musket was fred at her. her
crew leaped ON deck aud began tc
work the big guns. She was provide d II
with round shot. shell and grape al II
and the sea fight lasted only
fifteen minutes. Fifty Of the seventy
canoes were destroyed and most OF
their crews killed.
This was the first licking King Mateo
WV ANSNAhNus anu u SET nun krunN4L III
He was game. however. He was u,
ri. but he wouldn't give up yet Re
rallied his battallons and challenge
The Britishsr 10 come ashore and hav
L out fair and square. This was ex.
actly what the captain Of tha Revenge
wanted TO do He had come after
those white prlsoners. aud be must 70
ashore TO get them. ne had crew Of
80 men. and be landed 300 Of them
divided them into three bodies. and
when the natives advanced, stiIl &
10 one. they were bowled over by the
score. flanked right and left aud licked
Dut Of their boots In half an hour.
King Mateo's reign was at an
forever, or the white prisoners onIS
about thirty were left. OF the native
500 had been killed and as many !.
BOO wounded. Two trading vessels
zane In on the day OF the battle. They
were allowed 70 load with the plumber