The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-06-13

for Il free translation OF the
word piracy" is adventure CT the first order"
and that was what was looking for.
Frank Norton, who had interested me in the
China sea, said We would need the Leckwlth
and two ships TO carry on the business to the
best advantage. 80 selected the Surprise, an
American brig. and the Florence, topsail
schooner both stout. fast ships | put Loren
gen on the Lcckwith as sailing master, George
Brown on the Surprise, and old Bill Heather
on the Florence. The Surprise took on gen
eral cargo for Japan and was ordered to rem
devious at Hong Kong, while the Florence
oaded for Singapore Norton and followed In
the Leckwith
We reached Singapore more than n month
ahead Of the Florence Our scheme was to
prey on the pirates who infested the China
sea, and particularly that part of It lying be-
tween Singapore. Sumatra and Borneo, which
was dotted with islands and beautifully suited
by nature to their plunderng profession. and
many were the good ships that ended their
cruises there, along with their passengers and
crews, The British government had been try.
ing for years to put an end to their operations,
but the undertaking was gigantic one. II was
not until years after that II was ofI.cially an
nounced that piracy had been suppressed, and
piracy is stlll being carried on, even to this
day though in small and desultory way
The chief of a large section OF the Chinese
pirates was old Moy Sen. a rich Chinaman who
lived in handsome home in Canton and posed
as n peaceful trader.
Norton argued that the pirates were bound
to keep on robbing and burning and numbering
in spite OF anything We could do. and that we
could derive plenty OF excitement and large
profits by robbing them. incidentally. he con-
tended we would put lot of them out of bust.
ness for coed and all, thus contributing 10 the
end desired by all nations
II was arranged that | should pose as Dr.
Burnett rich English physician who was cruis
ing in his private yacht for his health. The
Florence and Surprise were to carry some
general cargoes from port to port among the
islands, but were so to shape their cruises that
We could keep closely in touch with them.
They were to be given large crews and so
heavily armed as to be safe from piratcal at.
tacks. The Leckwith was to do all Of the prey.
ing on the pirates. and the loot we took from
them was to be turned over to the other ships
at the meeting.places. II was arranged that
the bulk of our loot should he sent to firm OF
Cinnamon at Singapore. who dealt largely In
dishonest cargoes.
With the Leckwith's bunkers stuffed with
coal we headed for the islands in search OF
pirates.
Our first experience was a profitable one. When
near the hunting grounds" We lowered the
smokestack, got up our canvas and smiled
along awaiting developments. We were get
ting In among the islands when we met big
Junk which had Just looted and scuttled rich
ly laden Brazilian barkentine. We made pre-
tense of trying to get away, but in reality we
.eased our sheets to hasten matters along. When
she was close astern of us, with the wind
abeam we luffed up, got out guns ready for
action In a jiffy and as We crossed her bows,
,raked her fore and aft with our carronades'
which were loaded almost TO the muzzle with
,slugs and nails
Taken completely by surprise and with more
than half OF their number littering the red
sdened deck the pirates were panic.strcken
Before they could regain their senses we came
about again and gave them another broadside
which put them at our mercy. AS We ranged
alongside keeping up n rife-fre. but dsdain
Ing any further OF our guns, they managed
to launch a couple of boats and all who coulc
get into them pulled for the nearest island
We took out Of the junk fully one hundred
thousand dollars worth of specie. silk. tea
porcelain and drugs, and then set fire to her
leaving her to bury her own dead.
After that easily victory we trapped
and and sank half n dozen proas and felucca'
in the same way. though with more spirited
resistance in some cases.
We had turned our cargo over to the Flor
,ence, along with a number of wounded men
and we're back among the islands, when earl!
one evening a fulrigged ship hove In sight
She passed us. but was not more than si'
miles away when We saw flashes that told III
she had been attacked and we lost no time II
going to her assistance.
AS we closed In we saw Malay felucca OF
each side of her and the pirates swarming oil
her decks, with the crew putting up brave
fight Running the Leckwith up on her star
board quarter we threw our men aboard ant
they went at the pirates savagely from tn
roar led the boarding party.
The Malays outnumbered us more than tw
to one, but we went at them with fury tina
was new to them and were slowly forcing then
back toward their one good boat-we hat
smashed the other one TO bits when w
slammed alongside-when a beautiful whit
Yacht came tearing up on the port quarter an
sent three boatloads Of men to our assstanc
In smart style They clambered over the bow
under command of a stockily built young office
wearing what looked like the uniform OF
naval captain. and We had the pirates bt
tween US.
understood later. wher learned who an
what they were, why these reinforcement
anstead OF discouraging the Malays cause
them to fght with renewed desperation, bt