River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-06-13

N but | am frank to say that 1t
would have made no difference,
for a free translation of the
word piracy" is adventure of 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 Leckwith
and two ships to carry on the business to the
best advantage, so l selected the Surprise, an
American brig, and the Florence topsail
schooner, both stout, fast ships. I put Loren
on the Leckwith 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
loaded for Singapore. Norton and followed in
the Leckwith
We reached Singapore more than a 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 plundering 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 end to their operations,
but the undertaking was a gigantic one. 1t was
not until years after that it was officially an
nounced that piracy had been suppressed, and
piracy is still being carried on even to this
y
The chief Of a large section of the Chinese
pirates was old Moy Sen, rich Chinaman who
lived in a handsome home in Canton and posed
as peaceful trader
Norton argued that the pirates were bound
to keep robbing and burning and numbering
In spite of anything we could do, and that
could derive plenty of excitement and large
profits by robbing them Incidentally, he con-
tended we would put lot of them out of bus1-
al tn
end desired by all nations
It arranged that l 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 piratical 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 It was arranged that
the bulk of our loot should be sent to firm of
Cinnamon at Singapore, who dealt largely in
dishonest cargoes
With the Leckwiths bunkers stuffed with
coal, we headed for the islands in search of
pirates
Our first experience was profitable one When
near the hunting grounds we lowered the
smokestack, got up our canvas and sailed
along, awaiting developments. We were get
ting in among the islands when we met a big
junk which had just looted and scuttled a 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 luffad up, got out guns ready for
action in a jffy and, we crossed her bows
raked her fore and aft with our carronades.
NTH
slugs and nails
Taken completely by surprise and with more
than half of their number littering the red
dened deck, the pirates were panic-stricken
Before they could regain their senses we came
about again and gave them another broadstde
which put them at our mercy. AS We ranged
alongside keeping up a rifie-1re, but disdain-
ing any further use of our guns they managed
to launch couple of boats and all who could
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 won victory we trapped
and and sank half dozen proas and feluccas
IA 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 were back among the islands, when early
one evening a full-rigged ship hove in sight
She passed us, but not more than six
miles away when we saw flashes that told us
she had been attacked, and We lost no time In
going to her assistance.
As we closed in saw Malay felucca on
each side of her and the pirates swarming on
her decks with the crew putting up a brave
fight. Running the Leckwith up on her star
board quarter. we threw men aboard and
they went at the pirates savagely from the
rear led the boarding party.
The Malays outnumbered us more than two
to one, but We went at them with a fury that
was new to them and were slowly forcing them
back toward their one good boat-we had
smashed the other one to bits when we
slammed alongside-when a beautiful white
yacht came tearing up on the port quarter and
sent three boatloads of men to our assistance
in smart style. They clambered over the bows
under command of a stockily built young officer
wearing what looked like the uniform of
naval captain and We had the pirates be-
tween us.
understood later when learned who and
what they were why these requirements,
instead of discouraging the Malays, caused
them to fight with renewed desperation, but