Norwich bulletin., 1916-02-15
TELLS OF TRIP AROUND WORLD
Rcuitnsy eiselow Sailed On Armed Clipper in fs75--Giass Views on De- fensive Armins of Merchantmen.

After Poultney Bigelow was gradu- ated from Norwich Free Academy with the class of '7S he entered Columbia University, but became of impaired health left in 1875 for a trip around the world. He tells something about the voyage wit1 characIeristic Nigor in a New York paper Monday, writing as fellows from lis home at Maiden on-Hudson:
 If it is true that Germany has de-. clared a purpose of sinking any mer- chantman that ventures to carry defen- sive weapons, it is equally true that she is pretending to an exercise Of authority never before recognized by Americans.
 In 1875 sailed to the Far East or. the American clipper ship Sunrise the last of that noble craft which made our flag honored and enviea trough out the peaceful ports of the world That ship was fit+ed out for defensive warfare by A. A. Low, father of ColuTn- bias late president, and one of New Works most respected citizens. The Surprise carried a crew of twenty five men, and although our mission was but a trading one to Japan, China, and the Philippines, we had cutlasses, pistols, and carbines with plenty of an1muni- ton, and two Dahlgfen guns, one on each side, neatly covered with tafpaul- in, but kept always bright and ready for action. It was 132 days before we made our first port and several weeks found us working our way slowly and cautiously through the Malay Archf- pelago, between Ce1ebes and the west erri end of New Guinea, among saVag- es who had anticipated by forty years the nautical ethics of Wilhelmshafen. Several times the Surprise drifted dangerously in dead calms and then catamarans filled with naked Paquans and well-armed with poisoned harpoons and deVilish arrows, whose points were affnr of zl1 rlr came out from behind their islands and hovered about us as do the vul- lures in India when the news of a funerals goes by wireless. We had anxious watches for many days and had every reason for gratitude tEat the defensive arming of merchantmen did not at that time sound illegal to an American Congress.
 It has been from time immemorial the right and duty of peaceable rner- = pirates, and none but a pirate can ob- ject to the trffling armament which any legitimate merchantmen can pos tbly carry or successfully manipulate.
 In 1872 England pretended to the right of searching American mer years and shook hands afterward. In 1915 the Sultans who then ruled Northern Africa pretended that they had right to levy tribute from our mercnantmen. We secuted their pre- tensions and sent squadron to those waters which summarily disposed o1 that question forever. The commander of that notable cruise was the gallant Decatur, a Frenchman in blood, but model to every unhyphenated American of today. In 1888 the Jap- anese pretended to close their inland sea to our merchant ships and We inn mediately responded by battering to pieces the forts at it's entrance, since which that claim has lain dormant
 We were an eminently peaceful na- tion in those days; we menaced no contry, but we did not hesitate to challenge the strongest of them all when claims were made to which no one could accede, but a tributary prN'ince. One must read the history of Attila in the fifth century in order to find a parallel to the imperrinence of Germany's attitude toward this country. The Hun has not changed since he ravaged the most beautiful monuments of Europe fifteen centuries ago. He was a pirate in those days and he is a pirate nof, aTfd no pirate cres how many humanitarian notes are fired at him, but he has a keen ear for the whistle of a gun.