The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1875-11-06 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

DESTRUCTION OF PIRATES.  By the Cape mail, which arrived, on Sunday night, at Plymouth, news is conveyed of a wholesale destruction of pirate villages on the Congo. At the beginning of the present year, it will be remembered, the English schooner Geraldine, on being stranded on the Congo, was attacked by pirates and completely looted, four of the crew being killed. On the 30th August the Active, the Encounter, the Spiteful, the Merlin, the Foam, the Ariel, and the Supply proceeded up the Congo. On the following morning 150 marines, under the command of Captain Bradshaw, were landed and led by native guides to the pirates' quarters. Three villages were destroyed, but no enemy was seen, although they kept up a dropping fire from the dense jungle. Commodore Hewett led the way up the Creek. On the 2nd of September the gunboats, with the boats of the larger ships, opened fire along the northern banks of the Congo on several villages. The landing party found in the private houses the remains of the plundered merchant man. The enemy continued firing from the bush, but only one man was wounded. All the villages on the northern bank of the river were destroyed as far as Melilla Creek. On the following morning the Commodore proceeded up the creek, and opened fire on other villages. The firing having been discontinued a landing was effected, and the party marched some distance through a richly cultivated country, burning the villages on the lice of march, and arriving at the town named after the Chief Annanzanga, who had been marked out for severe punishment. The town was of considerable size, and a teazing fire was kept up by the natives from the bush. The town was completely destroyed. The party under Captain Bradshaw having burnt all the villages at the head of the creek, rejoined the gunboats. Early on the morning of the 4th of September the Spiteful and Encounter steamed further up the river, the Merlin and other boats going on to Punta do Lenha, where Commodore Howett gave the chief 48 hours to give up the murderers of the crew of the Geraldine. No notice having been taken of this offer, on the morning of the 7th the landing party went ashore under a heavy fire from the natives, hut quickly cleared the place, and committed the town with all its surroundings to flames. On the Bth all the boats returned down the north, bank of the river till off the supposed position of Manuel Vacca's town, where the men were landed under cover of a heavy fire from the gunboats. On entering the town, it was found to be deserted. Having razed it to the ground, all re-embarked. On the 10th the gunboats and boats entered a creek called Sherwood, where the King came on board the Merlin, as also did King Myanzia. Being informed that they had not come into the river to make war, but to punish the wicked, they went on their way rejoicing. On the 11th hostilities were continued 1,7 a party of blue jackets and marines, with the boats of the Spiteful, under the command of Commander Medlycott, against a town called Polo Bob. The town was . soon destroyed, and only one man was severely injured. On the reornire; of the 12th Commodore Hewett, atten.ded by the three gunboats, started for the settlement named Emboma. situated 73 miles above the mouth of the river, where on the 15th he held a palaver with seven kings, who expressed themselves more than pleased with the work which had just been completed, and stated that the commerce of the river was certain to be increased when it became known that peaceful traders could pass up and down without risk to life and property, Commodore Hewett returned down the river on the 17th. The fatigue of the march is described by one correspondent as terrible. The men had to march often for long distances through deep, offensive mud, pometimes knee-dip, sometimes wading breast-high through creeks. The casualties were very small—only one killed and six wounded. Perhaps one of the most unfortunate was Mr. Dixon, engineer of the Arid. He had just finished his watch in the engineroom, and came on deck for fresh air, standing on the gratings abaft. He had not been there a minute before he was shot through the back of the ncck. He is, however, recovering.