CHINESE PIRATES.

41

grapple and board the prize, when, if resistance is offered, too frequently all on board are butchered in a savage manner. Pirates infest the seas between Hong-Kong, Macao, and Canton, inhabiting the Ladrone islands surrounding Hong-Kong, which seem to be abandoned to their sovereignty; and the passage between these forts is thus rendered extremely hazardous, both as regards life and property.

Piratical attacks have constantly taken place close to Victoria harbour, within gun-range of four or five men-of-war, which were lying snugly and comfortably moored; a considerable amount of specie has been thus repeatedly sacrificed, whilst our cruisers and boats remained inactive. The local press, for inexplicable reasons, rarely notice or record these attacks: when allusion is made to them, much is suppressed, both as regards loss of life and property.

Occasionally a pirate is captured, when they are handed over to the Chinese authorities for punishment; and we will relate the following amusing history, which will show what our men-of-war can do when they choose to exert themselves :-the two sons of MajorGeneral D'Aguilar, accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Farquharson, were returning in their schooner from Macao, when, at break of day, they were aroused from their slumbers by a confused noise. Rushing upon the deck, they found about one hundred armed Chinese climbing up the sides of the vessel, whilst twenty were in possession of the schooner, some of whom were actively engaged in cutting away the rigging; the others were making prisoners of the crew. The Chinese servant belonging to Captain

Charles D'Aguilar told him, that having informed the pirates they were the sons of the first military mandarin, they assured him that the lives of all on board should be spared, provided the robbers were allowed to go on with their work of pillage undisturbed. The pirates then commenced their operations, first taking the watches and other valuables from the persons of the three gentlemen, and cautiously possessing themselves of all the firearms and defensive weapons which were on board.

The marauders then proceeded into the cabin, and packed up all the gentlemen's wearing apparel, cigars, pistols, and every valuable article they could lay their hands upon, not forgetting a three- dozen case of Moett's best champagne, which had been intended for a pic-nic party; bearing off the compass with the other plunder, and unshipping the rudder, they left the unfortunate party to their fate. Their lucky planet was in the ascendant, and proved propitious, as, wind and tide being in their favour, the schooner drifted into Victoria harbour, about four, P.M. the same day; and great was the astonishment of all that saw them.

Lieutenant-Colonel Farquharson, the companion of the Major-General's sons, was compelled to send on shore for clothes to land in, as the pirates had taken an especial fancy to the whole of his attire; and it was with great difficulty they permitted him to retain his shirt. Some folks do assert that the shirt was taken also, and that the gallant colonel was left by the pirates in purus naturalibus, and that when he entered the harbour of Victoria, all the covering he

INACTIVÍTY OF OUR MEN-OF-WAR.

43

had on was an old piece of canvass, which was wrapt round his body.

Major-General D'Aguilar was most irate and indignant that pirates should not have respected his sons' schooner, and thundered forth violent anathemas on their heads if ever they were caught; and caught he protested they should be. To the surprise of everybody, the men-of-war immediately awoke from their slumbers; and the greatest activity was displayed amongst them during the evening after the arrival of the dismasted schooner.

To so great an extent did they exert themselves, that our naval force actually succeeded in capturing the pirates on the following day, who were immediately handed over to the Chinese authorities at Cow-loon for punishment. No portion of the stolen property was at the time recovered, but after the lapse of weeks, a pair of valuable pistols, silver mounted, were restored, by the mandarin of Cowloon.

Many will inquire, if our men-of-war could capture one set of pirates, why could they not succeed in taking, or at all events seeking after, others? The reason appears obvious; most of the vessels attacked by pirates are merchantmen, or fast boats, having on board passengers, merchandise, and specie; and although the life and property of these parties may be dear to them, these good folks are not the sons of a military man, holding the rank of major-general.

After the attack on the schooner, and capture of the pirates, the men-of-war again relapsed into their former lethargic state; their only utility, apparently,

being to send their crews on shore to annoy, with their drunken frolics, the inhabitants of Victoria.

A very melancholy act of piracy occurred a short time previous to the above transaction: a sergeant and his party were ordered round to Chuk-Choo, from Victoria, having under their charge treasure to pay the troops. The party left the harbour early in the forenoon, and were never again seen alive; the boat, the same evening, being drifted back to the harbour with the mangled bodies of our poor soldiers, mutilated in a most horrible manner, lying at the bottom; the sergeant's hands were nearly severed from the wrists, and he had evidently met death, making a brave resistance. The following day, a gun-boat was sent out; but although the dreadful deed must have been perpetrated at no great distance from the harbour, these pirates were never discovered.

The non-discovery of pirates is not wondered at in China, as many daring acts of piracy have constantly occurred in the harbour, within gunshot of men-of-war, the authors of which have escaped unscathed, though their crimes were of a most aggravated nature; wholesale plunders, and too frequently murder having taken place. We have been obliged to hire an armed schooner, the master of which thought it necessary for our safety to load the guns before leaving the harbour of Victoria, when proceeding to Macao.

A laughable circumstance occurred during one of these voyages, which might have led to serious consequences in the dusk of the evening, we saw a

SCENE ON BOARD OF A SCHOONER.

45

vessel running down upon us, before the wind, which had all the appearance of a pirate; we hailed her as she approached us, but received no answer: the ladies were sent down into the cabin, boarding pikes. and muskets being ordered up; great was the alarm and confusion on board our little vessel, the ladies declaring their intention of jumping overboard rather than fall into a pirate's clutches. The whole of our guns were ready pointed, each man resolving to perish in fighting to protect those he held dear; the vessel still bore down on us, and we were on the point of firing into her, when the commander of our schooner, most fortunately, recognised her as one of the lorchas which run regularly between Hong-Kong and Macao. The alarm we had suffered now subsided; the ladies came up, and the weapons went down, the whole party congratulating the other upon continuing our course, after meeting a friend, instead of being obliged to battle with a marauding enemy.

It would be endless were we to attempt to recount the instances which have occurred of the inhabitants leaving Hong-Kong and Macao, who have never after been heard of: in some instances, the bodies have been found, washed on shore, with the throats The perpetrators of these lawless acts, rarely, if ever are detected or brought to justice, and, for ought known to the contrary, have never been sought for.

cut.

This most unaccountable conduct of the British navy in China leads to the same result which all our mistaken line of policy has done, namely, bringing