MADAGASCAR PIRATES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1268, 19 June 1886, Page 3

MADAGASCAR PIRATES.

A Washington despatch says:—The State Department has received information that the New England barque Surprise, which sailed some months ago from San Francisco, was on November 21st robbed by pirates off the west co .st of Madagascar. The Surprise struck a reef about three miles from shore, and on board loaded their valuables into the boats, and pulled in shore under the bend of a small point. In a short time two canoes with natives who appeared to be friendly, came to them. Very soon thirty or forty canoes, laden with armed spearsmen came out, and before the unfortunate crew could escape, they surrounded the boats of the Surprise, and robbed their occupants of everything valuable, taking even the shawls from the women. [ln this destitute state, the Americana were permitted to depart. Fortunately, the next morning they were picked up by a French vessel. The captain immediately returned to the scene of the wreck with a French tfacer, to find that all his cargo had been taken off by the natives, who had torn the barque’s sails to pieces, stripped off her metal, and finally burned the Surprise to the water’s edge. The captain of the Surprise laid a claim before KingLahmaiea for the amount of his losses, but the King said he could do nothing In the premises, unless the name of the t Senders were furnished.