Pirating on the High Seas

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 87, 13 January 1891, Page 2

Pirating on the High Seas

MASSACRE OF A STEAMER'S PASSEN GEES AND CREW. LPSB UNITED PRKSB ASSOCIATION.Sydney, January 12. News from Thursday Island states that the steamer Naiaan left Hong Kong on December 10, for Swatow, having on board four saloon and 259 Chinese pasBengers. When the vessel was about 35 miles outside of the harbor, and while all on board were at dinner, she was taken -possession of by a band of 30 pirates, armed with revolvers and cutlasses, who had joined the steamer as passengers. The four saloon passengers, who were dining on deck, were shot dead, and. Captain Pocock, who was in charge of the Narnan, met a similar fate. While par--" leying with the Pirates, the Malay Quartermaster was next disposed of, his body being thrown overboard. Two officers and four seamen, who had closed with, some of the pirates, were wounded, while three Chinese were stabbed to death and their bodies thrown oyerboard. The Europeans on board were all taken by surprise. The pirates fired wildly into the cabin, throwing stinkpots at the officers, who were quite unarmed and unprepared for such an emergency. After taking -some 30,000 dollars' worth of plunder, the pirates landed at Mendoza Island, and those of the ship's company who had remained in hiding and thus escaped the notice of the pirates slipped anchor and steamed the vessel back to Hong Kong.