Chinese Pirates.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1922, Page 3

Chinese Pirates.

BRISBANE, Fob. 6. A story somewhat in the nature of a twentieth-century version of “ The Forty Thieves” came to Brisbane by | the steamer Arafura, which is en : route to Sydney from Eastern Slaves. ! The narrative describes the manner in which some Chinese pirates recent I v 1 took possession of the steamer Kwnng i Lee, while she was proceeding along the Chinese coast, and obtained money and valuables wo.tli approximately £*30,000.

Sant Long Gooii, a Chinese merchant, who is on bis way to Rallarat, provided the details. He said the steamer was the property of a Chines? company, hut it had a British commander. The vessel was of about 2000 tons burden, and a few hundred passengers were on hoard, including some thirty or forty members of what tiinibd out to he a hand of pirates. There was not the slightest anticipation of any trouble until one morning when tho captain, seated comfortably n’t breakfast, looked up suddely and found lie was covered with revolvers. The other pirates had meantime taken possession of the en-

tire ship. Quickly observing there was no possibility of escape, and realising that discretion was the better part of valour, the skipper submitted so t l, ■ pirates’ dictation. The passengers were lined up, and after their clothing had been searched, the pirat ■; made a thorough inspection of t 1 •> vessel, obtaining all the money and valuables that could possibly be secured. Tl io son of a Chinese passenger refused on three occasions to obey certain orders issued by the pirates, whereupon he was shot dead. “ His father cried,” said Long Goon, ” and be cried so much that 'be pirates decided to award him compensation out, of the spoils they had obtained from the ship.” Long Goon went on to say that the parent received 1200 dollars, a dollar being worth 2s 7}d when the Arafura left China. The money and valuables obtained ti- in the Kwong Lee had a total value : f 200,000 dollars, which, in Englh h money, represented about £30,000. Twenty thousand dollars’ worth of silver liars, en route to the Shanghai Corporation Rank, was also on hoard the captured vessel. Two days after the. pirates had taken possession of the vessel, it was b o to a rendezvous where a junk, with more pirates aboard, awaited it. Those who had come on hoard as passengers left the ship with the booty they had obtained tint! sailed away in the junk. The silver was not taken because of its v eight.