ENCOUNTER WITH PIRATES.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 255, 9 May 1866, Page 3

ENCOUNTER WITH PIRATES.

(From the Times.) Information has reached Penzance of a tragical occurrence in Chino Bay, the barque Bentinck, Mr James Thomas, of Penzance, master, having been surprised and captured by the murderous pirates who abound in the Chinese seas. On the morning of Monday, the 4th of November the Bentinck sailed from Hongkong with a general cargo, for ISfingpo, and with a crew consisting of 14 men. All went well until the evening of Friday, the Bth, when in consequence of an easterly gale in Chino Bay, Captain Thomas thought it prudent to drop anchor in six fathoms of water ; and at 5.15 p.m. the captain set the regular watch, and gave orders that if any suspicious craft approached the ship, an intimation of the fact should be conveyed to him, and that all hands should also be instantly called. About two o'clock noxfc morning the second mate called all hands, as a junk was apparently coming alongside. The captain and crew hurried on deck, and looked over the bulwarks with intense anxiety, and perceived the junk nearing their ship. In a few minutes she had steered up on the portquarter, and as she was ranged alongside the master and crew of the Bentinck were horrified at discovering that she was manned ~by Chinese pirates, who, on coming abreast of the ship, fired pistols '.A +he seamen, and threw stink-pots on ■: ■< rd. The first impulse of the men was t lefend themselves against their savage ':'o<: s, and sell their lives dearly, but when the men ran to the fire-arms, the master seeing that the pirates had already jumped onboard of his ship, called to his men not to fire a single shot, but to rush below. . The men promptly obeyed, aud in a moment afterwards the deck of the barque was crowded by pirates. Captain Thomas, finding that some of the crew were exposed to the pistol-shots which were being constantly fired below, called to the crew to get into the lazarette, and he with one man set the example. The pirates had complete possession of the ship, and called loudly for the captain. The chief mate was followed i lto the lazarette by a savage who appeared to be the leader of the gang. This fellow called on the captain to come up, but Captain Thomas levelled a revolver at him and at the sight of it he sprang back. Shortly afterwards a second pirate came below the scuttle, but on seeing the revolver jumped back more quick than the first. The captain did not fire at either of the miscreants, because the mate and the seaman agreed with him that his doing so would be the signal for the murder of the entire crew. Captain Thomas added great Dravery to his great discretion by agreeing to go up on deck, and place himself unarmed at the mercy of the pirates, and the mate was to pass the revolver to the Chinese afterwards. This was done, Captain Thomas at the time believing that his immediate death was certain. When the captain reached the deck, he was seized, and the leader ordered him to show where the opium and 2,000 dollars were stowed. As neither money nor opium were on board, the chief could not be satisfied, and he was the more incensed, because he declared he had information from Canton, that the opium and money were upon the ship. The pirates then rifled the ship completely, breaking the hatches open, and dragging the captain along with them, threatening him continually the while that if he did not lead them to the articles for which they had asked he should be shot. Day then began to break, and the pirates at a signal from the deck quitted the ship, leaving the captain in the mainhold. He extinguished the lights the villains had been using, and watched the junk leave the ship, after which he got on deck, and the second mate proceeded to muster the men. Two able seamen, James Collier and William Tally, were missing aud it is supposed that they must have been chased over the bows and shot while in the water. The captain and the remainder of the crew were unhurt, with the exception of a few bruises. Knowing the ferocity and usual practice of these pirates, it is firmly believed by the crew that they owed their lives to the good judgment of Mr Thomas in refraining from active resistance, which overwhelming numbers would have rendered useless, and submitting quietly to personal indignities and robbery. The ship was stripped of every moveable article belonging to tae cargo or the crew,