A ROMANCE OF THE EAST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81884, 9 November 1906, Page 4

A ROMANCE OF THE EAST.

I.XPf.kir.NYrS (V- A SKA CAP i\\tX. CAT i\ Ucll) \\\ PIRATKS. Th-* W-'iri- ~f ii] .1 ikiv.' 1) ei. [■l ii!i«' <>*. in,:n}" |>■ 1 a l l* ,il e\<ui>an: "I i.ii'. rut u lauiy lil.it a New A>!..i:.d ; i.a- h i.J ti>< i'\p/:i nee n Ciin; -' w.-.ui- Oat v- II t<< die lot o> Cap a n I-red U. J >-.i:i, at < ne time an I!iic*■ i 111 ih. of th<- Unuir. C Caj tan jo-Jin pas-<d .i.i ugh Wellington by iht> \\ mm' ra ur. his way io Dunf-d n h> wife and t.nriy le-id-i. In an int«iviuw ivi'!'. ai« pri--< nat v -f .ne "Post/ ir-v capaHi :• ci.'u:t-xl tin- ?a«ry of an with wh ch re?ultod u i b f ".nir ot t>r ugh t w chct and !• u 1 r d■ * d "n i/5 uwn Cap 'a nJo /.n v.as n emmand rf a vte" n v h-'.'i r nanvd :hc Sa turn en i,. i;ed i:i :ht» ti./J-j Canton . r.'j Wo'Jch' o. pud the >.roukle he bc-Ci-nv- inv'lv.d in '-vas by a iu-

:r/jr g'.f.injf abn-ad that h s vessel was a valuable ccns.gnmvnt uf -p f, cie Canton. On the memorable ;r p under review th*- Sa man left Cantcn < n the 14a' I'dy. A number if pirate-, with dc--it;n-i on tin ?ihc c whica the v-?vl \\'d- suppr»?-d ;o be cairyirg. boardt-d the in die gui>e <>i A ab"ut 7 p.m.. after the captain had d n<u \v ill hi> eng-'necr (Mr and Dr M'Donald, a m >sionaiv drjctor. lu* lct\ the saloon and went tut <Vi dcek for a smoke. lie saw a pursuing an Indian watchman aiuund the di-ck» and thinking it x\a> a pnva'.c -quabble bcuwen ta*. two men, fviit-d the v_b naman w.ta a Liovv. Immediately on r.sing. tne Chinaman, uho was armed, hi• d thi- capiain, tae gullet entering lu» chc'--t and coming out 011 the ligtU set'. Atier <h » abuUt 50 ot the p - rates (Aiimncac u to tuc sh».-ta fioin ail pal io ot tlie ship. 'i hv cap all s>ul cli ior siicaei .11 uie -<il <. 11. uiid un aruvijig meu- n->uctd tiowmg rem nil woumi, winch was Uie Jwm U'j kn« vv ui be ng v.uiinded. Dr M'L)unaUi ..c si<ii>per ».i down on tiu- >uld, and wh Ibi ui«-ic Uio piiatLs uirauudcd the saloon,, and need tiling at its occupant iLiougii uie pJit Tli*' e<-r ii.t-aiu.hi.t.' had sicreted h m^e ; f unuci t it* boiier® in the cng.n«--iuuin. iiie pa.r .n iiie fcal-jun we t t- Mibjoeud to a hot til'- and to get out ot range uawkd unuer the table- wheic tii«ai:g:e was *OO gaal tor the t o ivaen them. A- Uic Uiearms pioved ul uo ava I, the piraie> ie:oUcd to iiie use 0: a "atink put," v\hicli was thrown m-ide the uom. 'I he prisonera were now .n a diamma. and to avoid be.ng by tne fum«-s f the "itink-put," ihey decided to go (.us on duck and face the enemy. The doctor, be ng a and weil known among>t tae Cniueso, thought that by -peaking in the Chinese language he would be able to reason w.tli the p.iat*s. Accordingly lie laid oul iiat, crying, "Mohtah, mohtah!"— which means "Do not nrike ' —a* lie progressed. As J>oon as the p.rates i-aw the prostrate man- one of them ap* proaclud him. and deliberately tired a -h(jt ihtough his biain, killing him instantiy.

During this tirue the captain \vatning tu gain hi- iuom near the fore part of the bridge. lie met about twenty p rat's coming uut of his room and they immcdia/'iy opened tire on him again. As a last the man fell to the ikck r and with a faint hnpe of saving >kin pretended to he dead. He was examined by the p rates, who kicktd and general l }" maltreated the apparently dead body. The captain's clothes were #rn off to see if he had a mon'y belt on him, ai.d a ring was wrenched off one of hij finger>, and ail his valuables were purloined. The Cnim*- could not mak:» out where the capta n had be* n

:h'H, .>nd commenced t" make a c!t>er 'xam nat < n. One man disc ivreri tli-- buil»t hoi- in Mie c»e««. and fiend* i-lily >hiu t his nM the cavity Th:s (juite sat sfi -d the phates who Mt tli * b< dy will a tew parting k<ks. A* darkness had enmc on th" Chinese wen" on io the biidge «:nd . .v* r«d tiie pilot T '» take tlu-i-j Funwoo, which wa* d-»n?. On ar ii\a 1 a- the captain learned afteifr -m the p lot, five snake boats r,=rged al 'iigxde. and a h<»rr.ble seen*' ir. u:.d. tlii- Chineso commune.ng to knock the ship about- and break every thing of value about the deck*. They then retired below, and pillaged the cargo, but n'-t finding the specie the leati gradually left tae ?h p. When ah the boat* were clear the pilot was informed that li s captain had been killed, and the ship ua» now his to take it wherever he liked.

When the ship wa< qu'.te free of the plates the engineer was called out of his p ace of hid ng by a fireman. He made enquiries for the cap:ain and was told that he had been shot. Proceeding along the deck he came acro-s th-? dead body of Mr M'DoiulJ. and afterwards found '.he capta n all safe, bui severely shaken. Captain Joslin was able to get up, and take Irs ship to Samshui. The doctor of the Bri tish gunboat Moorhen was sent fur Oi' hi» arrival, and dressed the wound of the =orely-tried skipper, who, within half an hour, was steering his vessel back to Canton. Leaving the ves--sel there he went to Hongkong, where he spent ten days in hospital, and then -et out for a six months' re?t in New Zealand. Captain Josln was on his way to Duned n. He feels the effect of his nxund. but he hopes to get back »o the Ea-t after his rest. "I have some old scores to pay off out there,'' remarked the capta.n as he bade farewell.