EXPEDITION AGAINST CHINESE PIRATES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 79, 14 August 1869, Page 3

EXPEDITION AGAINST CHINESE PIRATES.

The " Hong-Kong Daily Press, 1 ' of February 10, gives an interesting account of the recent expedition of r !i o Algerine against the Chinese pirates. The vessel started on the 11th of January^ in search of a missing French man-of-war, Le Monge, and, after a long cruise among the islands,* they found a boat with " M ", upon it, presumed to belong to the missing vessel. Mnding a nest of pirates, or "pilongs,** on Tonqua Island, it was determined on the 2nd of February, to attack them. The narrative -proceeds :—: — " Lieutenant Grrey landed with a, small party of men on the island, and the first things lie came upon were four large snake-boats, lying upon , " the beach near a little hut. The mandarin who accompanied the gun-boat, ordered the hut to be fired, and after 1 this waa don© the snakl-boats -were going to be treated in the same manner, when the pirates, who were- evidently on the watch, opened a "straggling fire from some rocks about 300 yards off. The Algorine's party charged up the hill a eh'ort distance, and gave them a little of the Slider rifle, but the rascals took care to keep a respectful distance. The enake-Tjoats were destroyed after this little' diver-* sion, and the party proceeded to the village of Chung-lat, but on arrival there the mandarin vrould not author* ise it being burnt, as he did not think it was piratical as reported. On the next day Lieutenant Grey landed at a place called Yin-sing, with a rather larger party of men, and finding more snake-boats, get them on fire, While doing which he was again fired. upon by the pirates, who on eeping the'party approach ran to the hills/ and watched them from behind the rxfeks. A 4 this place there was a small junk whicn had been captured by the pirates a, % few days before. This was ./released'* and restored to the captain. Notliing more was done until the sth inst., when, just as the Algerine waa getting under way, with the intention of going to Macao, two Chinese in a small sampan hailed the gun-boat; and inforined the mandarin that they had; only 1 just got away from some pirates, who had captured their junk on the north-ertet side of the island. The Algerine went round to the spot where the junk was supposed to he, and on arriving iihere Lieutenant Grrey put a party of men into the junk last released, and, proceeding on shore, soon found two junks from which the pirates ran away as soon as the Algerin^s came up. Leaving a few men in the released junk, Lieutenant Grrey ' pursued the fellows up a small creek, but water ; soon became too shoally for him to ' proceed, and he wa3 forced to return without being able to give the rascals what they deserved. On coining back tothe junks the tide would not permit of their returning to the Algerine, so the commander and his party were obliged to remain on board the junk for the night. The next morning, 6th inst., Lieutenant Grey again went up the small creek with his party. They had not proceeded very far, however, before they observed the men running before them as if watching their movements, and shortly after this the ' pilougs ' opened a smart and somewhat heavy fire from the front. Sniders were again called into requisition, and a few of the rascals were again seen to tumble over. The 'pirates, who were evidently fighting for something good, were bold enough to advance on the little band of Algerines, but they soon 'turned tail' when a few moi'e rounds from the Sniders had been administered. The party and Lieutenant Grey then advanced up the creek, found some heavily armed snake boats, which were of course destroyed, and the party returned on board the gun-boat. Thus four junks were liberated, and of these three were returned to the owners, but one junk was a rather suspicious one. Tho man who said he was captain of her did not know what her cargo was, nor had he any knowledge of soamanship. This junk and her captain were therefore detained for urther inquiry. This cruise of tho Algerino has, perhaps, been as fruitful as any which she has made, and tho results have not been accomplished without severe work .and danger. The number of snake-boats destroyed was twelve while five huts were burnt ; and when the commander of the Algerine left Island of Tonqua he had the satisfaction of knowing that there were but one or two, if so many, snake-boats left on the island."

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