ATTACK BY PIRATES

West Coast Times, Issue 317, 28 September 1866, Page 2

ATTACK BY PIRATES

We have been favored by Captain John Miuners, of the Hanoverian schooner. Sophie, now in this port, with an interesting account of an attack upon that vessel by pirates whilst on the voyage from Hongkong to Sydney via Foochow Foo.

The Sophie left Hongkong on Monday, the 28th > May lait, and sailed, through Lemon Pass. On the 31st May, at noon, Cupchi Point boi-e N. by W. 15 miles. We had the whole morning a junk about 5 miles to windward of us, working the same as we were, tacking when we tacked. At 3 p.m. wo tacked to the south-east ; the junk stayed also, which we thought very suspicious, and kept away right south, so tlwt all the sails drew well ; the junk kept away also, and as there was no further doubt about its being a pirate, we gave our vessel all the sails possible, but it was of very little use, as the wind died away by the .night, nothiug in sight except small fishermen's boats and two other junks hovering about up to the nortfi. At 4.30 p.m., seeing no possibility of getting away from tho pirate, the captaiii called a ship's eouncil^yhen we all agreed that it was not possible to fight the junk, she being armed with one, very big swivel gun standing 'amidships. Wo counted afterwards forty-seven men, every one armed with two six-shooter revolvers (Hafaucho faOiione"d), besides having cutlasses and Chinese spears. Tho pirate fired a shot now aud then until s'pira. when ho ran up to windward, and when about a ship's length off they kept shooting away at us with •revolvesa without intermission. They next threw stinkpots on the deck, so that the man at the helm was obliged to run down into the hold to save his life. The whole crew wasTby this time down in the boatswain's locker, and the junk was laid alongside, when forty-two of the Chinese came jumping on deck with a tremendous howling and streaming, besides constantly firing off their revolvers.. (The mainmast has several deep bullet holes.} '

In about ten minutes they caUed out for one man to come on deck, when the caotain went up and they took him into the cabin, pointing a revolver at him, ■ and demanded that he would shew them twelve boxes of opium and two passenger girls ; but when they saw there was no opium, they commenced to plunder and destroy, the captain opening all the lookers and drawers which were in the cabin. Amongst tho plunder taken by the pirates (valuetl in all at 2200 dollars) may bo enumerated a chronometer, by Perez Teokel, Altona, No. 2048 ; an, aneroid, barometer, by P. Tilloy, Hamburgh ; thermometer, sextant,

compasses, sp^y and opera gluss, charts, books,a camion, muskets, revolvers, pistols, gunpowder, swords, / Ings, one boul with o.ivs, standing and running rigging, cabin furnitilrc, iivnm jugery und glasa, crockery ware, cooking utensils, pro* i.-ions and oilmen's store*, mid medicine cheats ; indeed, they took tnvny ivjry portablo article on bo.ird. They cut open dome of the bales of mats to seek for opium, and then, placing all the plunder they h.id collected in tho junk, sailed away at 7.30 p.m. Wo ,then brought the vossul tfy the wind and stood to the south-east, the wind keeping north-east until 13tli June, when it veered to S. and south-west. At 5 a.m. wo made the land at Trian-gol-yot, at'^ passed Turnabout Island, and at. 12.30 anchored under the tiivakwater Hocks. No pilot oUering the next day, in consequence of the bad weather, we sailed in charge of n Chinese, and anchored in the evening for Thinpai Pas 3. AL 4 a.m. on tho 15th, worked up the river, anchoring at noon under Pagoda Island, tho anchorage of Foo-chow-Foo. — ''Sydney Morning Herald."