The Pirates Own Book (33 page)

"On the 10th we formed a junction with the Black-squadron, and proceeded
many miles up a wide and beautiful river, passing several ruins of
villages that had been destroyed by the Black-squadron. On the 17th, the
fleet anchored abreast four mud batteries, which defended a town, so
entirely surrounded with wood, that it was impossible to form any idea
of its size. The weather was very hazy, with hard squalls of rain. The
Ladrones remained perfectly quiet for two days. On the third day the
forts commenced a brisk fire for several hours: the Ladrones did not
return a single shot, but weighed in the night and dropped down the
river. The reasons they gave for not attacking the town, or returning
the fire, were, that Joss had not promised them success. They are very
superstitious, and consult their idol on all occasions. If his omens are
good, they will undertake the most daring enterprises. The fleet now
anchored opposite the ruins of the town where the women had been made
prisoners. Here we remained five or six days, during which time about an
hundred of the women were ransomed; the remainder were offered for sale
amongst the Ladrones, for forty dollars each. The woman is considered
the lawful wife of the purchaser, who would be put to death if he
discarded her. Several of them leaped overboard and drowned themselves,
rather than submit to such infamous degradation.

"Mei-ying, the wife of Ke-choo-yang, was very beautiful, and a pirate
being about to seize her by the head, she abused him exceedingly. The
pirate bound her to the yard-arm; but on abusing him yet more, the
pirate dragged her down and broke two of her teeth, which filled her
mouth and jaws with blood. The pirate sprang up again to bind her. Ying
allowed him to approach, but as soon as he came near her, she laid hold
of his garments with her bleeding mouth, and threw both him and herself
into the river, where they were drowned. The remaining captives of both
sexes were after some months liberated, on having paid a ransom of
fifteen thousand leang or ounces of silver.

"The fleet then weighed," continues Mr. Glasspoole, "and made sail down
the river, to receive the ransom from the town before-mentioned. As we
passed the hill, they fired several shot at us, but without effect. The
Ladrones were much exasperated, and determined to revenge themselves;
they dropped out of reach of their shot, and anchored. Every junk sent
about a hundred men each on shore, to cut paddy, and destroy their
orange-groves, which was most effectually performed for several miles
down the river. During our stay here, they received information of nine
boats lying up a creek, laden with paddy; boats were immediately
despatched after them. Next morning these boats were brought to the
fleet; ten or twelve men were taken in them. As these had made no
resistance, the chief said he would allow them to become Ladrones, if
they agreed to take the usual oaths before Joss. Three or four of them
refused to comply, for which they were punished in the following cruel
manner: their hands were tied behind their backs, a rope from the
masthead rove through their arms, and hoisted three or four feet from
the deck, and five or six men flogged them with their rattans twisted
together till they were apparently dead; then hoisted them up to the
mast-head, and left them hanging nearly an hour, then lowered them down,
and repeated the punishment, till they died or complied with the oath.

"On the 28th of October, I received a letter from Captain Kay, brought by
a fisherman, who had told him he would get us all back for three
thousand dollars. He advised me to offer three thousand, and if not
accepted, extend it to four; but not farther, as it was bad policy to
offer much at first: at the same time assuring me we should be
liberated, let the ransom be what it would. I offered the chief the
three thousand, which he disdainfully refused, saying he was not to be
played with; and unless they sent ten thousand dollars, and two large
guns, with several casks of gunpowder, he would soon put us to death. I
wrote to Captain Kay, and informed him of the chief's determination,
requesting, if an opportunity offered, to send us a shift of clothes,
for which it may be easily imagined we were much distressed, having been
seven weeks without a shift; although constantly exposed to the weather,
and of course frequently wet.

"On the first of November, the fleet sailed up a narrow river, and
anchored at night within two miles of a town called Little Whampoa. In
front of it was a small fort, and several Mandarin vessels lying in the
harbor. The chief sent the interpreter to me, saying, I must order my
men to make cartridges and clean their muskets, ready to go on shore in
the morning. I assured the interpreter I should give the men no such
orders, that they must please themselves. Soon after the chief came on
board, threatening to put us all to a cruel death if we refused to obey
his orders. For my own part I remained determined, and advised the men
not to comply, as I thought by making ourselves useful we should be
accounted too valuable. A few hours afterwards he sent to me again,
saying, that if myself and the quarter-master would assist them at the
great guns, that if also the rest of the men went on shore and succeeded
in taking the place, he would then take the money offered for our
ransom, and give them twenty dollars for every Chinaman's head they cut
off. To these proposals we cheerfully acceded, in hopes of facilitating
our deliverance.

"The Mandarin vessels continued firing, having blocked up the entrance of
the harbor to prevent the Ladrone boats entering. At this the Ladrones
were much exasperated, and about three hundred of them swam on shore,
with a short sword lashed close under each arm; they then ran along the
banks of the river till they came abreast of the vessels, and then swam
off again and boarded them. The Chinese thus attacked, leaped overboard,
and endeavored to reach the opposite shore; the Ladrones followed, and
cut the greater number of them to pieces in the water. They next towed
the vessels out of the harbor, and attacked the town with increased
fury. The inhabitants fought about a quarter of an hour, and then
retreated to an adjacent hill, from which they were soon driven with
great slaughter. After this the Ladrones returned, and plundered the
town, every boat leaving it with lading. The Chinese on the hills
perceiving most of the boats were off, rallied, and retook the town,
after killing near two hundred Ladrones. One of my men was
unfortunately lost in this dreadful massacre! The Ladrones landed a
second time, drove the Chinese out of the town, then reduced it to
ashes, and put all their prisoners to death, without regarding either
age or sex! I must not omit to mention a most horrid (though ludicrous)
circumstance which happened at this place. The Ladrones were paid by
their chief ten dollars for every Chinaman's head they produced. One of
my men turning the corner of a street was met by a Ladrone running
furiously after a Chinese; he had a drawn sword in his hand, and two
Chinaman's heads which he had cut off, tied by their tails, and slung
round his neck. I was witness myself to some of them producing five or
six to obtain payment!

"On the 4th of November an order arrived from the admiral for the fleet
to proceed immediately to Lantow, where he was lying with only two
vessels, and three Portuguese ships and a brig constantly annoying him;
several sail of Mandarin vessels were daily expected. The fleet weighed
and proceeded towards Lantow. On passing the island of Lintin, three
ships and a brig gave chase to us. The Ladrones prepared to board; but
night closing we lost sight of them: I am convinced they altered their
course and stood from us. These vessels were in the pay of the Chinese
Government, and styled themselves the Invincible Squadron, cruising in
the river Tigris to annihilate the Ladrones!

"On the fifth, in the morning, the red squadron anchored in a bay under
Lantow; the black squadron stood to the eastward. In the afternoon of
the 8th of November, four ships, a brig, and a schooner came off the
mouth of the bay. At first the pirates were much alarmed, supposing them
to be English vessels come to rescue us. Some of them threatened to hang
us to the mast-head for them to fire at; and with much difficulty we
persuaded them that they were Portuguese. The Ladrones had only seven
junks in a fit state for action; these they hauled outside, and moored
them head and stern across the bay, and manned all the boats belonging
to the repairing vessels ready for boarding. The Portuguese observing
these manoeuvres hove to, and communicated by boats. Soon afterwards
they made sail, each ship firing her broadside as she passed, but
without effect, the shot falling far short. The Ladrones did not return
a single shot, but waved their colors, and threw up rockets, to induce
them to come further in, which they might easily have done, the outside
junks lying in four fathoms water, which I sounded myself: though the
Portuguese in their letters to Macao lamented there was not sufficient
water for them to engage closer, but that they would certainly prevent
their escaping before the Mandarin fleet arrived!

"On the 20th of November, early in the morning, discovered an immense
fleet of Mandarin vessels standing for the bay. On nearing us, they
formed a line, and stood close in; each vessel, as she discharged her
guns, tacked to join the rear and reload. They kept up a constant fire
for about two hours, when one of their largest vessels was blown up by a
firebrand thrown from a Ladrone junk; after which they kept at a more
respectful distance, but continued firing without intermission till the
21st at night, when it fell calm. The Ladrones towed out seven large
vessels, with about two hundred row-boats to board them: but a breeze
springing up, they made sail and escaped. The Ladrones returned into the
bay, and anchored. The Portuguese and Mandarins followed, and continued
a heavy cannonading during that night and the next day. The vessel I was
in had her foremast shot away, which they supplied very expeditiously by
taking a mainmast from a smaller vessel.

"On the 23d, in the evening, it again fell calm; the Ladrones towed out
fifteen junks in two divisions, with the intention of surrounding them,
which was nearly effected, having come up with and boarded one, when a
breeze suddenly sprang up. The captured vessel mounted twenty-two guns.
Most of her crew leaped overboard; sixty or seventy were taken,
immediately cut to pieces, and thrown into the river. Early in the
morning the Ladrones returned into the bay, and anchored in the same
situation as before. The Portuguese and Mandarins followed, keeping up a
constant fire. The Ladrones never returned a single shot, but always
kept in readiness to board, and the Portuguese were careful never to
allow them an opportunity.

"On the 28th, at night they sent eight fire-vessels, which, if properly
constructed, must have done great execution, having every advantage they
could wish for to effect their purpose; a strong breeze and tide
directed into the bay, and the vessels lying so close together, that it
was impossible to miss them. On their first appearance, the Ladrones
gave a general shout, supposing them to be Mandarin vessels on fire, but
were very soon convinced of their mistake. They came very regularly into
the centre of the fleet, two and two, burning furiously; one of them
came alongside of the vessel I was in, but they succeeded in booming her
off. She appeared to be a vessel of about thirty tons; her hold was
filled with straw and wood, and there were a few small boxes of
combustibles on her deck, which exploded alongside of us without doing
any damage. The Ladrones, however, towed them all on shore, extinguished
the fire, and broke them up for firewood. The Portuguese claim the
credit of constructing these destructive machines, and actually sent a
despatch to the Governor of Macao, saying they had destroyed at least
one-third of the Ladrone's fleet, and hoped soon to effect their purpose
by totally annihilating them!

"On the 29th of November, the Ladrones being all ready for sea, they
weighed and stood boldly out, bidding defiance to the invincible
squadron and imperial fleet, consisting of ninety-three war-junks, six
Portuguese ships, a brig, and a schooner. Immediately after the Ladrones
weighed, they made all sail. The Ladrones chased them two or three
hours, keeping up a constant fire; finding they did not come up with
them, they hauled their wind, and stood to the eastward. Thus terminated
the boasted blockade, which lasted nine days, during which time the
Ladrones completed all their repairs. In this action not a single
Ladrone vessel was destroyed, and their loss was about thirty or forty
men. An American was also killed, one of three that remained out of
eight taken in a schooner. I had two very narrow escapes: the first, a
twelve pounder shot fell within three or four feet of me; another took a
piece out of a small brass-swivel on which I was standing. The chief's
wife frequently sprinkled me with garlick-water, which they considered
an effectual charm against shot. The fleet continued under sail all
night, steering towards the eastward. In the morning they anchored in a
large bay surrounded by lofty and barren mountains. On the 2d of
December I received a letter from Lieutenant Maughn, commander of the
Honorable Company's cruiser Antelope, saying that he had the ransom on
board, and had been three days cruising after us, and wished me to
settle with the chief on the securest method of delivering it. The chief
agreed to send us in a small gun-boat till we came within sight of the
Antelope; then the compradore's boat was to bring the ransom and receive
us. I was so agitated at receiving this joyful news, that it was with
difficulty I could scrawl about two or three lines to inform Lieutenant
Maughn of the arrangements I had made. We were all so deeply affected by
the gratifying tidings, that we seldom closed our eyes, but continued
watching day and night for the boat.