PIRATICAL VESSEL FITTED OUT IN THE THAMES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11854, 4 January 1902, Page 4

PIRATICAL VESSEL FITTED OUT IN THE THAMES.

The case of the Ban Righ, referred to in ; our cable news of yesterday; may become famous, although it is not likely to attain such a height of notoriety 1 as the Alabama. The steamer belonged to the Aberdeen Steam Navigation Company and was sold by them in the month of September to a Mr. Paolo, who was described as a London merchant. The vessel was then in the Thames and as soon, as .she changed ownership a new crew was shipped, about twice the number of firemen f and deck hands being taken on as had formerly been; necessary: to navigate her. It was variously stated that the ship was about to proceed on a yachting trip to the West Indies, and that she was being fitted up foe the; fruit trade. The ; Customs authorities determined to detain the vessel and to make an investigation into her cargo, destination and purpose. It was stated that the Customs authorities found guns on board, a quantity of charcoal and saltpetre and huge stores of biscuits and tinned meats. It was regarded as suspicious, too, that the Ban Righ had been fitted by her new owners with a searchlight on the foremast. At first it was supposed that the vessel was intended to give some aid to the Boer cause. The: vessel was detained under the Foreign Enlistment Act, and the Customs au-

—-i i »■ i ii»■...— ■•;'.;•,' thorities communicated the whole of < the facts to the Foreign Office; It was afterwards stated that the vessel was intended to take prat in the , ', * straggle at present going on in South America. Some of the States . in that quarter are in a chronic con- ;.' dition of war and revolution. Vene- ■ ■ zuela has been carrying on hostilities with Colombia because that . State has been assisting the revolutionary party of Venezuela. There are also various other complications.. Germany has claims upon Venezuela on account of German citizens, but, the United States objects to her pressing them to an extreme. Germany has therefore, according to the latest cables, agreed to delay delivering an ultimatum to Venezuela until the rebellion is settled. Great • ! Britain also has claims . against Venezuela, and the English shareholders in the Venezuela railways are urging that" a demonstration should be made similar to that of Germany. In the meantime, the Ban liigh has been released by the British authorities, apparently because they found they had no legal right to detain her. She has been rechristened the Libertador, or Liberator, and has been declared to be a pirate by the Venezuelan Government, which has offered a large reward for her capture. - The situa- ; tion has its difficulties, although we do not suppose that any claims will arise after the pattern of the Alabama.