CHINESE PIRATES

Otago Witness, Issue 3617, 10 July 1923, Page 53

CHINESE PIRATES

MENACE TO SHIPPING. SYDNEY PASSENGER S EXPERIENCE. Passengers arriving in Sydney by steamers from the East state that piracies in the Chinese waters are more serious now than for many years (says the Sydney correspondent of the Auckland Star). One man who has returned to Sydney was on the Chinese merchant steamer Taishun wiien she was seized by pirates while on her way from Canton to Hongkong during May. The ship was looted of £IO,OOO. and tho mate was struck over the head with a butcher’s axe b.y one of the pirates. The pirates collected the ship's officers and passengers together, and looked them up in the captain’s room. The pirates then proceeded to enjoy themselves. They feasted on chicken, and drank freely of whisky and soda. After the feast the pirates took charge of the vessel. The steerage passengers, mostly Chinese, were herded into No. 1 hold anil carefully searched. A strong guard was placed to watch them. The second officer was forced to give a hand, and the ship was steered to a rock, near Tungao Roads, where she arrived on May 13. The journey was made without lights. On reaching tho destination a fishing junk was commandeered, and on to this the pirates removed their plunder, which was estimated at more tli an £IO,OOO. A number of the pirates left in the junk with their booty. At 5 o'clock in the morning the last of the pirates left in a lifeboat. This lifeboat, commanded by the leader of the pirates, was manned by members of the Taishun, and her captain was taken as hostage. Before leaving the pirates threatened that they would kill the captain if the vessel attempted to leave bo fore a given time. The chief officer. Mr Crawford, w-as taken to hospital suffering from the wounds inflicted by one of the pirates with a meat chopper.