ATTACKED BY PIRATES.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12772, 19 April 1910, Page 1

ATTACKED BY PIRATES.

rock in tK^¥ bUrn on * rock in the Red Sea m the vicinity of sarsan Islands, about ten miles from he mainland of Arabia, and 300 5 400 miles north of Perim. The rock ETKS 1 her from Sl '? kin s> b«* tJS on board were powerless to do more than wait patiently for assistance For ImTn ° ° rew , were idJ y awaiting .he appoarance of another steamer f^ ff tch .^ Wed » the deck seams lay gasping almost in a state of nudity under the canvas deck awning. A friendly Arab it !. ffi St °° d hy , m the hope of taking the officers and crew to Perim, but debiting tho ship and leaving her as salvage to anyone who chanced to como .long, formed no part of their intensions. And so the time went by. One nornmg however, from behind one of he islands there shot some sixty boats" <r_.mmcrd to the gunwales with yelling iedouins, armed with scimitars, daggers, spears, rifles, revolvers— almolt -•very kind of weapon the world lias cnown. Most of them were naked to .he waist, but the chiefs wore long, '-owing robes and turbans. The pirates mmediately opened fire, and the Kil>urn s company, perceiving that they ere hopelessly outnumbered, dropped •ver the side into the. friendly dhow, nd promptly put out to sea, being ucked up a day or so later and taken o Perim. The yelling horde swarmed lirough. the vessel and stripped her- o| very bit of woodwork, coppex, pipes, nd much other valuable material, .uckily the holds and engine room .ero not interfered with, probably be;ause they were flooded. The Kilburn wople returned later with a detachment of Turkish sgldiers to recapturo sheir ship, but the pirates had gone md were not seen again. The vessel •/as pumped out, refloated, and towed o Perim for tqmporary repairs. As a esult of her exciting experience tho Sritish Government took possession of :he Sarsan Islands, and a warship keeps a friendly eye upon the locality, ■o that the picturesque ruffians will •equire to transfer tlieir field of operaion to- waters less highly seasoned vith the drawbacks of civilisation.