A PIRATE KING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17527, 2 May 1925, Page 2

A PIRATE KING.

SCOURGE OF INDIAN OCEAN TWO YEARS’ WAR FOR A BRIDE. John Plantain was vastly different from the great majority of English pirate captains. lie was a potentate. Successor to the ill-rewarded and possibly misjudged Kidd, and the audacious robber Avery, and contemporary to Edward England, Davis and Roberts, lie was in his youth just another of those scourges of the Indian Ocean who lurked in waiting for the rich prizes to be taken from the just developing trade route between India and Western Europe. But he soon tired of that, and, before he reached the age of thirty, was to become King of Madagascar, the*conquering warrior who conducted a two years’ war to win a bride, and a coloniser of such genius that he brought temporary prosperity to a desolate place and laid the foundation of industries which still live on the great island lying off the African coast.

Madagascar was the headquarters of several notorious combinations of pirates, and Plantain was serving under Edward England when t he made his acquaintance with the island, which was sparsely peopled with groups of Malay origin under petty kings. The young pirate, with a Scotsman, James Adair, and a Dane, Hans Burgen, decided to establish himself on the island (states the Melbourne “Age”). Ilis share of England’s pirate spoils was sufficient to enable him to set up in regal splendour; his numerous native wives were decked in silks and diamonds; he seemed to have everythingg a pirate could wish. But the granddaughter of a neighbouring ruler, King Dick, was not yet in his household, and he wanted her. This girl was half English, and very beautiful. Kingg Dick was not anxious to admit the ambitious pirate to the family circle, and rejected Plaintain’s proposition that the girl should be sent to him. At once started the war which continued for two years, and which led to other wars that kept the island in a state of turmoil for several more years. Plantain, with Adair as his chief of state, and the Dane in support, rallied an army of 2000 men, and, marching behind the flags of England, Scotland and Denmark, descended upon King Dick. The resisting king and his allies were routed, but the war went on for two years before Plantain captured and killed the king and carried off Eleanora Brown, as the girl was called, to his castle. Her arrival was celebrated with a great feast, the young lady was clothed with the richest jewels and diamonds, and Plantain gave her twenty girl slaves as attendants.

Success was intoxicating, and PI Pantain had some scores to pay off against those who had failed to stand by him. After spending a few months in organising his newly acquired territory, setting the natives to the methodical formation of sugar plantations, he resumed his campaigns. From the subordinate chieftains, who were appointed with due ceremony, he exacted taxes. It was their responsibility to see that the lands were properly cultivated, and numerous agricultArel enterprises were set in hand. Thus Plantain had provisions in plenty for his warriors, and when he added to his resources a few old cannon taken from wrecked pirate ships, most of the other petty kings were soon forced to submission. Did his soldiers show signs of tiring, a few were tortured as an example, and so excellent discipline was maintained. In three years he had routed all who opposed him, burned the towns which offered resistance, tortured to deatn rival kings and Englishmen found in the camps, and shipped off all his prisoners as slaves. lie was admittedly King of Madagascar. Y iceroys were appointed to the more important provinces, and chieftains given charge of smaller areas. The island was completely under his domination, and agricultural industries began to prosper; but Plantain tired of his triumph: being an unchallenged king bored him. He set his men to work on a sloop, loaded the little vessel with his portable treasures, took his wife whom he now called Nelly, and quietly slipped away from his own domain Mr Archibald Hurd, who traces the extraordinary record of John Plantain in his book, “ The Reign of the Pirates,” has been unable to gather any evidence of the ultimate fate of this surprising personality in the gallery of sea rogues: All that is known is that he raided the island of Johanna, relieved a ship of some stores, and then set sail for India. There he fell in with a famous native potentate and pirate, Angira, who welcomed him as a useful subordinate, and later made him admiral of his fleet. Perhaps Plantain finally deposed Angira and became again a king, but his doings after becoming admiral of the fleet are wrapped in mystery,