DESPERATE ENCOUNTER WITH CONVICTS ON BOARD SHIP.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1396, 13 January 1860, Page 5

DESPERATE ENCOUNTER WITH CONVICTS ON BOARD SHIP.

Fropt thh Overland Bombay Statulatd, Sep. 10 /The story of the Ararat, now in Bombay har■bour would hare satisfied us when, in our schoolboy days, we thought nothing more inspiriting than such " Tales of the Sea," as narrated the bloody deeds of pirates, and the righteous retribution that sometimes overtook them.

The Ararat i? a barque of 290 tons, owned by Hajee Saleh Mahomed Arbee, of Bombay, and commanded by Captain J. A. Correya. On the 30th of January last she left Bombay with convicts for Penang and Singapore. Having landed the men, and disposed of his cargo, the captain tendered and was accepted for convicts for Bombay, 12 of whom were ready for deportation from Singapoie, and as many ftora Penang. Just as the vessel was teady to leave, Captain Correya was informed that he might have a batch of pirates, E*k having brought them in.

It seemed that shortly before the Ararat's arrival at Singapore, complaints had been made of two piratical junks prowling about the China seas, and the steamer Hooghly, Her Majesty's Indian Nary, Captain Wright, was sent after them. Coining up with them among the islands, the steamer's boats were sent in chase, but on coming within range of the junks' guns, each vessel carrying 10 or 12 6 to 12 pounders, they were met by such a fire as compelled them to return. The Hooghly's armament consisting of only two six-pounders, the captain did not think himself justified in proceeding further in the matter, and steamed back to Singapore. On his report, Her Majesty's steamer Esk, Captain Sir It. Maclure, was dispatched in search, with the mate of the H.wghly as a guide and was happily successful. On the junks catching sight of the Esk, there being men on board who were well up as to her armament, discretion was thought to be the better part of valour. A boat was lowered, with some fellows who could speak a little English, and pulled for the Esk. On coming on board they showed Sir Robert a Singapore port clearance, in ballast. But Sir Robert being far too old a salt to allow any to be put on his tail, coolly gave the order to "Go ahead." In a twinkling the Esk was alongside the junks, the crew were taken on board, a draught to each junk made from the Esk, and the gallant vessel, with the junks in tow, steamed away for Singapore. These were the fellows whom Captain Correya was told he might have in addition to the ordinary convicts. They were tried on shore, 52innum-

ber, by a special session, two being acquitted and the remainder sentenced to transportation to Bombay, some for 15 yej»rs, some for life On the judge passing sentence they assured him that if they got an opportunity on the voyage they would not fail to take advantage of it and murder every soul ou board. They would rathe.trtbej hanged at once than transported. With these 50 pirates on board, 12 ordinary convicts, a guard of 15 European Madras Artillerymen, and eight sepoys of the Marine Battalion, the Ararat left Singapore on tbel9th of June, and arrived at Penang in the - evening of the 21th. 12 convicts 'were here added to the gang, making 74 in all.

The Ararat left Penang in the evening of the 25th, a junk leaving at the same time, and doing her best to keep up with the ship. Captain Correya, not liking the appearance of things dodged his satellite, and finally lost sight of the craft on the evening of the 27th. A few hours later, the Ararat was some sixty miles from Penang. The 28th broke gloomily very dark, and sharp gusts of wind. At 245 the captain ordered the mute to set topgallant sails if the weather should clear, and lay down again on the poop. His rest was of short duration. Ten minutes later he was aroused by a noise, sucb an one as wakens a man broadly in an instant. The noise, a crash as of something giving way, followed by a shout, startled the mate also as he was standing by the break of the poop. There was no doubt as to the cause — the con-: victs had broken loose. Quick as thought, the captain leaped to the deck, and brought his arms, a revolver and two pistols, from the cabin. The mate as instantly aroused the guard, at the same time hailing the sentry foiward, but received no reply. He remained by the night guard muskets until the guard turned out. before which the captain's revolver spoke from tbe poop. The captain, it seems, on reaching the deck could not discern that the convicts weie making their way aft. They had advanced as far as the stern of the. longboat when he fired into them, Still they came on, a tumultuous rush, yelling like fiends, and heavingbefore them blocks, handspikes, holystones, firewood, currystaff grinders — anything, in fact, they could lay hands on. Captain Correya vans severely struck by some of these missiles, as were also* several of the guard, who had by this time joined the captain (the crew, Lascars and Spaniards, being altogether without arms, having made their way into thejigging^on the poop. Thegallautjparty had no . thought, however, of acting on the defensive, but jumping to the quarterdeck, commenced a hand-to-hand fight with the scoundrels. Both the captain and guard fired into them as fast as they could load, using also their cutlasses and bayonets to keep them at bay. They had desperate men to deal with. No sooner was a musket fired than a rush was made upon it before it could be reloaded, but in no one instance did they succeed in wrenching it from the grip that held it for life or death. One bayonet was their only spoil. During the whole time they kept up a shower of the missiles described above, and it is only wonderful that more raishief was not done by them. Inch by inch, however, tbe captain and bis party gained ground, advancing purposely with caution, lest from behind the water casks a rush might be made upon them, and their arms their salvation — be seized. And here we have to record an instance of couiage as rare as heroic. Some ten minutes or so after the outbreak, amid an uproar as of hell let loose, arising from men who were thirsting for blood, the captain's wife took her part in the fray, by loading and continuing to reload her husband's pistols, and passing them up from tbe cuddy skylight. As each hatch was gained it was seized by the guard aud fastened down. After an hour's hard fighting, the convicts were driven on to the topgallant forecastle where they were charged with the bayonet and several run through or driven over tbe bows. Two or three were seen to lay huld of the fore top gallant studding sail, which was lying on the forecastle, and jumped overboard with it. They were shot from the poop and quarterdeck, as far as the darkness permitted their being made out. Our deck vow being clear, lights were brought — many attempts had been made to get lights during the fight, but as soon as one appeared it was knocked over by tbe convicts, and the whole work was done in almost solid darkness. The sights which the lights revealed were of the horridest. Here a man with a gashed face there another cut almost in two, there another riddled with the bayonet, there one — yes, yet living, with foui bullets through him. Tbe aspect of tbe place was that of a slaughter house. Eight dead bodies were found on the forcastle, and three on the main deck, including the European sentry and Portuguese cook. It was now apparent why the sentry had not answered the bail of the mate — the poor fellow was stabbed to the heart. There seems, unfortunately, to be no doubt that lie had left his post below, and come on deck, where he is supposed to have fallen asleep, being stabbed' without awakening even to fire his pistol, which was in his hand as he lay. Had he been at his post, or even awake on deck, alarm might in all probability have been given sufficiently early to have prevented the convicts gaining the deck at all.

The poor cook was shot by accident, being mixed up with the convicts. The carpenter, and an Arab passenger, jumped overboard. The former fell into the bight of the lee fore sheet, got into the fore chains, and made bis way aft The Arab was never seen again.

At daybreak a man was found hanging on to the rudder. A rope being let down he was hauied up, and was found to have been shot through the leg. On search being made below, five more bodies were found of men who, on receiving enough, had gone below, to die. It was found that the convicts had escaped by cutting through with a knife, of which they had somehow gained possession, a bar of a prison door forward then partly cutting through the inside partition bar on the port side, which enabled them to burst the door in altogether. They then shouted to the rest in other cells, to follow them, which, with tbe exception of 14 whom the guard were enabled to keep down, they did. At six the convicts were mustered, when it was found that 28 were dead or missing; — 28 out of 60 who came on deck. The remaining 32, with the exception of three wounded, were treated to three dozen each. At half-past nine the sentries gave the alarm that some of the convicts had slipped their leg irons. The guard was called and secured them. On overhauling the remainder, it was found that too many of the irons were too large, and they were accordingly reduced. A welcome sight must Bombay have been to the Ararat.

Tbe captain speaks in high terms of the European sergeants and guard, and the marine Battalion also, their havildar especially singling himself out by his valour. What shall we say of the captain himself ? What would have been the result had he been a roan of les3 courage and pluck than he showed himself to be? The vessel would have been taken, every soul on board murdered, and these desperadoes have found their way to (he China

Seas again, to -the destruction of — who can sa; how much life and property ? It is so very ex ceptional a case that we doubt not the Charabe of Commerce will take some notice of it Capt tain Correya has]eained forjhimself a fife renown and should be dealt with in a way .becoming this great commercial port, and! a chamber o commercial meu. . . '