AN EXTRAORDINARY MUTINY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2119, 6 February 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN EXTRAORDINARY MUTINY.

I A Dublin correspondent telegraphs to the St. James' Gazette of December 9 the particulars of a mutiny, accompanied by Homo shocking scenes, which occurred I some weeks previously on a. ship belonjinp: , to the British mercantile mutant, which had been euaraged as :i Chinese transport in the Chinese peas. The correspondent states that the story is cont lined in a long letter to gentleman residing in Dublin. The writer was the chief steward on the ve-sel on which the mutiny occurred ; but, a» every effort had been made by the authorities in China to prevpnt the affair from becoming known, he desired his name and that of the tthip not to be given. He, however, is a highly respectable man, and the truth of the remarkable story he tells cannot be doubted. Tlie writer states that his steamer was chartered by the Chinese for 10,000 101., to tike ', to Hankow from Amoy, GOO miles, 2000 j Bhiek Flag troops who had been disbanded from the Tong-Uin war. On their march to Amoy they had committed fearlul murders and atrocities, and. the Gl-overn-raent were very anxious to get them from Amoy, where they wero a terror. At the ombarkation about 1000 were disarmed, but thoy crowded ou board too fast, and the work of disir-niuu* had to be abandoned. Man}* of them were drunk, and carried liquor with them, and were fit for any mischief. The ship was crowded to excess, the bridge, poop, forecastle, between-deeks, and lower holds being packed. After geeting uuder weigh with great difficulty, the Black Flags commenced gambling, having plenty of money about them, and were all night quarrelling, fighting, and murdering each other. Numbers were thrown overboard alive or dead. Some were stabbed, others were strangled, and not one of the ship's crew dared interfere. The writer himself saw three murdered men pitched overboard during the night. When morning came dozens of dead bodies were thrown overboard, some of them having been smothered, squeezed to death, or having died from want of water. A party of Black Flags seized the water on board and guarded it, refusing any to the crew. A fearful crush followed on the other Black Flags trying to get at the water. The heat was fearful, and many died from thirst. The Black Flags destroyed all the food, threw the rice overboard, with the cooking apparatus, and threatened to kill the"ooks. They eventually began to drink sea water. The sailors, who were fearfully parched, crawled down to the engineroom and got condensed water and drank it, though it was quite hot. Things became still more serious, and the Black Flags threatened to kill the crew, drawing knives across their own throats to convey to the sailors their meaning. They succeeded in getting hold of the captain by the beard, and held a knife to his throat. Eventually the vessel was put back to Amoy. where a British warship was anchored. The commander of the latter prepared to sweep the vessel's decks with his gatlings, and eventually boarded her. The mutineers were then standing on deck with black flags hoisted on speare. Two Chinese gunboats subsubsequently arrived, and took off the Black Flags, those refusing to leave being thrown overboard, and left to get to land aa they could. Six of the mutineers were at once beheaded, and one hundred bastinadoed Five dead mutineers were afterwards found in the lower hold, having been crushed to death.