Section 16 of Great Pirate Stories. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Great Pirate Stories by various. Edited by Joseph Louis French. Section 16, The Terrible Ladrones by Richard Glass-Poole. On the 17th of September 1809, the honourable company ship, Marquis of Ealy, anchored under the island of Sam Chow in China, about 12 English miles from Macau, where I was ordered to proceed in one of our cutters to procure a pilot, and also to land the person with the packet. I left the ship at 5 p.m., with seven men under my command. We're alarmed. It blew a fresh gale from the northeast. We arrived at Macau at 9 p.m., where I delivered the packet to Mr Roberts and sent the men with the boat sails to sleep under the company's factory and left the boat in charge of one of the compradores' men. During the night, the gale increased. At half past three in the morning, I went to the beach and found the boat on shore half filled with water, in consequence of the man having left her. I called the people and bailed her out. I found she was considerably damaged and very leaky. At half past 5 a.m., the abtide-making, we left Macau with vegetables for the ship. One of the compradores' men, who spoke English, went with us for the purpose of piloting the ship to Linton, as the Mandarin's, in consequence of a late disturbance at Macau, would not grant permission for regular pilots. I had every reason to expect the ship in the roads, as she was preparing to get underway when we left her. But on our round in Cabaretta Point, we saw her five or six miles to Leeward, underway, standing on the starboard tack. It was then blowing fresh at northeast, bore up and stood towards her, when about a cable's length to windward of her, she tacked. We hauled our wind and stood after her. A hard squall then coming on, with a strong tide and heavy swell against us, we drifted fast to Leeward, and with the weather being hazy, we soon lost sight of the ship. Struck our masts and endeavoured to pull, finding our efforts useless, set a reefed foresail and mizzen, and stood towards a countryship at anchor, under the land to Leeward of Cabaretta Point. When within a quarter of a mile of her, she wade and made sail, leaving us in a very critical situation, having no anchor and drifting bodily on the rocks to Leeward. Struck the masts. After four or five hours' hard pulling, succeeded in clearing them. At this time, not a ship in sight. The weather clearing up, we saw a ship to Leeward. Hulled down, shipped our masts, and made sail towards her. She proved to be the honourable company ship Glatton. We made signals to her with our anchor chiefs at the mast head. She unfortunately took no notice of them, but tacked and stood from us. Our situation was now truly distressing. Night closing fast, with a threatening appearance, blowing fresh, with hard rain and a heavy sea. Our boat very leaky, without a compass, anchor or provisions, and drifting fast on a lee shore, surrounded with dangerous rocks and inhabited by the most barbarous pirates. I close reefed my sails and kept tack and tack till daylight. When we were happy to find we had drifted very little to Leeward of our situation in the evening. The night was very dark, with constant hard squalls and heavy rain. Tuesday the 19th, no ships in sight. About ten o'clock in the morning it fell calm, with very hard rain and a heavy swell. Struck our masts and pulled, not being able to see the land steered by the swell. When the weather broke up, found we had drifted several miles to Leeward. During the calm a fresh breeze bringing up, made sail and endeavoured to reach the weather shore and anchor with six muskets we had lashed together for that purpose. Finding the boat made no way against the swell and tide, bore up for a bay to Leeward and anchored about one a.m. close under the land in five or six fathoms water, blowing fresh with hard rain. Wednesday the 20th, at daylight, supposing the flood tide making, weighed and stood over to the weather land, but found we were drifting fast to Leeward. About ten o'clock perceived two Chinese boats steering for us, bore up and stood towards them and made signals to induce them to come within hail. On nearing them they bore up and passed to Leeward of the islands. The Chinese we had in the boat advised me to follow them and he would take us to Macau by the Leeward Passage. I expressed my fears of being taken by the Ladronevs. Our ammunition being wet we had nothing to defend ourselves with but cutlasses and in too distressed a situation to make much resistance with them, having been constantly wet and eaten nothing but a few green oranges for three days. As our present situation was a hopeless one and the man assured me there was no fear of encountering any Ladrones, I complied with his request and stood into Leeward of the islands where we found the water much smoother and apparently a direct passage to Macau. We continued pulling and sailing all day. At six o'clock in the evening I discovered three large boats at Anco in a bay to Leeward. On seeing us they weighed and made sail towards us. The Chinese said they were Ladrones and that if they captured us they would most certainly put us all to death. Finding they gained fast on us, struck the masts and pulled head to wind for five or six hours. The tide turning against us anchored close under the land to avoid being seen. Soon after we saw the boats pass us to Leeward. Thursday the 21st a daylight, the flood making weighed and pulled along shoring great spirits expecting to be at Macau in two or three hours as by the Chinese account it was not above six or seven miles distant. After pulling a mile or two perceived several people on shore standing close to the beach. They were armed with pikes and lances I ordered the interpreter to hail them and ask the most direct passage to Macau. They said if we came on shore they would inform us. Not liking their hostile appearance I did not think proper to comply with the request. Saw a large fleet of boats at Anco close under the opposite shore. Our interpreter said they were fishing boats and that by going there we should not only get provisions but a pilot also to Macau. I bore up and on nearing them perceived there were some large vessels very full of men and mounted with several guns. I hesitated to approach nearer but the Chinese assuring me they were mandaring junks and salt boats we stood close to one of them and asked the way to Macau. They gave no answer but made some signs to us to go on shore. We passed on and a large row boat pulled after us. On the long side when about 20 savage looking villains who were stowed at the bottom of the boat leaped on board us. They were armed with a short sword in each hand one of which they laid on our necks and the other pointed to our breasts keeping their eyes fixed on their officer waiting his signal to cut or desist. Seeing we were incapable of making any resistance he sheathed his sword and the others immediately followed his example. They then dragged us into their boat and carried us on board one of their junks with the most savage demonstrations of joy and as we supposed to torture and put us to a cruel death. When on board the junk they searched all our pockets took the handkerchiefs from our necks and brought heavy chains to chain us to the guns. At this time a boat came and took me with one of my men and interpreter on board the chief's vessel. I was then taken before the chief he was seated on deck in a large chair dressed in purple silk with a black turban on. He appeared to be about 30 years of age a stout commanding looking man. He took me by the coat and drew me close to him then questioned the interpreter very strictly asking who we were and what was our business in that part of the country. I told him to say we were Englishmen in distress having been four days at sea without provisions this he would not credit but said we were bad men he would put us all to death and then ordered some men to put the interpreter to the torture until he confessed the truth. Upon this occasion a ladron who had been once to England and spoke a few words of English came to the chief and told him we were really Englishmen and that we had plenty of money adding that the buttons on my coat were gold. The chief then ordered us some coarse brown rice of which we made a tolerable meal having eaten nothing for nearly four days during our repast a number of ladrones crowded around us examining our clothes and hair and giving us every possible annoyance several of them brought swords and laid them on our necks making signs that they would soon take us on shore and cut us in pieces which I am sorry to say was the fate of some hundreds during my captivity. I was now summoned before the chief who had been conversing with the interpreter he said I might strike to my captain and tell him if he did not send a hundred thousand dollars for our ransom in ten days he would put us all to death in vain did I assure him it was useless writing unless he would agree to take a much smaller sum saying we were all poor men and the most we could possibly raise would not exceed two thousand dollars finding that he was much exasperated at my expostulations I embraced the offer of writing to inform my commander in a fortunate situation though there appeared not the least probability of relieving us they said the letter should be conveyed to Macau in a fishing boat which would bring an answer in the morning a small boat accordingly came alongside and took the letter about six o'clock in the evening they gave us some rice and a little salt fish which we ate and they made signs for us to lay down on the deck to sleep but such numbers of ladrones were constantly examined our clothes and hair they would not allow us a moment's quiet they were particularly anxious for the buttons of my coat which were new and as they supposed gold I took it off and laid it on the deck to avoid being disturbed by them it was taken away in the night and I saw it on the next day stripped of its buttons about nine o'clock a boat came and hailed the chief's vessel he immediately hoisted his mainsail and the fleet weighed quickly in great confusion they worked to Windwood all night and part of the next day an anchor about one o'clock in a bay under the island of Lantau where the head admiral of the ladrones was lying at anchor with about 200 vessels and a Portuguese brig they had captured a few days before and murdered the captain and part of the crew Saturday the 23rd early in the morning a fishing boat came to the fleet to inquire if they had captured a European boat being answered in the affirmative they came to the vessel I was in one of them spoke a few words of English and told me he had a ladron pass and was sent by Captain K in search of us I was rather surprised to find he had no letter he appeared to be well acquainted with the chief and remained in his cabin smoking opium and playing cards all the day in the evening I was summoned with the interpreter before the chief he questioned us in a much milder tone saying he now believed we were Englishmen a people he wished to be friendly with and that if our captain would lend him $70,000 till he returned from his cruise up the river he would repay him and send us all to Macau I assured him it was useless writing on those terms and unless our ransom was speedily settled the English fleet would sail and render our enlargement altogether ineffectual he remained determined and said if it were not sent he would keep us and make us fight or put us to death I accordingly wrote and gave my letter to the man belonging to the boat before mentioned he said he could not return with an answer in less than five days the chief now gave me the letter I wrote when first taken I have never been able to assert in his reasons for detaining it but suppose he dare not negotiate for our ransom without orders from the head admiral who I understood was sorry at our being captured he said the English ships would join the commandorines and attack them he told the chief that captured us to dispose of us as he pleased Monday the 24th it blew a strong gale with constant hard rain we suffered much from the cold and wet being obliged to remain on deck with no covering but an old mat which was frequently taken from us in the night by the ladrones who were on watch during the night the Portuguese who were left in the brig murdered the ladrones that were on board of her unfortunately escaped through the darkness of the night I have since been informed they ran her on shore near Macau Tuesday the 25th at daylight in the morning the fleet amounting to about 500 sail of different sizes weighed to proceed on their intended cruise up the rivers to levy contributions on the towns and villages it is impossible to describe what were my feelings at this critical time having received no answers to my letters and the fleet underway to sail hundreds of miles up a country never visited by Europeans there to remain probably for many months which would render all opportunities of negotiating for our enlargement totally ineffectual as the only method of communication is by boats that have a pass from the ladrones and they dare not venture above 20 miles from Macau being obliged to come and go in the night to avoid the mandarins and if these boats should be detected in having an intercourse with the ladrones they are immediately put to death and all their relations though they had not joined in the crime share in the punishment in order that not a single person of their family should be left to imitate their crimes or revenge their death this severity renders communication both dangerous and expensive no boat would venture out for less than a hundred Spanish dollars Wednesday the 26th at daylight we passed inside of our ships at anchor under the island of Chunpo the chief then called me pointed to the ships and told the interpreter to tell us to look at them for we should never see them again about noon we entered a river to the westward of the bog three or four miles from the entrance we passed a large town situated on the side of a beautiful hill which is tributary to the ladrones the inhabitants saluted them with songs as they passed the fleet now divided into two squadrons the red and the black and sailed up different branches of the river at midnight the division we were in anchored close to an immense hill on the top of which a number of fires were burning which at daylight I perceived proceeded from a Chinese camp at the back of the hill was a most beautiful town surrounded by water and embellished with grows of orange trees the chop house custom house and a few cottages were immediately plundered and burned down most of the inhabitants however escaped to the camp the ladrones now prepared to attack the town with a formidable force collected in row boats from the different vessels they sent a messenger to the town demanding a tribute of $10,000 annually saying if these terms were not complied with they would land destroy the town and murder all the inhabitants which they would certainly have done had the town laid in a more advantageous situation for their purpose but being placed out of the reach of their shot they allowed them to come to terms the inhabitants agreed to pay $6,000 which they would to collect by the time of our return down the river this finesse had the desired effect for during our absence they mounted a few guns on a hill which commanded the passage and gave us in lieu of the dollars a warm salute on our return October the 1st the fleet wade in the night and the tide up the river and anchored very quietly before a town surrounded by a thick wood early in the morning the ladrones assembled in row boats and landed then gave a shout and rushed into the town sword in hand the inhabitants fled to the adjacent hills in numbers apparently superior to the ladrones we may easily imagine to ourselves the horror with which these miserable people must be seized on being obliged to leave their homes and everything dear to them to see women in tears clasping their infants in their arms and imploring mercy for them from those brutal robbers the old and the sick who were unable to fly or to make resistance were either made prisoners or most inhumanly butchered the boats continued passing and repassing from the junks to the shore in quick succession laden with booty and the men besmeared with blood 250 women and several children were made prisoners and sent on board with different vessels they were unable to escape with the men owing to that abominable practice of cramping their feet several of them were not able to move without assistance in fact they might all be said to totter rather than walk 20 of these poor women were sent on board the vessel I was in they were hauled on board by the hair and treated in the most savage manner when the chief came on board he questioned them respecting the circumstances of their friends and demanded ransoms accordingly from $6,000 to $600 each he ordered them a berth on deck at the after part of the vessel where they had nothing to shelter them from the weather which at this time was very variable the days excessively hot and the nights cold with heavy rains the town being plundered of everything valuable it was set on fire and reduced to ashes by the morning the fleet remained here three days negotiating for the ransom of the prisoners and plundering the fish tanks and gardens during all this time the Chinese never ventured from the hills though there were frequently not more than 100 ladrones on shore at a time and I am sure the people on the hills exceeded 10 times that number October the 5th the fleet proceeded up another branch of the river stopping at several small villages to receive tribute which was generally paid in dollars sugar and rice with a few large pigs roasted whole as presents for their joss the idol they worship every person on being ransomed is obliged to present him with a pig or some fouls which the priest offers him with prayers it remains before him a few hours and is then divided amongst the crew nothing particular occurred till the 10th except frequent skirmishes on shore between small parties of ladrones and Chinese soldiers they frequently obliged my men to go on shore and fight with the muskets we had when taken which did great execution the Chinese principally using bows and arrows they have match locks but use them very unskillfully on the 10th we formed a junction with the black squadron and proceeded many miles up a wide and beautiful river passing several ruins of villages that had been destroyed by the black squadron on the 17th the fleet anchored at breast format batteries which defended a town so entirely surrounded with wood that it was impossible to form any idea of its size the weather was very hazy with hard squalls of rain the ladrones remained perfectly quiet for two days on the third day the forts commenced a brisk fire for several hours the ladrones did not return a single shot but wade in the night and dropped down the river the reasons they gave for not attacking the town or returning the fire they did not promise them success they are very superstitious and consult their idol on all occasions if his omens are good they will undertake the most daring enterprises the fleet now anchored opposite the ruins of the town where the women had been made prisoners here we remained 5 or 6 days during which time about 100 of the women were ransomed the remainder were offered for sale amongst the ladrones for $40 each they considered the lawful wife of the purchaser who would be put to death if he discarded her several of them leaped overboard and drowned themselves rather than submit to such infamous degradation the fleet then wade and made sail down the river to receive the ransom from the town before mentioned as we passed the hill they fired several shots at us but without effect the ladrones were much exasperated and determined to revenge themselves they dropped out of reach of their shot and anchored every junk sent about 100 men each on shore to cut paddy and destroy their orange groves which was most effectually performed for several miles down the river during our stay here they received information of 9 boats lying up a creek laden with paddy boats were immediately dispatched after them next morning these boats were brought to the fleet 10 or 12 men were taken in them these had made no resistance the chief said he would allow them to become ladrones if they agreed to take the usual oaths before Joss 3 or 4 of them refused to comply for which they were punished in the following cruel manner their hands were tied behind their back a rope from the mast head rowed through their arms and hoisted 3 or 4 feet from the deck and 5 or 6 men flogged them with 3 ratans twisted together till they were apparently dead then hoisted them up to the mast head and left them hanging nearly an hour then lowered them down and repeated the punishment till they died or complied with the oath October the 20th in the night an express boat came with information that a large mandarin fleet was proceeding up the river to attack us the chief immediately weighed with 50 of the largest vessels and sailed down the river to meet them about 1 in the morning they commenced a heavy fire till daylight when an express was sent for the remainder of the fleet to join them about an hour after a counter order to anchor came the mandarin fleet having run 2 or 3 hours afterwards the chief returned with 3 captured vessels in tow having sunk 2 and 83 sail made their escape the admiral of the mandarin's blew his vessel up by throwing a lighted match into the magazine as the ladrones were boarding her she ran on shore and they succeeded in getting 20 of her guns in this action very few prisoners were taken the men belonging to the captured vessels drowned themselves as they were sure of suffering a lingering and cruel death if taken after making resistance the admiral left the fleet in charge of his brother the second in command and proceeded with his own vessel towards Lanto the fleet remained in this river cutting paddy and getting the necessary supplies on the 28th of October I received a letter from Captain K brought by a fisherman who had told him he would get us all back for $3,000 he advised me to offer $3,000 and if not accepted extend it to four, but not further as it was bad policy to offer much at first at the same time assuring me we should be liberated let the ramson be what it would I offered the chief the $3,000 which he disdainfully refused saying he was not to be played with and unless they sent $10,000 and 2 large guns with several casks of gunpowder he would soon put us all to death I wrote to Captain K and informed him of the chief's determination requesting if an opportunity offered to send us a shift of clothes for which it may be easily imagined we were much distressed having been seven weeks without a shift although constantly exposed to the weather and of course frequently wet on the 1st of November the fleet sailed up a narrow river and anchored at night within two miles of a town called Little Wampoa in front of it was a small fort and several Mandarin vessels lying in the harbour the chief sent the interpreter to me saying I must order my men to make cartridges and clean their muskets ready to go on shore in the morning I assured the interpreter I should give the men no such orders that they must please themselves soon after the chief came on board threatening to put us all to a cruel death if we refuse to obey his orders for my own part I remained determined and advised the men not to comply as I thought by making ourselves useful we should be accounted to valuable a few hours afterwards he sent to me again saying that if myself on the quarter master would assist them at the great guns that if also the rest of the men went on shore and succeeded in taking the place he would then take the money offered for our ransom and give them twenty dollars for every China man's head they cut off to these proposals we cheerfully acceded in hopes of facilitating our deliverance early in the morning the forces intended for landing were assembled in row boats amounting in the hull to three or four thousand men the largest vessels weighed and hauled in shore to cover the landing of the forces and attack the fort and Mandarin vessels about nine o'clock the action commenced and continued with great spirit for nearly an hour when the walls of the fort gave way and the men retreated in the greatest confusion the Mandarin vessels still continued firing having blocked up the entrance of the harbour to prevent the ladron boats entering at this the ladrones were much exasperated and about three hundred of them swam on shore with a short sword lashed close under each arm they then ran along the banks of the river till they came abreast of the vessels and then swam off again and boarded them the Chinese thus attacked leaped overboard and endeavored to reach the opposite shore the ladrones followed and cut the greater number of them to pieces in the water they next towed the vessels out of the harbour and attacked the town with increased fury the inhabitants fought about a quarter of an hour and then retreated to an adjacent hill from which they were soon driven with great slaughter after this the ladrones returned and plundered the town leaving it when laden the Chinese on the hills perceiving most of the boats were off rallied and retook the town after killing near 200 ladrones one of my men was unfortunately lost in this dreadful massacre the ladrones landed a second time drove the Chinese out of the town then reduced it to ashes and put all their prisoners to death without regarding either age or sex I must not omit to mention the most horrid though ludicrous circumstance which happened at this place the ladrones were paid by their chief ten dollars for every Chinaman's head they produced one of my men turning the corner of a street was met by a ladron running furiously after a Chinese he had a drawn sword in his hand and two Chinaman's heads which he had cut off tied by their tails and slung round his neck I was witness myself to some of them producing five or six to obtain payment on the 4th of November an order arrived from the admiral for the fleet to proceed immediately to Lantau where he was lying with only two vessels and three Portuguese ships and the brig constantly annoying him several sail of Mandarin vessels were daily expected the fleet weighed and proceeded towards Lantau on passing the island of Lintin three ships and the brig gave chase to us the ladrones prepared to board but night closing we lost sight of them I am convinced they altered their cause and stood from us these vessels were in the pay of the Chinese government and style themselves the invincible squadron cruising in the river Tigris to annihilate the ladrones on the 5th in the morning the red squadron anchored in a bay under Lantau the black squadron stood to the eastward in this bay they hauled several of their vessels on shore to brim their bottoms and repair them in the middle of November four ships a brig and a schooner came off the mouth of the bay at first the pirates were much alarmed supposing them to be English vessels come to rescue us some of them threatened to hang us to the mast head for them to fire at and with much difficulty we persuaded them that they were Portuguese the ladrones had only seven junks in a fit state for action these they hauled outside and moored them head and stern across the bay belonging to the repairing vessels ready for boarding the Portuguese observing these maneuvers hove too and communicated by boats soon afterwards they made sail each ship firing her broadside as she passed but without effect the shot falling far short the ladrones did not return a single shot but waved their colours and threw up rockets to induce them to come further in which they might easily have done the outside junks lying in four fathoms with water which I sounded myself though the Portuguese in their letters to Magau lamented there was not sufficient water for them to engage closer but that they would certainly prevent their escaping before the Mandarin fleet arrived on the 20th of November early in the morning I perceived an immense fleet of Mandarin vessel standing for the bay on nearing us they formed a line and stood close in each vessel as she discharged her guns tacked to join the rear and reload they kept up a constant fire for about two hours when one of their largest vessels was blown up by a firebrand thrown from a ladron junk after which they kept it a more respectful distance but continued firing without intermission till the 21st at night when it fell calm the ladrones towed out seven large vessels with about 200 row boats to board them but a breeze bringing up they made sail and escaped the ladrones returned into the bay and anchored the Portuguese and Mandarin's followed and continued a heavy cannonading during that night and the next day the vessel I was in had her full mass shot away which they supplied very expeditiously by taking a main mass from a smaller vessel on the 23rd in the evening it again fell calm the ladrones towed out 15 junks in two divisions with the intention of surrounding them which was nearly affected having come up with and boarded one when a breeze suddenly sprung up the captured vessel mounted 22 guns most of her crew leaped overboard 60 or 70 were taken immediately cut to pieces and thrown into the river early in the morning the ladrones returned into the bay and anchored in the same situation as before the Portuguese and Mandarin's followed keeping up a constant fire the ladrones never returned a single shot but always kept in readiness to board they were careful never to allow them an opportunity on the 28th at night they sent in eight fire vessels which if properly constructed must have done great execution having every advantage they could wish for to affect their purpose a strong breeze and tide directly into the bay and the vessels lying so close together that it was impossible to miss them on their first appearance the ladrones gave a general shout supposing them to be Mandarin vessels on fire but were very soon convinced of their mistake they came very regularly into the center of the fleet two and two burning furiously one of them came alongside of the vessel I was in but they succeeded in booming her off she appeared to be a vessel of about 30 tons her hold was filled with straw and wood and there were a few small boxes of combustibles on her deck which exploded alongside of us without doing any damage the ladrones however towed them all on shore extinguished the fire and broke them up for firewood the Portuguese claim the credit of constructing these destructive machines and actually sent a dispatch to the governor of Macau saying they had destroyed at least one third of the ladrones fleet and hoped soon to affect their purpose by totally annihilating them on the 29th of November the ladrones being all ready for sea they wade and stood boldly out bidding defiance to the invincible squadron and imperial fleet consisting of 93 war junks six Portuguese ships a brig and a schooner immediately the ladrones wade they made all sail the ladrones chased them two or three hours keeping up a constant fire finding they did not come up with them they hauled their wind and stood to the eastwood thus terminated the boasted blockade which lasted nine days during which time the ladrones completed all their repairs in this action not a single ladron vessel was destroyed they lost about 30 or 40 men an American was also killed one of three that remained out of eight taken in a schooner I had two very narrow escapes the first a 12 pounder shot fell within three or four feet of me another took a piece out of a small brass swivel on which I was standing the chief's wife frequently sprinkled me with garlic water which I consider an effectual charm against shot the fleet continued under sail all night steering towards the eastwood in the morning they anchored in a large base surrounded by lofty and barren mountains on the 2nd of December I received a letter from Lieutenant Morgan commander of the honourable company's cruiser antelope saying that he had the ransom on board and had been three days cruising after us and wished me to settle with the chief on the secure method of delivering it the chief agreed to send us in a small gunboat till we came within sight of the antelope and the chief told me that the commander's boat was to bring the ransom and receive us I was so agitated at receiving this joyful news that it was with considerable difficulty I could scroll about two or three lines to inform Lieutenant Morgan of the arrangements I had made we were also deeply affected by the gratifying tidings that we seldom closed our eyes but continued watching day and night for the boat on the 6th she returned with Lieutenant Morgan's gunboat but would not allow the fleet to approach him the chief then according to his first proposal ordered a gunboat to take us and with no small degree of pleasure we left the La Drone fleet about four o'clock in the morning at one p.m. saw the antelope under all sail standing toward us the La Drone boat immediately anchored and dispatched the compredora's boat for the ransom saying that if she approached Nira they would return to the fleet and they were just weighing when she shortened sail and anchored about two miles from us the boat did not reach her too late in the afternoon owing to the tides being strong against her she received the ransom and left the antelope just before dark a mandarin boat that had been lying concealed under the land and watching their maneuvers gave chase to her and was within a few fathoms of taking her when she saw a light which the La Drone has answered and the mandarin hauled off our situation was now a most critical one the ransom was in the hands of the La Drone's and the compredora dare not return with us for fear of a second attack from the mandarin boat the La Drone's would not remain till morning so we were obliged to return with them to the fleet in the morning the chief inspected the ransom which consisted of the following articles two bails of super fine scarlet cloth two chests of opium two casks of gunpowder and a telescope the rest in dollars he objected to the telescope not being new and said he should detain one of us till another was sent or a hundred dollars in lieu of it the compredora however agreed with him for the hundred dollars everything being at length settled the chief ordered two gun boats to convey us near the antelope we saw her just before dusk when the La Drone boats left us we had the inexpressible pleasure of arriving aboard the antelope at 7pm where we were most cordially received and heartily congratulated on our safe and happy deliverance from a miserable captivity which we had endured for 11 weeks and 3 days a few remarks on the origin, progress manners and customs of the La Drone's the La Drone's are a disaffected race of Chinese that revolted against the oppressions of the mandarin's they first commenced their depredations on the western coast caught in China by attacking small trading vessels in row boats carrying from 30 to 40 men each they continued this system of piracy several years at length their successors and the oppressive state of the Chinese had the effect of rapidly increasing their numbers hundreds of fishermen and others flocked to their standard and as their number increased they consequently became more desperate they blockaded all the principal rivers and captured several large chunks mounting from 10 to 15 guns each with these chunks they formed a very formidable fleet and no small vessels could trade on the coast with safety they plundered several small villages and exercised such wanton barbarity as struck horror into the hearts of the Chinese to check these enormities the government equipped a fleet of 40 imperial war chunks mounting from 18 to 20 guns each on the very first encounter 28 of the imperial chunks struck to the pirates the rest saved themselves by a precipitated retreat these chunks fully equipped for war were a great acquisition to them their numbers augmented so rapidly that at the period of my captivity they were supposed to amount to near 70,000 men 800 large vessels and nearly a thousand small ones including row boats they were divided into five squadrons each by different coloured flags each squadron commanded by an admiral or chief but all under the orders of our Zhou Che Qing Yi Sao their premier chief a most daring and enterprising man who went so far as to declare his intention of displacing the present Tata family from the throne of China and to restore the ancient Chinese dynasty this extraordinary character would have certainly shaken the foundation of the government but he not being thwarted by the jealousy of the second in command who declared his independence and soon after surrendered to the mandarins with 500 vessels on promise of a pardon most of the inferior chiefs followed his example Ah Zhou Che Qing Yi Sao held out a few months longer and at length surrendered with 16,000 men on condition of a general pardon and himself to be made a mandarin of distinction ladrones have no settled residence on shore but live constantly in their vessels the after part is appropriated to the captain and his wives he generally has five or six with respect to conjugal rights they are religiously strict no person is allowed to have a woman on board unless married to her according to their laws every man is allowed a small birth about four feet square where he stows with his wife and family from the number of souls crowded in so smaller space it must naturally be supposed they are horribly dirty which is evidently the case and their vessels swarm with all kinds of vermin rats in particular which they encourage to breed and eat them as great delicacies in fact there are very few creatures they will not eat during our captivity we live three weeks on caterpillars boiled with rice they are much addicted to gambling and spend all their leisure hours end of section 16 section 17 of great pirate stories this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org great pirate stories by various edited by Joseph Louis French section 17 the female captive the female captive the female captive Lucretia Parker the event which is here related is the capture by the pirates of the English loop Eliza Ann bound from St. John's to Antigua and the massacre of the whole crew ten in number with the exception of one female passenger whose life by the interposition of divine providence was miraculously preserved the particulars are copied from a letter written by the unfortunate Miss Parker the female passenger above alluded to to her brother in New York St. John's April 3, 1825 Dear brother you have undoubtedly heard of my adverse fortune and the shocking incident that has attended me since I had the pleasure of seeing you in November last anticipating your impatience to be made acquainted with the more circumstantial detail of my extraordinary adventures I shall not, on account of the interest which I know you must feel in my welfare hesitate to oblige you yet I must declare to you that it is that consideration alone that prompts me to do it as even the recollection of the scenes which I have witnessed you must be sensible, must ever be alluded to with pain and that I cannot reflect on what I have endured and the scenes of horror that I have been witnessed to without the severest shock I shall now, brother proceed to furnish you with the details of my misfortunes as they occurred without exaggeration and if it should be your wish to communicate them to the public through the medium of a public's print or in any other way you are at liberty to do it and I shall consider myself amply rewarded if in a single instance it proves beneficial in removing a doubt in the minds of such who although they dare not deny the existence of a supreme being he ever in any way reveals himself to his creatures let philosophy, as it is termed smile with pity or contempt on no weakness or credulity yet the superintendence of a particular providence interfering by second causes is so apparent to me and was so conspicuously displayed in the course of my afflictions that I shall not banish it from my mind from the beginning to the end of my narration on the 28th of February I took passage on board the ship Eliza Ann Captain Charles Smith, or Antigua in compliance with the earnest request of my brother Thomas and family who had advised me that they had concluded to make that island the place of their permanent residence having a few months previous purchased their valuable plantation we set sail with a favorable wind and with every appearance of a short and pleasant voyage and met with no incident to destroy those flattering frostbecks until about noon of the 14th day in that of our departure when a small schooner was discovered standing toward us with her deck full of men and as she approached us from her suspicious appearance there was not a doubt in the minds of any on board but that she was a pirate when within a few yards of us they gave a shout and our decks were instantly crowded with the motley crew of desperados armed with weapons of almost every description that can be mentioned against their barbarous work by unmercifully beating and maiming all on board except myself as a retreat was impossible and finding myself surrounded by wretches whose yells, oaths, and implications made them more resemble demons of human beings I fell on my knees and from one who appeared to have the command I begged for mercy and permission to retire to the cabin that I might not be either the subject or a witness of the murderous scene that I had but little doubt was about to ensue the privilege was not refused to me the monster in human shape or such was then his appearance conducted me by the hand himself to the companion way and pointing to the cabin said to me descend and remain there and you will be perfectly safe for although pirates we are not barbarians to destroy the lives of innocent females saying this he closed the companion doors and left me alone to reflect on my helpless and deplorable situation it is indeed impossible for me brother to paint to your imagination what were my feelings at this moment being the only female on board my terror it cannot be expected was much less than that of the port of voted mariners I resigned my life to the being who had lent it and did not fail to improve the opportunity which I thought it not improbable might be my last to call on him for that protection so much at this moment required and never shall I be persuaded but that my prayers were heard while I remained in the situation by the sound of the clashing of swords attended by shrieks and dismal mobrones I could easily imagine what was going on on deck and anticipated nothing better than the total destruction by the parrots of the lives of all on board after I had remained about one hour and a half alone in the cabin and all had become silent on deck the cabin doors were suddenly thrown open and eight or ten of the piratical crew entered preceded by him whom I had suspected to be the leader and from whom I had received assurances that I should not be injured by him I was again addressed and requested to banish all fears of personal injury that they sought only for the money which they suspected to be secreted somewhere on board the vessel and which they were determined to have although unable to extort a disclosure of the place and of its concealment by threats and violence from the crew the pirates now commenced a thorough search throughout the cabin the trunks and chests belonging to the captain and mate were broken open and rifled of their most valuable contents nor did my baggage and stores meet any better fate indeed this was a loss which at the moment caused me but little uneasiness I felt that my life was too much in jeopardy to a lament in any degree the loss of my worldly goods surrounded as I was by a gang of the most ferocious looking villains that my eyes ever before beheld of different complexions and each with a drawn weapon in his hand some of them fresh crimsoned with the blood as I then supposed of my murdered countrymen and whose horrid implications and oaths were enough to appall the bravest heart their search for money proving unsuccessful with the exception of a few dollars which they found in the captain's chest they returned to the deck and setting sail on this loop to prepare for the place of their rendezvous a small island or key not far distant I imagine from the island of Cuba where we arrived the day after our capture the island was nearly barren producing nothing but a few scattered mangroves and shrubs interspersed with the miserable huts of those outlaws of civilization among whom power formed the only law and every species of iniquity was here carried to an extent of which no person who had not witnessed a similar degree of pollution could form the most distant idea as soon as the loop was brought to an anchor the hatches were thrown off and the unfortunate crew ordered on deck a command which to my surprise was instantly obeying as I had harbored strong suspicions that they had all been murdered by the pirates the day previous the poor devoted victims although alive exhibited shocking proofs of the barbarity with which they had been treated by the unmerciful pirates their bodies exhibiting deep wounds and bruises too horrible for me to attempt to describe yet however great had been their sufferings their lives had been spared only to endure still greater torments being strongly pinioned they were forced into a small leaky boat and rode on shore which we having reached and a division of plunder having been made by the pirates a scene of the most bloody and wanton barbarity ensued the barrack election of which still chills my blood having first divested them of every article of clothing but their shirts and trousers with swords, knives, axes, etc they fell on the unfortunate crew of the Eliza Ann with the ferocity of cannibals in vain did they beg for mercy and entreat of their murderers to spare their lives in vain did poor Captain S attempt to touch their feelings and move them to pity by representing to them the situation of his innocent family that he had a wife and three small children at home very dependent on him for support but alas the poor man entreated in vain his appeal was to monsters possessing hearts callous to feelings of humanity having received a heavy blow from one with an axe he snapped the cords with which he was bound and attempted to escape by flight but was met by another of the ruffians who plunged a knife or dirk into his heart I stood near him at this moment and was covered with his blood on receiving the fatal wound he gave a single groan and fell lifeless at my feet nor were the remainder of the crew more fortunate the mate while on his knees imploring mercy and promising to accede to anything that the vile assassins should require of him on condition of his life being spared received a blow from a club which instantaneously put a period to his existence Dear brother need I attempt to paint to your imagination my feelings at this awful moment will it not suffice for me to say that I have described to you a scene of horror which I was compelled to witness and with the expectation too of being the next victim selected by these ferocious monsters whose thirst for blood appeared to be insatiable there appeared now but one alternative left me which was to offer up a prayer to heaven for the protection of that being who has power to stay the assassins hand and quote who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above what we can ask or think quote sincerely in the language of scripture I can say quote I found trouble and sorrow then called upon the name of the Lord and quote I remained on my knees until the inhuman wretches have completed their murderous task and left none but myself to lament the fate of those who but 24 hours before were animated with the pleasing prospects of a quick voyage and a speedy return to the bosoms of their families the wretch by whom I had been with rice promised protection and who seemed to reign chief among them again approached me with hands crimson with the blood of my murdered countrymen and with a savage smile once more repeated his assurances that if I would but become reconciled to my situation I had nothing to fear there was indeed something truly terrific in the appearance of this man or rather monster as he ought to be termed he was of a swarthy complexion nearly six feet in height his eyes were large black and penetrating his expression was remarkable and when silent his looks were sufficient to declare his meaning he wore around his waist a leavened belt to which was suspended a sword abrasive pistols and a dirk he was as I was afterward informed the acknowledged chief among the pirates all appeared to stand in awe of him and no one dared to disobey his commands such dear brother was a character who had promised me protection if I would become reconciled to my situation in other words subservient to his will but whatever might have been his intentions although now in his power without visible friends protect me yet such full reliance that I place in the supreme being who sees and knows all things and who has promised his protection to the faithful in the hour of their tribulation that I felt myself in a less degree of danger than you or anyone would probably imagine as the day drew near to a close I was conducted to a small temporary hut or cabin where I was informed I might repose peaceably for the night which I did without being disturbed by anyone this was another opportunity that I did not suffer to pass unimproved to pour out my soul to that being who had already given me reasons to believe that he did not say to the house of Jacob seek you me in vain oh that all sincere Christians the difficulty make him their refuge he is a hopeful stay early in the morning ensuing I was visited by the wretch alone whom I had viewed as chief of the murderous band as he entered and cast his eyes upon me his countenance relaxed from its usual ferocity to a feigned smile without speaking a word he seated himself on a bench that the cabin contained and drawing a table towards him leaned upon it resting his cheek on his hand his eyes for some moments were fixed in steadfast gaze on the ground while his whole soul appeared to be devoured by the most diabolical thoughts in a few moments he arose from his seat and hastily traversed the hut apparently in extreme agitation and not infrequently fixing his eyes steadfastly upon me but that providence which while it protects the innocent never suffers a wicked to go unpunished interposed to save me from this remorseless villain at the very instant when in all probability he intended to have destroyed my happiness forever on a sudden the pirate's bugle was sounded which as I was after were informed was the usual signal of a sale in sight the ruffian monster there upon without uttering a word left my apartment and hastened with all speed to the place of the general rendezvous on such occasions slattered by the pleasing hope that it might be about to complete her work of mercy and was conducting to the dreary island some friendly aid to rescue me from my perilous situation I mustered courage to ascend to the roof of my hovel to discover if possible the cause of the alarm and what might be the issue a short distance from the island I aspired a sale which appeared to be lying to and a few miles therefrom to the windward another which appeared to be bearing down under the press of sale for the former in a moment the whole gang of pirates with the exception of four were in their boats and with their oars etc were making every possible exertion to reach the vessel nearest to their island but by the time they had affected their object the more distant vessel which proved to be a British sloop of war disguised had approached them with unfair gunshot and probably knowing or suspecting their characters opened their ports and commenced the destructive fire upon them the pirates were now nearly as I could judge with a naked eye thrown into great confusion every possible exertion appeared to have been made by them to reach the island and escape from their pursuers some jumped from their boats and attempted to gain the shore by swimming but those were shot in the water and the remainder who remained in their boats were very soon after overtaken and captured by the two well manned boats dispatched from the sloop of war for that purpose and soon I had the satisfaction to see them all on board of the sloop and in the power of those from whom I was fully satisfied that they should meet with the punishment due to their crimes in describing the characters of this piratical band of robbers I have dear brother represented them as wretches of the most frightful and ferocious appearance bloodthirsty monsters who in acts of barbarity ought only to be ranked with cannibals who delight to feast on human flesh rendered desperate by their crimes and aware that they should find no mercy if so unfortunate as to fall into the hands of those to whom they show no mercy to prevent a possibility of detection and the just execution of the laws wantonly destroy the lives of every one however innocent who may be so unfortunate as to fall into their power such indeed brother is the true character of the band of pirates to the number of thirty or forty by whom it was my misfortune to be captured with the exception of a single one who possessed accountants less savage and had the appearance of possessing a heart less callous to the feelings of humanity fortunately for me as divine providence ordered this person was one of the four who remained on the island and on whom the command involved after the unexpected disaster which had deprived them forever of so great a portion of their comrades from this man after the capture of the murderous tyrant to whose commands he had been compelled to yield I received the kindness treatment and assurances that I should be restored to liberty and to my friends when an opportunity should present or when it could be consistently done with the safety of their lives and liberty this unhappy man for such he declared himself to be took an opportunity to indulge me with a partial relation of a few of the most extraordinary incidents of his life he declared himself an Englishman by birth but his real name in place of nativity was he said a secret he would never disclose although I must said he acknowledged myself by profession a pirate yet I can boast of respectable parentage and the time once was when I myself sustained an unimpeachable character loss of property through the treachery of those whom I considered friends and in whom I had placed implicit confidence was what first led me to and induced me to prefer this mode of life to any of a less criminal nature but although I voluntarily became the associate of a band of wretches the most wicked and unprincipled perhaps on earth yet I solemnly declare that I have not in any one instance personally deprived an innocent fellow creature of life it was an act of barbarity at which my heart ever recoiled and against which I always protested with the property I always insisted we ought to be satisfied without the destruction of the lives of such who are probably the fathers of families and who had never offended us but our gang was as you may suppose chiefly composed of and governed by men without principle who appeared to delight in the shedding of blood and whose only excuse has been that by acting with too much humanity in this bearing of life they might thereby be exposed and themselves arraigned to answer for their crimes at an earthly tribunal you can have no conception madam continued he of the immense property that has been piratically captured and of the number of lives that have been destroyed by this gang alone and all without the loss of a single one in our party until yesterday when by an unexpected circumstance our number has been reduced as you see from thirty five to four this island has not been our constant abiding place but the bodies of such as have suffered here have always been conveyed to considerable distance from the shore and thrown into the sea where they are probably devoured by sharks has not a single one has ever been known afterward to drift on our shores the property captured has not been long retained on this island but shipped to a neighbouring port where we have an agent to dispose of it of the great number of vessels captured by us continues he you are the first and only female that has been so unfortunate as to fall into our hands and from the moment that I first saw you in our power while knowing the brutal disposition of him whom we acknowledged our chief I trembled for your safety and viewed you as one deprived perhaps of the protection of a husband or brother to become the victim of an unpitying wretch whose pretended regard for your sex and his repeated promises of protection were hypocritical a mere mask to lull your fears until he could affect your ruin his hellish designs agreeable to his own declarations would have been carried into effect the very morning that he last visited you had not an all wise providence interfered to save you and so sensible I am to the unexpected circumstance of his capture as well as that of the most of our gang as desperate and unprincipled as himself must have been an order of him from whose all seeing I no evil transaction can be hidden that were I so disposed I should be deterred from doing you any injury through fear of meeting with a similar fate nor do my three remaining companions differ with me in opinion and we all now most solemnly pledge ourselves that so long as you remain in our power you shall have nothing to complain of but the deprivation of society of whose company no doubt would be more agreeable to you and as soon as it can be done consistently with our safety you shall be conveyed to a place from which you may obtain a passage to your friends we have now become too few a number to hazard a reputation of our piratical robberies and not only this but some of our captured companions to save their own lives may prove treacherous enough to betray us we are therefore making preparation to leave this island for a place of more safety when you madam shall be conveyed and set at liberty as I have promised you dear brother if you before doubted is not the declaration of this man which I have reported as correctly as my recollection will admit of sufficient to satisfy you that I owe my life and safety to the interposition of a divine providence oh yes surely it is and I feel my insufficiency to thank and praise my heavenly protector as I ought for his loving kindness in preserving me from the evil designs of wicked men and for finally restoring me to liberty and to my friends I cannot praise him as I would but he is merciful and good from this moment every preparation was made by the pirates to remove from the island the small quantity of stores and goods which remained on hand principally of the Eliza Ann's cargo was either buried on the island or conveyed away in their boats in the night to some place unknown to me the last thing done was to demolish their temporary dwellings which was done so effectually as not to suffer a vestige of anything to remain that could have led to a discovery that the island had ever been inhabited by such a set of beings eleven days from that of the capture of the Eliza Ann the pirates having previously put on board several bags of dollars which from the appearance of the former I judged had been concealed on the earth I was ordered to embark with them but for what place I then knew not about midnight I was landed on the rocky shores of an island which they informed me was Cuba they furnished me with a few hard biscuit and a bottle of water and directed me to proceed early in the morning in a northeast direction to a house about a mile distance where I was told I would be well treated and furnished with a guide that would conduct me to montances with these directions they left me and I never saw them more at daybreak I set out in search of the house to which I had been directed by the pirates and which I had the good fortune to reach in safety in about an hour and a half it was a humble tenement thatched with canes without any flooring on the ground and was teneted by a man and his wife only from whom I met with a welcome reception and by whom I was treated with much hospitality although Spaniards the man could speak and understand enough English to converse with me and to learn by what means I had been brought so unexpectedly alone and unprotected to his house though it was the same to which I had been directed by the pirates yet he declared that so far from being in any way connected with them in their piratical robberies or enjoying any portion of their ill-gotten gain no one could hold them in greater presence whether he was sincere in these declarations or not is well known to him who the lying tongue cannot deceive but it is justice to them to say that both by the man and his wife I was treated with kindness and it was with apparent emotions of pity that they listened to the tale of my sufferings by their earnest request I remained with him until the morning ensuing when I set out on foot to Montancis a company by the Spaniard who had kindly offered to conduct a journey to that place which we reached about seven in the evening the same day at Montancis I found many Americans and Europeans by whom I was kindly treated and who proffered their services to restore me to my friends but as there were no vessels bound direct from Thence to Antigua or St. John's I was persuaded to take passage for Jamaica where it was the opinion of my friends I might obtain a passage more speedily for one or the other place and where I safely arrived after a pleasant voyage of four days the most remarkable and unexpected circumstance of my extraordinary adventures I have yet dear brother to relate soon after my arrival at Jamaica the authority having been made acquainted with the circumstance of my recent capture by the pirates and the extraordinary circumstances which produced my liberation requested that I might be conducted to the prison to see if I could among a number of pirates who were recently committed recognize any of those by whom I had been captured I was accordingly attended by two or three gentlemen and two young ladies who had politely offered to accompany me to the prison apartment on entering which I not only instantly recognized among a number therein confined the identical savage monster of whom I had so much occasion to speak the pirates chief but the most of those who had composed his gang and who were captured with him the sudden and unexpected introduction into their apartment of one whom they had probably in their minds numbered with the victims of their wanton barbarity produced unquestionably on their minds not an inconsiderable degree of horror as well as surprise and considering their condemnation now certain they had no doubt heaped curses upon their more fortunate companions for sparing the life and setting out liberty one whom an all wise providence conducted to and placed in a situation to bear witness to their unprecedented barbarity government having through me obtained the necessary proof of the guilt of these merciless wretches after a fair and impartial trial they were all condemned to suffer the punishment due to their crimes and seven ordered for immediate execution one of whom was a barbarian their chief after the conviction and condemnation of this wretch in hopes of eluding the course of justice he made as I was informed an attempt on his own life by inflicting upon himself deep wounds with a knife which he had concealed for that purpose but in this he was disappointed the wounds not proving so fatal as he probably anticipated I never saw this hardened villain or any of his equally criminal companions after their condemnation although strongly urged to witness their execution and am therefore indebted to one who daily visited them before the information of their behavior from that period until that of their execution which as regarded the former I was informed was extremely impenitent while that proceeding to the place of the nominee in death he talked with shocking unconcern hinting that by being instrumental in the destruction of so many lives he had become too hardened and familiar with death to feel much intimidated at its approach he was attended to the place of execution by a Roman Catholic priest who it was said labored to convince him of the atrociousness of his crimes but he seemed to death to all admonition and exhortation and appeared insensible to the hope of happiness or fear of torment in a future state and so far from exhibiting a single symptom of penitence declared that he knew of but one thing for which he had caused to reproach himself which was in the sparing of my life and not ordering me to be butchered as I had been how awful was the end of the life of this miserable criminal he looked not with harmony regard or a single penitent feeling toward one human being in the last agonies of an ignominious death after remaining nine days at Jamaica I was so fortunate as to obtain a passage with Captain Ellsmore direct for St. John's the thoughts of once more returning home and of so soon joining my anxious friends to communicate to my aged parents to a beloved sister and a large circle of acquaintances the sad tale of misfortunes which had attended me since I bid them adieu would have been productive of the most pleasing sensations had they not been interrupted by the melancholy reflection that I was a bearer of tidings of the most heart-rending nature to the bereaved families of those unfortunate husbands and parents who had in my presence fallen victim thankful should I have been had the distressing duty fell to the lot of someone with less sensibility but unerring providence had ordered otherwise we arrived safe at our port of destination after a somewhat boisterous passage of eighteen days I found my friends all well but the effects produced on their minds by the relation of the distressing incidents and adverse fortune that had attended me since my departure I shall not attempt to describe much less can you expect, brother that I should attempt a description of the feelings of the afflicted widow and fatherless child who first received from me the melancholy tidings that they were so thus, brother, I have furnished you with as my new detail of the sad misfortunes that have attended me in my intended passage to Antigua in February and March last as the circumstances will admit of and here permit me once more to repeat my inquiry. Is it not sufficient to satisfy you and every reasonable person that I owe my life and liberty to the interposition of a divine providence? So fully am I persuaded of this, dear brother, and of my great obligations to that supreme being who turned not away from my prayer nor his mercy from me that I am determined to engage with my whole heart to serve him the residue of my days on earth by the aid of his heavenly grace and invite all who profess to fear him should a single doubt remain on their minds to come and hear what he hath done for me. I am, dear brother, affectionately yours Lucretia Parker. Footnotes, 26th from an old pamphlet published in 1825 End of Section 17 Section 18 of Great Pirate Stories This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer visit LibriVox.org Recording by Patrick McAfee Great Pirate Stories By Various Edited by Joseph Louis French Section 18 The passing of Mogul Mackenzie the last of the North Atlantic Pirates by Arthur Hunt Shoot In the farther end of the Bay of Fundy about a mile off from the Nova Scotian Coast is the Isle of Hote. It is a strange rocky island that rises several hundred feet sheer out of the sea without any bay or inlets. A landing can only be affected there in the calmest weather and on account of the tremendous ebb of the fundy tides which rise and fall 60 feet every 12 hours the venturesome explorer cannot long keep his boat moored against the precipitous cliffs. Because of this inaccessibility little is known of the solitary island. Within its rampart walls of rock they say there is a green valley and in its center is a fathomless lake where the McMack Indians used to bury their dead and hence its dread appellation of the island of the dead. Beyond these bear facts nothing more is certain about the secret valley and the Haunted Lake. Many wild and fabulous descriptions are current, but they are merely the weavings of fancy. Sometimes on a stormy night the unhappy navigators of the North Channel miss the coast lights in the fog and out from the Isle of Hote a gentle undertow flirts with their bewildered craft. Then little by little they are gathered into a mighty current against which all striving is in vain and in the white foam among the iron cliffs their ship is pounded into splinters. The quarry which he gathers in so softly at first and so fiercely at last however is soon snatched away from the siren shore the ebb tide bears every sign of wreckage far out into the deeps of the Atlantic and not a trace remains of the ill-starred vessel or her crew. But one of the boats on the fishing fleet never comes home and from lonely huts on the coast reproachful eyes are cast upon the island of the dead. On the long winter nights when the boys gather about the fire in old steels general stores at Hall's Harbour their hard grey life becomes bright for a spell. When a keg of hard cider is flowing freely the grim fishermen forget their taciturnity the ice is melted from their speech and the floodgates of their souls pour forth. But ever in the background of their talk, unforgotten like a haunting shadow is the island of the dead. Of their weirdest and most blood-curdling yarns it is always the centre and when it lasts with uncertain steps they leave the empty keg and the dying fire to turn homeward through the drifting snow fearful and furtive glances are cast to where the island looms up like a ghostly sentinel from the sea. Across its high promontory the northern lights scintillate and blaze and out of its moving brightness the terrified fishermen behold the war canoes of dead Indians freighted with their red-skinned braves the forms of coup de bois and desperate Frenchmen swinging down the skyline in a ghastly snake dance the shapes and spars of ships long since forgotten from the missing list and always most dread-inspiring of them all the distressed signals from the sinking ship of Mogul Makenzie and his pirate crew Captain Mogul Makenzie was the last of the pirates to scourge the North Atlantic seaboard he came from that school of free-booters that was let loose by the American Civil War with a letter of mark from the Confederate States he sailed the seas to pray on Yankee shipping he and his fellow privateers were so thorough in their work of destruction that the mercantile marine of the United States was ruined for a generation to come when the war was over the defeated South called off her few remaining bloodhounds on the sea but Makenzie who was still at large had drunk too deeply of the wine of a wild turn to lay down his arms but began on a course of shameless piracy he lived only a few months under the black flag until he went down on the Isle of Hote the events of that brief and thrilling period are unfortunately obscure with only a ray of light here and there but the story of his passing is the most weird of all the strange yarns that are spun about the island of the dead in May 1865 a gruesome discovery was made off the coast of Maine which sent a chill of fear through all the seaport towns of New England a whaler bound for New Bedford was coming up Cape Cod one night long after dark there was no fog and the lights of approaching vessels could really be discerned the man on the lookout felt no uneasiness at his post when without any warning of bells or lights the sharp bow of a brigantine suddenly loomed up hardly a ship's length in front what the blazes are you trying to do roared the mate from the bridge enraged at this unheard of violation of the right of way but no voice answered his challenge and the brigantine went swinging by with all her sails set to a spanking breeze she bore directly across the bow of the whaler which just grazed her stern in passing there's something rotten on board there said the mate I said the captain who had come on the bridge there's something rotten there right enough swing your helm to port and get after the devils he ordered aye aye sir came the ready response and nothing lost the helmsman changed his course to follow the eccentric craft she was evidently bound on some secret mission for not otherwise would she thus tear through the darkness before the wind without the flicker of a light the whaler was the swifter of the two ships and she could soon have overhauled the other but fearing some treachery she would refrain from running her down until daylight all night long she seemed to be veering her course attempting to escape from her pursuer in the morning off the coast of Maine she turned her nose directly out to sea then a boat was lowered from the whaler and rode out to intercept the oncoming vessel when they were directly in her course they lay on their oars and waited the brigantine did not veer again but came steadily on and soon the whalemen were alongside and made themselves fast to a dingy which she had in tow a few minutes of apprehensive waiting followed and as nothing happened one of the boldest swung himself up over the tow rope onto the deck he was followed by the others and they advanced cautiously with drawn knives and pistols not a soul was to be seen and the men who were brave enough before a charging whale trembled with fear the wheel and the lookout were like deserted and no sign of life could be discovered anywhere below in the galley were the embers of a deadfire and the table in the captain's cabin was spread out ready for a meal which had never been eaten on deck everything was spick and span and not the slightest evidence of a storm or any other disturbance could be found the theory of a derelict was impossible apparently all had been well on board and they had been sailing with good weather when without any warning her crew had been suddenly snatched away by some dread power the sailors with one accord agreed that it was the work of the government but the mate had no place for the ordinary superstitions of the sea and he still scoured the hold expecting at any minute to encounter a dead body or some other evil evidence of foul play nothing more however was found and the mate at length had to end his search with the unsatisfactory conclusion that the Saint Clair with cargo of lime had been abandoned on the high seas for no apparent reason her skipper had taken with him the ship's papers and had not left a single clue behind a crew was told off to stand by the Saint Clair to bring her into port and the others climbed into the long boat to row back to the whaler just see if there is a name Saint Clair dinghy before we go said the mate an exclamation of horror broke from one of the men as he read on the bow of the dinghy the name Kanawa the faces of all went white with a dire alarm as the facts of the mystery suddenly flashed before them the Kanawa was the ship in which Captain Mogle Mackenzie had made himself notorious as the seersmen everyone had heard her awe-inspiring name and every Yankee seafaring man prayed that he might never meet her on the seas after the Alabama was sunk and the Tallahassee was withdrawn the Kanawa still remained to threaten the shipping of the north for a long time her whereabouts had been unknown and then she was discovered and she gave chase and fired upon her without returning fire she raced in for shelter amongst the dangerous islands off Cape Sable and was lost in the fog rumor had it that she ran on the rocks off that perilous coast and sank with all on board as time went by and there was no more sign of the Corsair the rumor was accepted as proven men began to spin yarns about Mogle Mackenzie with an interest that was tinged with its former fear skippers were beginning to feel at ease again on the grim waters when suddenly like a bolt from the blue came the awful news of the discovery of the St. Clair gun boats put off to scour the coastline and again with fear and trembling the lookout began to ice suspiciously every new sail coming up on the horizon one afternoon toward the end of May a schooner came tearing into Portland Harbor with all her canvas crowded on and flying distress signals her skipper said that off the island of Campabello he had seen a long grey sailing ship with auxiliary power sweeping down upon him as the wind was blowing strong in shore he had taken to his heels and made for Portland he was chased all the way and his pursuer did not drop him until he was just off the harbor bar many doubted his story however saying that no one would dare to chase a peaceful craft so near to a great port in broad daylight and again it was urged that the early reversal could easily have overhauled the schooner between Campabello and Portland the fact that the captain of the schooner was as often drunk as sober and that when he was under the influence of drink he was given to seeing visions was pointed to as conclusive proof that his yarn was a lie after the new Bedford whaler came into port there it was known beyond doubt that the canawa was a real menace but nobody cared to admit that mogul mackenzie was as bold as the schooner's report would imply and hence countless arguments were put forward to allay such fears but a few days later the fact that the pirates were still haunting their coast was absolutely corroborated a coastal packet from Boston arrived at Yarmouth with the news that she had not only sighted canawa in the distance but they had crossed each other's paths so near that the name could be discerned beyond question with a spyglass she was heading up the bay of fundy and did not pause or pay any heed to the other ship this news brought with it consternation and every town and village along the fundy was now a hum with stories and theories about the pirate ship the interest instead of being abated was augmented as the days went by with no further report in the public houses and along the keys it was almost the only topic of conversation the excitement became almost feverish when it was known that several captains outward bound had taken with them a supply of rifles and ammunition the prospect of a fight seemed imminent about a week after the adventure of the Boston packet her majesty's ship buzzard appeared off Yarmouth harbor the news of the canawa had come to the admiral at Halifax and he had dispatched the warship to cruise about the troubled coast that'll be the end of old mogul now that he's got an English ship on his trail a vered a Canadian as he said drinking in the Yarmouth light with a group of seafaring men of various nationalities it takes the British jack tar to put the kibosh on this pirate game one of them is worth a ship load of Yankees at the business well don't you crow too loud now replied a Boston skipper I reckon that Nova Scotian booze who ran into Portland the other day scared of his shadow would not do you fellows much credit yes but what about your gun boats that have had the job of fixing the canawa for the last three years and haven't done it yet the feelings between Canada and the United States were none too good just after the Civil War and the Canadian was bound not to lose this opportunity for horseplay you're a fine crowd of sea dogs you are you fellas from the Boston Tea Party three years after one little half-drowned rat and haven't got him yet wouldn't Sir Francis Drake or Lord Nelson be proud of the record that you long-legged slabs sided Yankees have made on the sea shut your mouth you blue nose down east herring choker Lord the Yankee skipper I reckon we've given you traitors that tried to stab us in the back a good enough licking and if any more your dirty dogs ever come nosing about down south of Mason and Dixon's line I bet they'll soon find out what our record is well you fools can waste your tongue and wind said a third man raising his glass but for me here's good luck to the buzzard so say we all of us chimed in the others and the Yankee and the Canadian drank together to the success of the British ship forgetting their petty jealousies before a common foe everywhere the news of the arrival of the British ship was hailed with delight all seem to agree that her presence assured the speedy extermination of the pirate crew but after several days of futile cruising about the coast her commander to escape from a coming storm had to put into St. Mary's bay with the object of his search still eluding his vigilance he only arrived in time to hear the last chapter of the canal was tale of horrors the night before Dominique Le Fountain a farmer living alone at Météran a little village on the French shore had been awakened from his sleep by the moaning and wailing of a human voice for days the imminent peril of an assault from the pirates had filled the people of the French coast with forebodings and now awakened thus in the dead of night the lonely Frenchman was well paralyzed with terror with his flesh creeping and his eyes wide he groped for his rifle and waiting in the darkness came those unearthly cries from the beach nearly an hour passed before he could gather himself together sufficiently to investigate the cause of the alarm at last when the piteous wailing had grown weak and intermittent the instinct of humanity mastered his fears and he went forth to give a possible succor to the one in need on the beach lying prostrate with the water lapping about his feet he found a man in the last stage of exhaustion the blood was flowing from his mouth and as Dominique turned him over to stanch its flow he found that his tongue had been cut out and hence the unearthly wailing which had roused him from his sleep the beach was deserted by this time and it was too dark to see far out into the bay Dominique carried the unfortunate man to his house and nursed him there for many weeks he survived his frightful experiences and lived on for twenty years a pathetic and helpless figure supported by the big hearted farmers and fishermen of the French shore evidently he had known too much for his enemies and they had sealed his mouth forever he had known as the mysterious man of Météran and his deplorable condition was always pointed to as a mute witness of the last villainy of mogul Mackenzie on the night following the episode of the mysterious man of Météran a wild and untoward storm swept down the north Atlantic far and near in the Bay of Funday that night the elements met in their grandest extremes tide rips and mountain waves opposed each other with titanic force all along the bleak and rock ribbed coast the boiling waters lay churned into foam over the breakwaters the giant comers crashed and soared far up into the troubled sky while out under the black clouds of the night the whirlpools and the tempests met was ever a night like this before? those on shore thanked God and those with fathers on the sea gazed out upon a darkness where no star of hope could shine now and again through the Stygian gloom a torrent of sheet lightning fell down across the heavens bringing in its wake a moment of terrible light it was in one of these brief moments of illumination that the one watchers at Hall's harbour discerned a long grey ship being swept like a specter before the winds toward the Isle of Hote until the flash of lightning the doomed seaman appeared to have been unconscious of their fast approaching faith and then as if suddenly awakened they sent a long thin trail of light to wind itself far up into the darkness again and again the rockets shot upward from her bow while above the noises of the tempest came the roar of a gun the people on the shore looked at each other with blanched faces speechless, helpless a lifetime by that shore had taught them the utter puniness of the sons of men others would have tried to do something with what they thought was their strong arm but the fisherman knew too well that the fundy's arm was stronger in silence they waited with baited breath while the awful moments passed imperturbable they stood there with their feet in the white foam and their faces in the salt spray and gazed at the curtain of the night behind which a tragedy was passing as dark and dire as any in the annals of the sea another flash of lightning and there dashing upon the iron rocks was a great ship with all her sails set and a cloud of lurid smoke trailing from her funnel she was grey colored with auxiliary power and as her lines dawned upon those who saw her in the moment of light they burst out with one accord it's the kanawa, it's the kanawa as if an answer to their sudden cry another gun roared and another shower of rockets shot up into the sky and then all was lost again in the darkness and the voices of the tempest next morning the winds had gone out with the tide and when in the afternoon the calm waters had risen a boat put off from hauls harbour and rode to the isle of hoate for several hours the rocky shores were searched for some traces of the wreck but not a spar or splinter could be found all about the bright waters laughed with knot but the sunbeams on their bosom and not a shadow remained from last night's sorrow on the sea so mogul mckenzie who had lived a life of stress passed out on the wings of storm in his end as always he baffled pursuit and was sought but could not be found his sailings on the sea were in secret and his last port in death was a mystery but as has been already related when the northern lights come down across the haunted island the distress signals of his pirate crew are still seen shooting up into the night footnotes 27 from blackwood's magazine end of 18 the passing of mogul mckenzie recording by patrick mccaffey chicago gis.depall.edu slash p mccaffey section 19 of great pirate stories this is a livervox recording all livervox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit livervox.org recording by james christopher great pirate stories by various edited by joseph louis french section 19 the last of the sea rovers the rift coast pirates footnote from the nautical magazine end footnote wb lord onay onay then said our king onay this must not be to yield to such a rover myself will not agree he hath deceived the frenchman likewise the king of spain and how can he be true to me that hath been false to twain old seasong of the year 1620 probably by this time the greater part of the peretical craft along the rift coast has been destroyed and the long-promised moorish gunboat stationed there to protect foreign shipping these steps have doubtless been hastened by the fact that the pirates unfortunately for themselves attacked a vessel some little time ago belonging to the sultan of morocco for years past the governments of several european powers have sought to put friendly pressure upon the sultan of morocco to effectually stop the depredations of the riftian coast pirates no strong measures however were really taken until the above episode occurred it is said that in early days the moors were some time in accustoming themselves to the perils of the deep at first they marvel greatly at those that go down to the sea and ships and have their business in great waters but they did not hasten to follow their example one eminent ruler of ancient times in that region when asked what the sea was like, replied the sea is a huge beast which silly folk ride like worms on logs but it afterwards became clear that the moors had a strong fancy for the worms and logs too they gave up marveling at those who went to sea and went on it themselves in search of plunder the risk, the uncertainty the danger, the sense of superior skill and ingenuity that attract the adventurous spirit and the passion for sport are stated by some writers who have brought such a state of things into existence one fact seems to be pretty certain that when these depredations were first made they took the form of reprisals upon the Spaniards no sooner was Granada fallen than thousands of desperate moors left the land, disdaining to live under a Spanish yoke settling along a portion of the northern coast of Africa, they immediately proceeded to first attack all Spanish vessels that could be found their quickness and knowledge of the coast gave them the opportunity of reprisals for which they longed probably this got monotonous in course of time for in their wild sea courses they took to herring the vessels belonging to other nations and so laid the foundation for a race of pirates which has continued down to quite recently as nowadays the moors cruised in boats from the commencement of their marauding expeditions each man pulled an oar and knew how to fight as well as row drawing little water a small squadron of these craft could be pushed up almost any creek or lie hidden behind a rock till the enemy came in sight then oars out and a quick stroke for a few minutes next they were alongside their unsuspecting prey and pouring in a first volley ultimately the prize was usually taken the crew put in irons and the pirates returned home with their capture no doubt being received with acclimation upon their arrival as far back as the 16th century the Spanish forted al-Hukmus not to mention other places were established for the purpose of repressing piracy in its vicinity considerable interest is attached to several of the piracies committed during the past few years as they culminated in strong representations being made to the Sultan of Morocco by the various governments under whose flags the respective vessels sailed some of them went so far as to send warships to cruise along the Rifian coast this step apparently had some moral effect upon the pirates for from that time onwards attacks upon foreign vessels practically ceased something more than this however was needed for no one could say how soon the marauding expeditions might be renewed upon a larger scale than ever so as to make up for lost opportunities on august 14th, 1897 the italian three-mested schooner Fudicia was off the coast of Morocco in the Mediterranean homeward bound from Pensacola to Marseille on August 14th, 1897 the italian three-mested schooner Fudicia was off the coast of Morocco from Pensacola to Marseille here she got becalmed and while in that condition two boats approached her from the shore at first the crew of the Fudicia thought they were native fishing boats when however the latter got within a hundred yards or so of the helpless vessel the suspicions of the crew were aroused the captain warned the moors not to approach any nearer a volley of bullets was returned by way of reply followed by a regular fusillade as the boats advanced there were only three revolvers on board the schooner and with these the crew prepared to defend themselves soon however their supply of ammunition became exhausted and the pirates boarded the schooner without further opposition the vessel was at once ransacked even the clothes of the crew being taken the ship's own boat was lowered and into this the marauders put their booty and took it ashore also carrying the captain and one of the crew with them about an hour later another boat containing about twenty pirates came off the ship the crew seen that they could offer no effective resistance hid themselves away in the hold the other pirates had left very little for the new arrivals to take and this seemed to annoy them so much that they gave vent to their ill feelings in several ways not the least wanton being the pollution of the ship's fresh water they also smashed the vessel's compass and tore up the charts for the next two days the crew existed on a few biscuits which the pirates had left behind the following day the british steamship oanfa of london hove into sight the crew of the schooner hoisted a shirt as a signal which was fortunately seen and a boat sent off in response there too assistance was promptly rendered and the fudishia put in a position to resume her voyage this was done until spoken by the italian cruiser or cole which assisted the schooner to her destination in october 1896 the french bark prosper crew was lying be calmed off all hukmus a place fortified by the spaniers to keep the pirates in check when several boats full of armed moors seized the vessel and made the crew prisoners they then completely pillaged the ship removing almost everything of any use or value while the miscrans were thus busily engaged a spanish merchant steamship named the servia happened to come along and was in time to capture one boat and rescue several of the prisoners the servia then made towards the bark but the pirates opened fire on the steamer killing and wounding some of the crew the spaniard was compelled to retire leaving the captain of the bark in the hands of the moors subsequently the bark was picked up in an abandoned condition by the british steamship aswin and towed into almyra an arrangement was afterwards made with the pirates to release the captains of the fudishia and the portuguese bark rocita ferru a much earlier capture and some members of both crews in exchange for the riffians captured by the spanish steamer servia and a ransom of three thousand dollars it was only after prolonged negotiations and a large sum of money that a french warship succeeded in obtaining the freedom of the captain of the prosper crew and a few other frenchmen for some reason or other the pirates seemed very much disinclined apart with these prisoners only a short time before the attack on the french bark took place a notice was issued by the british board of trade in which the attention of ship owners and masters of vessels was called to the dangers attending navigation off the coast of morocco the document then proceeded to detail the case of a british schooner mayor of gibraltar which was boarded about ten miles from the rift coast by twenty moors armed with rifles and daggers as usual the pirates ransacked the vessel destroyed the incidents ship's papers brutally assaulted the men on board and then made off in their boat scarcely had the foregoing notice been generally circulated that another case of similar character happened in connection with the italian schooner scatolia again there is a spanish cutter jacob she was running along the moorish coast one fine summer's evening a few years since when a boat full of pirates suddenly came alongside and speedily upset the quietness which had previously rained on board the jacob five of the crew managed to escape in the cutter's boat and were picked up some days later by a passing vessel those who remained on board the cutter fared very badly after the vessel had been pillaged the rigging and sails destroyed the men were all securely bound and left to their fate fortunately the weather continued fine and the jacob drifted towards the spanish coast where she was seen and assistance promptly rendered the captain of another spanish vessel had quite a thrilling adventure along these pirates in may eighteen ninety-two he left gibraltar in command of the bark san antonio for alcumus and went about six miles from panon de la gemera a boat man by thirteen moors was observed to be approaching the vessel when near enough they opened fire and ordered the captain to lower his sails which was done as the spaniards were practically speaking without arms the moors then boarded the san antonio and took her in tow when close to the land the captain was rode ashore and the pirate spent part of the night in unloading the cargo next morning the san antonio was seen drifting out to sea and the captain who was afraid of being put to death suggested that he should go on board and bring her back to anchorage probably thinking that some of their comrades were on the bark but unable to set the necessary canvas to return only two moors were sent off with the captain and these remained in the boat when the vessel was reached upon gaining the deck of the bark the captain was surprised to find himself alone without hesitating for a moment he released the crew who were confined below hoisted sail and stood out to sea the moors who had been left in the boat were speedily cut adrift much to their amazement the pirates had stayed on board no doubt they were eager to find a safe hiding place for their plunder and thinking the bark still quite secure till morning took no further heed of the matter a few days later the san antonio arrived at Gibraltar where full particulars of the outrage were furnished to the authorities space will not emit of details being given of the attacks on the spanish bark galeta the portuguese bark rosita furrow the british felucia joven and rique and other vessels however that several famous and foreign sailing yachts upon various occasions have had remarkably narrow escapes for being captured by these sea ruffians it is sincerely to be hoped that the sultan of morocco is carrying out his task in such a manner as will induce the inhabitants of the rift coast to follow some occupation in future which is more likely to be appreciated by those who have to navigate vessels in the mediterranean previous discerned measures being taken by the sultan it was not at all uncommon for his envoys to the native tribes for the purpose of obtaining the release of captives to be received with derision often too they were maltreated to such an extent that they were glad to escape with their lives some of the neighboring tribes continually endeavored to purchase captives for the pleasure of killing them but it is satisfactory to learn that no sales are recorded as the anticipated ransom was always largely in excess of the sums offered by the bloodthirsty natives end of chapter 19 end of Great Pirate Stories by Various edited by Joseph Louis French recording by James Christopher Phoenix, Arizona December 2008