History of the Pirates Who Infested the China Sea From 1807 to 1810Yüan, Yung-lun
History
History of the Pirates Who Infested the China Sea From 1807 to 1810
Yüan, Yung-lun
Pirates -- China Sea
At this time not a ship in sight; the weather clearing up, we saw a
ship to leeward, hull down, shipped our masts, and made sail towards
her; she proved to be the Honourable Company's ship Glatton. We made
signals to her with our handkerchiefs 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 day-light, 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 springing 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 day-light, 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 Macao by the
leeward passage. I expressed my fears of being taken by the Ladrones.
Our ammunition being wet, and the muskets rendered useless, 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 eat nothing but a few green oranges for three days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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