No. 43.
The Hongkong Government Gazette.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION,
[OCTOBER 30, 1858.
His Excellency SIR JOHN BOWRING, Knight, LL.D., Her Majesty's Plenipotentiary, &c., &c., is pleased to direct the publication for general information of copies of two Despatches from Captain VANSITTART, C.B., of Her Majesty's ship Magicienne, addressed to and communicated by His Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief detailing proceedings connected with the destruction of Pirates to the Northward of Amoy, and with the recovery of a quantity of Sugar piratically seized from the British brig Pantaloon at Swatow.
By Order,
Superintendency of Trade, Victoria, Hongkong, 23d October, 1858.
G. W. CAINE.
H.M.S. Magicienne, HONGKONG, 20th October, 1858.
SI,In accordance to your wishes, I have the honour to inform your Excellency of the proceedings of II.M. Ship under my command since the 27th ultimo. Having gained information at Amoy that two Canton-rigged Vessels as Pirates, were sixty miles or so to the Northward, I left the said harbour on the 27th ultimo, with II.M. Gun-boat Algerine in tow, taking also an Interpreter provided by the Acting British Consul.
On the 28th ultimo, we examined well the Coast in the neighbourhood of Port Mathesou; and late in the afternoon, when steaming against, a strong N.1. wind, discovered in a Bay off Roguo's Point, off Meichen Sound (a noted pirate haunt), a Squadron of twenty-two Vossely, which immediately made sail and attempteil to emapo, -consisting of four Canton or South-rigged Piratical Vessels, sixteen Piratical Northern Junker of different sizes, and twa larga Ningpo Junk, with full Cargoest of Oil and Calnyanees, all of wluch, with the exception of two of the smalled, (with no guns on board.) wo were fortunate enough in capturing, either the same evening or next forenoon ; also fifty. Two Quus and Clingalls, the clans being for the most part, twelve an 4 oighteen pounders of English mako; forty Matchlocks, very many Spears, Kuglish Bayonets, Powder, Stinkpots, Ammunition, and destroyed thiety Boats, besides liberating fifty-thren Mon, who had been "exptured by the Pirates, without any ensually on muy side, and with a loss of upwards of fifty killed of the Pirates, and many wounded,
Upon seeing the said vesels, and as soon as the Magicienne was anchored in safety, as near as it was advisable she should go on account of the rocka, I started off in the Algerine under Lieutenant Arthur, with a party of Magicienne's under Lieutenant Soady, in pursuit, when we succeeded in driving two of the South-rigged and fourteen Junks ashore, the other Two South-rigged and the Two Ningpo Junks making for the head of Meichen Sound. Pushing in with the boats under the orders of Lieutenants Soady and Arthur for the chief South-rigged vessel, mounting ten heavy Guns, which we set fire to, the boats then went on to the other Vessels, the Algerine at the same time keeping up a well-directed fire on the Pirate crews, as they continued landing their Guns and Goods, besides firing occasionally Gingalls and Matchlocks at our party, until we had set them on fire I returned after dark in Algerine with party, to where the Magicienne was at anchor.
The next morning at daylight, starting in Algerine, with Boats of the Magicienne under Lieutenants Sady and Sharpe, we proceeded in search of the two South-rigged Vessels and two Ningpo Junks, which had escaped from us the evening before. Having got an informer from a fishing-boat, we came upon the two Ningpo Junks at 10 A.M., which I directed Lieutenant Sharpe to take charge of, and sail down with to the Magicienne.
The two South-rigged Vessels we observed to windward under sail. Upon coming near them, one, mounting eleven Guns, ran ashore, when I despatched Lieutenant Soady, with Magicienne's party and Marines under Lieutenant Tuson, R.M.A., to take possession of her, and to land so as to cut off the Pirates when escaping from the other Junk, which, mounting seventeen Guns, stood towards us in Algerine, and opened fire, which was quickly returned,-the third or fourth well-directed shell from the Algerine making the Pirates take to their boats.
Directing Lieutenant Arthur to take possession of the Junk, I started in 1st Gig so as to make the Pirates go to the nearest land, which they did, and where the Party under Lieutenant Soady came upon them by surprise, shooting down a great number.
The next two days, I had a strong party, with all the Marines, landed to search for the Guns and Arins taken to the various piratical Villages in the Bay off Rogue's Point, from the Ves-els which ran ashore the first evening. By threatening to burn down every house unless the Inhabitants showed where the Guns were concealed, I not only got them to discover seven heavy Guns, chiefly eighteen pounders, but made them carry them down to our boats, seme having been concealed a mile and a-half inland. Very many Spears, Matchlocks, and other Arms, were likewise discovered and destroyed. In one house, two men, belonging to a village at some distance on the sea coast, were in stocks nailed down, nearly starved, they having been put in there by the Pirates until their village should send over One Hundred Dollars; that house I had burnt, and the men liberated. Four other men were discovered in a Village who had been taken with their Vessel, one of the South-rigged Vessels, when near Amoy; I had them put on board the Ningpo Junks. As the Ningpo Junks had their full Crews, one of twenty-three, the other of twenty-four men, I released them, recommending them, as the N.E. trade had evidently set in, to go to Amoy, for which place they sailed.
The first South-rigged Vessel, mounting ten heavy Guns, had No. 2393 on her stern, apparently a Macao Passage Junk. The second was a Lorcha, painted black, having ports; an English letter was found in her, containing a certificate for forty tons of Coal sent to steamer Canton, dated 21st January, 1858, signed R. S. R. Fussell. The third, mounting eleven Guns, was marked in bow 248, apparently a Macao Vessel; on board of her was a Letter containing three Licenses for Powder, in all Four Hundred Pounds of Powder, dated Prince of Wales' Island, 17th April, 1858, to Cheat Chin Whatt, from Wm. Ward, Police Station. The fourth South-rigged Vessel was the Pirate Chief's, filled with Ammunition and other Goods.
Leaving Meichen Sound on the 2d instant, I searched well Pinghai Bay and Coast up to Hungwha Sound, where in Algerine I looked in up the River, at the head of the Bay, and into Pirate Bay, without finding anything piratical, and was informed that no Pirates had been scen lately up there.
On the 4th instant, I proceeded South in H.M Ship under my command keeping close in-shore, sending the Algerine direct to Amoy where both vessels arrived on the 5th instant.--I have, &c.,
NICHOLAS VANSITTART,
His Excellency Rear-Admiral SIR MICHAEL SEYMOUR, K.C.B.,
Captain.
fary
&c.,
&c., Commander-in-Chief.
H.M.S. Magicienne, HONGKONG, 20th October, 1858.
SIR,--Agreeably to your wishes, I have the honour to inform your Excellency of the proceedings of H.M. Ship under my command, since the 11th instant, on which I left Amoy, with H.M. Gun-boat Algerine in company, anchoring the same evening in Hutan Bay. On the 12th instant, I proceeded to Tongsang Harbour, and sent the Algerine into the town, and learnt from the Authorities ashore that they were not aware of any Pirates being in the neighbourhood. On the 13th instant, I arrived at the Port, and anchored off the town of Swatow, finding there H.M.S. Fury.
Commander Leckie having informed me that he was in communication with the Chinese Authorities, with Mr Barton, Agent to Messrs Dent, and Mr Sullivan, Agent to Messrs Jardine and Matheson, concerning 2200 bags of Sugar that had been piratically seized on or about the 21st ultimo, from the English Brig Pantaloon, by a large force from the town of Sow-ah-pow, a well-known piratical Town, some miles up the narrow channel on the opposite side to the Town of Swatow, I requested Commander Leckie (as I was under medical treatment) to continue his inquiries and exertions towards the recovery of the Sugar, and that I would remain there in case it should be necessary to use force
up
On the 15th instant, the Mandarin of the village near Sow-ah-pow having informed Commander Leckie that the Pirates refused to give. the Sugar, and that he was unable to force them, (his men sent to demand it having already been ill-treated,) on the next morning, the 16th instant, the Marines and Boats of this Ship, with those of the Fury, started soon after daylight for Sow-ah-pow; but although I went myself being sufficiently well, I left the command of the expedition to Commander Leckie, as originally arranged.
Upon our arriving off Sow-ah-pow shortly after 8 A.M., not only was there no Mandarin to receive us, (information having been given that the boats were coming up to inquire into the transaction,) but many hundreds of men, chiefly armed with Matchlocks and some Gingalls, had come down near the water from Sow-ah-pow, which was twelve hundred yards inland, the men all in good position on the heights under the lee of the dikes of the water-courses, and in among the Sugar-cane; they immediately opened fire upon us and jeered us to come on, the boats returning the fire for some minutes. Orders were given by Commander Leckie for the Marines and a party of Seamen to land, when the Pirates kept up a continual fire, retreating and taking up other positions as they went.