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PIRACIES
The reference to pirates being transported to Singapore, in the article on gaols (20-6-33) recalls that piracy, still prevalent in these waters, was absolutely rife in the early days of the Colony. Actually, there were so many piracies, and so thrilling in most of their features, that even the doings of the old cut-throats on the Spanish Main and the pirates of the Barbary Coast, could produce nothing to surpass the deeds of freebooters in the China Sea less than a hundred years ago. To write even half the story of China Sea piracy would need a whole bulky volume, but there is one aspect of the evil which many readers of this paper nowadays probably do not realise, namely that Captain Kidd and people of that type, notorious in Western waters, had their counter-parts out here, and British and American freebooters co-operated with the Chinese in some of the most bloodthirsty and daring enterprises. It will suffice to give a summary of what the old records show.
It became known soon after the establishment of the Colony that pirate lorchas were being commanded by Europeans, and the Chinese authorities had occasion to complain to the British Government about this, when it was found that certain Englishmen were carrying out piratical operations. It was proved that British and American renegades were involved, also a few Portuguese from Macao were not above suspicion in this matter, and the Chinese authorities even alleged that certain residents of Hong Kong had a hand in several such outrages. There is one notorious case which deserves recalling.
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In 1851 it was established that an Englishman named William Fenton was in command of a pirate lorcha, manned by a Chinese crew, and had been carrying out depredations against native craft in these and neighbouring waters. The Consular archives of the time had numerous references to these renegade commanders of suspect craft, and Fenton appears to have been early on the black list. However, it remained for the Portuguese authorities to take definite action, which brought matters, as it were to a head. An armed Portuguese vessel, named the Adamastor (a name perpetuated until to-day) fell in with the lorcha commanded by Fenton, and his ship was boarded and he was placed under arrest. He managed to obtain permission to return to get some belongings, and was accompanied by two Portuguese, Lieutenant Miranda and Mr. Caldeira. When they got aboard the lorcha, Lieut. Miranda attempted to put under arrest the Chinese son of the owner of the lorcha, of which Fenton was in command, but the man resisted, and suddenly the Chinese pirate crew surrounded the Portuguese, attacking them with knives. Lieut. Miranda was stabbed to the heart, and his body thrown overboard, and Mr. Caldeira was severely wounded but managed to get back into the Adamastor's boat.
The lorcha then set sail, and managed to outdistance the Adamastor, which ineffectively fired at the speedier pirate craft. So Fenton and his Chinese crew obtained a fresh lease of life but retribution was not long delayed. A large fleet of Chinese junks engaged the lorcha four months later, towards the close of the year (1851), and the armed junk crews greatly outnumbering the pirates, managed to seize the freebooting craft. Fenton, to escape death, jumped overboard, but was fished out of the water and brought alive to Hong Kong and handed over to the authorities here. He was tried at a special Sessions on January 5, 1852, but the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty" to a charge of "accessory to murder," in connexion with the killing of Lieut. Miranda. It is on record that the Portuguese were indignant at this result of the trial, and brought pressure to bear which resulted in a second arraignment in April that year on a charge of "consorting with pirates," when Fenton was found guilty and sentenced to three years hard labour. His subsequent fate is not known.