fishing junk that we had spotted off there
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At first it was very difficult to obtain any sight of her. There was not much wind, the winds were very light. I proceeded in the direction she was last seen in. At 1PM, I again sighted her off the entrance of Mirs Bay and proceeded in chase. When within 4 or 5 miles, the Junk altered her course and stood in for the land about Rocky Harbor, where I came up with her just as she anchored inside an island. The fisherman at once recognised her as his boat, so I found five men, three women, and some children on board (one of the women was wounded by musket balls in two places).
The fisherman stated that one of the men was his brother who had been taken with women and children in the junk. At first, they were afraid to speak, but at last, they stated that they had been part of a pirate junk that had captured them on the evening of 30th Ultimo. They were afraid to speak at first as they thought it would be impossible to ever escape if they did.
They gave their evidence and further stated that the private junk which captured them had taken a large junk full of cargo on the evening of the 20 instant, and they thought she had gone to the vicinity of Macao, where the fishing boat was to have joined her.
The fisherman identified one of the men as having assisted in robbing his boat.