HongKong, 28th May, 1876.
Schooner "Joaquina y ana
(Captain Hayes)
Reports by the Harbour Master's Boarding Officer and Water Police Inspector
arrival of -
on
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, MAY 29TH, 1876.
The little American schooner Joaquina y Anna, 40 tons burden, owned by Captain Hayes, about which there has been a good deal of trouble at Manila and Guam, has at length turned up. It appears that when about thirty convicts, with two ladies and a little boy, had got on board at Guam, Captain Hayes went on shore to procure more passengers and to bathe. This had come to the knowledge of the Spanish Authorities, who despatched a band of soldiers, seized him whilst he was bathing, and marched him off to Manila, where he was imprisoned. The convicts on board seeing this, at once slipped the anchor, set the sails, compelled Captain W. Man (then in command), and his crew to shape a course to Aricolong, where all the convicts and one lady left the vessel. The convicts having left, the natives came off, seized the vessel, and compelled the remaining lady passenger and her son with Captain Man and the crew, to go on shore, where they were detained with the vessel. The captain was only allowed to go on board occasionally to remove the vessel, as several times she was driven on shore with the wind, only having been moored with small lines. Captain Man, hearing that the American schooner Scotland was cruising about the Pacific Islands fishing and was at Arivule, sent a message there to him to come and release himself, passengers, crew, and vessel. Captain C. P. Holcomb, of the Scotland, arrived at Aricolong in August, where he found the American schooner Joaquina y Anna lying wholly abandoned, with not a soul on board. He at once set to work to get the release of Captain Man, but it was with great difficulty and only on payment of a heavy ransom that he obtained their release and the surrender of the vessel. He, however, eventually succeeded and left with his prize. The lady (Spanish by birth) wished to go to Honolulu, and there being a missionary vessel at the Caroline Islands, he put in there, and she and her son went on board this vessel. Captain Holcomb then returned to Aricole, taking his prize in tow, and, having succeeded in obtaining a cargo of béche-de-mer, set sail with his prize on the 9th instant for Hongkong. They had fine weather up to the China Sea, but the two little craft had a hard struggle with a strong N.E. wind and high sea coming across the China Sea. They anchored off Kellet's Island on Saturday night.
Enclosure 8.9 in Governor Sir A. E. Kennedy's Despatch Confidential of 2nd June 1876.
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