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"The first warning given that there were pirates on board "was when the Indian guard on watch at the grill rushed to the "Saloon door and shouted that pirates had taken his rifle and "revolver from him.
"By this time shots could be heard on the saloon deck "and before the Captain or either of the officers could rise from "their seats four pirates appeared at the other saloon door with "revolvers aimed at those seated at dinner.
"armad.
"Resistance was useless for being at dinner nobody was
"The pirates had taken control of the bridge and engine- "-room, the attack being well timed and the organisation
from a "pirates point of view) perfect.
"It transpired that seven of the nine first class "passengers were pirates and it was they who surprised and disarme d "the guarda, those off duty, locked themselves in their room and "declined to come out until assured of a safe conduct.
"The Captain under the cover of revolvers was taken to "his cabin whilst other pirates kept guard over the officers in "the saloon; he was then made to hand over all arms and ammunition "after which he was taken to the guards room and instructed to 'order the guards to unlock the door; the order given the door "was opened and the arms of the remaining guards handed over to "the pirates.
"The Captain was then escorted to his cabin where he "was forced to remain until the pirates left the vessel in Bias "Bay.
"Junks and lighters were waiting to meet the steamer "and her boats were lowered into which the pirates loaded their "spoil, then making the Chinese seamen row them to the waiting "junks.
"In this case the Master Officers, and Engineers were "robbed of nearly everything they had on board.
"The surprise was complete, no resistance was offered "and not a man was injured.
"The vessel having got rid of the pirates returned to "Hongkong where she arrived on the morning of the 29th, having "only left the port about sixteen hours before.
"3.S."Tailee". The next selisation of this kind was "when this vessel arrived at Hongkong on the night of the 21st "of January 1924 and reported that she had on board the body of "her Master Captain, J.Willox who had been murdered by pirates "whilst on the vessel's usual voyage to Kongmoon a port on the "Test river.
"It appears that the crew of the "Tailee" turned pirates "and the Captain was shot by his own boatswain, although at the "time no resistance had been offered.
"The wounded Captain was taken ashore to the Mariga "Barolay Hospital at Pak-kai where an operation had to be performed "and under which the died; his body being brought back to Hongkong "for burial.
"Strangely enough in this case the pirates were not met "by junka but used the ships boats for transport to the shore, the "boata being subsequently abandoned.
The loot in this case being estimated at $200,000 (Mex) "The cases given are all vessels under the British flag "and in each case the piracy has occurred only a few miles from "the colony of Hongkong.
"Other vessels not of British nationality have suffered "in a similar way and in the case of Chinese vessels the Officers "who have suffered have been mostly British.
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