CO129-508-4 Cases of attacks by pirates 6-11-1927 - 23-11-1928 — Page 95

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Anking was seized on the way to Hoihow and taken to

a point immediately North of Ross Head near the

Taichau inlet in Honghai bay.

The latter bay

is separated from Bias Bay by a narrow promontory

on which the more notorious pirate villages are

situated.

From the point of view of accessibility

to the pirate base it would seem to be equally con-

venient to bring a ship into Bias Bay or to the

Taichau inlet in the Fonghai bay. The statement in

the newspaper that Bias Bay has been effectively

cleared up by the Canton Government and that the

pirates have had to find another base is nonsense.

The base is still there, but the pirates have merely

used another approach to it round the corner.

3. In the struggle for the capture of the ship

the Chief Engineer, Mr. H. Thompson, the Chief

Officer Mr. D. C. Jones and a Chinese quartermaster

were killed. The master, Captain C. E. Plunkett

Cole was seriously wounded and the third officer

Mr. A. I. Campbell was slightly injured. mhe vessel

reached Honghai Bay at 1 a.m. on September 27th and

was not released until 2 a.m. on September 29th,

during which time the ship was looted and seven

Chinese passengers kidnapped for ransom.

4. On receipt of the news from Hongkong I

immediately called at the Chinese naval headquarters

accompanied by the Captain of the British gunboat in

port and asked that urgent steps should be taken to

intercept the pirates; the place where the latter

had!