BATTLE OF KUHLAN (Contd.)
624
So much for the first organised punitive expedition against these pirates at Kuhlan. That it failed to subdue them entirely is evident from the need for a combined British and American naval attack in August the following year (1855), which is commemorated in Hongkong's "Kuhlan Monument", now standing near the Police Recreation Club.
So far, only a bare mention of that second (and presumably final) effort has been given in this series, so I propose in the next article to publish a fairly full account of the enterprise.
In the previous two articles an account has been given of the combined naval attack made on the Kuhlan pirates in November 1854, when punitive measures were carried out, and the only foreign casualty was the death of an American marine. The account was taken from Tronson's narrative, published in 1859. (See 12.10.34 and 13.10.34). Tronson served aboard H.M.S. Barracouta in these waters at the time, and his account is a first-hand one, as the Barracouta took part in the operations. The warship was away at Japan most of the following year, so did not participate in the final assault on the pirate stronghold which was made on August 4, 1855, by several British and American warships. In this operation, which was carried out on a big scale, the pirate lair was practically destroyed, some hundreds of the freebooters were killed or wounded, and their depredations were put an end to for a long time.
A number of Britons and Americans were killed in the fighting, and in due course a monument to them was erected in Hongkong, taking the form of an obelisk, which until recently was situated at Wanchai opposite the old market there. It is proposed to deal rather extensively with this final assault on Kuhlan, and contemporary reports of the action have been consulted for the purpose.
The narrative of the encounter makes most thrilling reading, recalling the strength and enterprise of the piratical gangs of those days. A short while previous to the expedition, two lorchas and five junks under convoy of the steamer Eaglet had been cut off by pirates, "who displayed such a formidable battery and determined front" that Capt. Caldwell of the Eaglet was unable to rescue the captured vessels and had to apply to Capt. Fellowes, of H.M.S. Rattler, for assistance.
The Rattler, with Capt. Caldwell on board, started for Kuhlan, near which they sighted the pirates, and followed them as far into the bay as the depth of water would permit. "The pirates, quite aware of their advantage in light draught, and conscious of their ability to resist successfully any attempt that might be made on them by the boats of the steamer, fired a few harmless broadsides in defiance, and stood in towards Kuhlan." Capt. Fellowes thereupon returned to Hongkong, and invited the co-operation of the U.S. steamer Powhatan, then in this harbour under repair, and it was decided that the Rattler, with three boats, and a hundred officers and men of the American steam frigate, should form the expedition.
The contingent left Hongkong on the afternoon of August 3, 1855, and arrived near Kuhlan shortly before midnight. At five o'clock the following morning, embarkation of the expedition on launches and in smaller boats commenced, and the Eaglet towed them up the bay. After a while, the pirate fleet, with their prizes, numbering in all some thirty-six sails, were observed at anchor in a narrow and shallow passage.
A fight soon commenced. "The pirate fleet formed a dense mass, the larger and heavier armed junks bringing up the rear, every now and then yawing round and firing their broadsides at the boats from which, in reply, tiny puffs of smoke arose, as the howitzers in their bows discharged their more deadly contents, the shrapnel bursting over the junks and making frightful havoc among their crews."
The boats drew nearer and nearer to the pirates, and first, by volleys of musketry, they cleared the decks of the two largest junks, the sailors afterwards boarding them and driving their crews overboard at the point of the bayonet. "This, however, was not done without a hard struggle, for the miscreants fought with the fury of despair."
Meanwhile the other boats entered the fray, and about half a dozen more
BATTLE OF KUHLAN (Contd.)
624
So much for the first organised punitive expedition against these pirates at Kuhlan. That it failed to subdue them entirely is evident from the need for a combined British and American naval attack in August the following year (1855), which is commemorated in Hongkong's "Kuhlan Monu- ment", now standing near the Police Recreation Club.
So far, only a bare mention of that second (and presum-bly final) effort has been given in this series, so I propose in the next article to publish a fairly full account of the enterprise.
In the previous two articles an account has been given of the com- bined naval attack made on the Kuhlan pirates in November 1854, when punitive measures were carried out, and the only foreign casualty was the death of an American marine. The account was taken from Tronson's narra- tive, published in 1859. (See 12.10.34 and 13.10.34). Tronson served aboard H.M.S. Barracouts in these waters at the time, and his account is
The wor- a first-hand one, as the Barracouta took part in the operations. ship was away at Japan most of the following year, so did not partici- pate in the final assault on the pirate stronghold which was made on August 4, 1855, by several British and American warships. In this operation, which was carried out on a big scale, the pirate lair was practically destroyed some hundreds of the freebooters were killed or wounded, and their depredations were put an end to for a long time.
A number of Britons and Americans were killed in the, fighting, and in due course a monument to them was erected in Hongkong, taking the form of an obelisk, which until recently was situated at Wanchai opposite the old market there. It is proposed to deal rather extensively with this final assault on Kuhlan, and contemporary reports of the action have been consulted for the purpose.
The narrative of the encounter makes most thrilling reading, recall- ing the strength and enterprise of the piratical gangs of those days. A short while previous to the expedition, two lorchas and five junks under convoy of the steamer Eaglet had been cut off by pirates, "who displayed such a formidable battery and determined front" that Capt. Caldwell of the Eaglet was unable to rescue the captured vessels and had to apply to Capt. Fellowes, of II.M.S. Rattler, for assistance.
The Rattler, with Capt. Caldwell on board, started for Kuhlan, near which they sighted the pirates, and followed them as far into the bay as the depth of water would permit. "The pirates, quite aware of their ad- vantage in light draught, and conscious of their ability to resist suc- cessfully any attempt that might be made on them by the boats of the steamer, fired a few harmless broadsides in defiance, and stood in towards Luhlən." Capt. Fellowes thereupon returned to Hongkong, and invited the co-operation of the U.S. steamer Powhatan, then in this harbour under repair, and it was decided that the Rattler, with three boats, and a hundred officers and men of the American steam frigate, should form the expedition.
The contingent left Hongkong on the afternoon of gust 3, 185, and arrived near Kuhlan shortly before midnight. At five o'clock the follow- ing morning embarkation of the expedition on launches and in smaller boats commenced, and the Eaglet towed them up the bay. After a while, the pirate fleet, with their prizes, numbering in all some thirty-six sails, were observed at anchor in a narrow and shallow passage.
A fight soon commenced. "The pirate fleet formed a dense mass, the larger and heavier armed junks bringing up the rear, every now and then yawing round and firing their broadsides at the boats from which, in reply, tiny puffs of smoke arose, as the howitzers in their bows discharged their more deadly contents, the shrapnel bursting over the junks and making frightful havoc among their crews."
The boats drew nearer and nearer to the pirates, and first, by volleys of musketry, they cleared the decks of the two largest junks, the sailors afterwards boarding them and driving their crews overboard at the point of the bayonet. "This, however, was not done without a hard struggle, for the miscreants fought with the fury of despair."
Meanwhile the other boats entered the fray, and about half a dozen more
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