the third day about ten men went on shore. The villagers made their
escape, so that the pirates could not take them. [sd: (14 v.)] Having
some time before made preparations to fortify Ma king yun.[98] they now
retired to it. The pirates knowing that the villagers were well provided
for defence, waited until they had every thing ready. On the fourth the
pirates landed; it was in vain that the villagers opposed them, they had
two men wounded, and were finally defeated. The Governor-general ordered
Ching chuy loo to proceed at the head of a large body of soldiers to the
town Shun tih, and prepare for an attack. Meeting the pirates at Ke
chow, the Major attacking them on a sudden, the pirates sustained a
great loss, and returned to their vessels. The Major also was struck by
a shot from a musket. There were daily skirmishes at the neighbouring
places; the inhabitants were generally defeated and ran away. The Major
Loo came with his forces and placed them on the sea-coast behind the
intrenchments of Sin ne, to protect them against the fire of the enemy.
The guns of the pirates were directed against the place, the bullets
fell in Sin ne, but without hurting any one, which again calmed and
encouraged the inhabitants. [sd: (15 r.)] The pirates coming a second
time before Ke chow and Ta leang, and not being able to accomplish their
designs, thought fit to retire.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
The wife of Ching y[)i]h, on seeing that O po tae was made a government
officer after his submission, and that he did well, thought also of
making her submission. "I am," said she, "ten times stronger than O po
tae, and government would perhaps, if I submit, act towards me as they
did with O po tae." But remembering their former crimes, and the
opposition they made to many officers, these pirates were apprehensive
and felt undetermined in their resolutions. [sd: (15 v.)] A rumour went
about, that the red squadron wished to tender their submission, and, in
consequence, the vigilant magistrates hearing of this, invited them to
do so. The magistrate of Tsze ne, Yu che chang, ordered a certain Fei
hëung chow to make enquiries about the matter. Fei hëung chow was a
physician of Macao, and being well acquainted with the pirates, he was
not in need of any introduction to obtain access to them. This was the
ground on which Yu chi chang particularly selected him, when he tried to
bring the pirates to submission.
When Fei hëung chow came to Paou, he said: "Friend Paou, do you know why
I come to you?"
Paou.--"Thou hast committed some crime and comest to me for protection?"
Chow.--"By no means."
[Sidenote: 1810.]
Paou.--"You will then know, how it stands concerning the report about
our submission, if it is true or false?"
Chow.--"You are again wrong here, Sir.[99] What are you in comparison
with O po tae?"
Paou.--[sd: (16 r.)] "Who is bold enough to compare me with O po tae?"
[Sidenote: 1810.]
Chow.--"I know very well that O po tae could not come up to you, Sir;
but I mean only, that since O po tae has made his submission, since he
has got his pardon and been created a government officer,--how would it
be, if you with your whole crew should also submit, and if his
Excellency should desire to treat you in the same manner, and to give
you the same rank as O po tae? Your submission would produce more joy
to government than the submission of O po tae. You should not wait for
wisdom to act wisely; you should make up your mind to submit to the
government with all your followers. I will assist you in every
respect,--it would be the means of securing your own happiness and the
lives of all your adherents."
[Sidenote: 1810.]
_Chang paou_ remained like a statue without motion, and Fei hëung chow
went on to say: [sd: (16 v.)] "You should think about this affair in
time, and not stay till the last moment. Is it not clear that O po tae,
since you could not agree together, has joined government. He being
enraged against you, will fight, united with the forces of the
government, for your destruction; and who could help you, so that you
might overcome your enemies? If O po tae could before vanquish you quite
alone, how much more can he now when he is united with government? O po
tae will then satisfy his hatred against you, and you yourself will soon
be taken either at Wei chow or at Neaou chow. [sd: (17 r.)] If the
merchant-vessels of Hwy chaou, the boats of Kwang chow, and all the
fishing-vessels unite together to surround and attack you in the open
sea, you will certainly have enough to do. But even supposing they
should not attack you, you will soon feel the want of provisions, to
sustain you and all your followers. It is always wisdom to provide
before things happen; stupidity and folly never think about future
events. It is too late to reflect upon events when things have happened;
you should, therefore, consider this matter in time!"
Paou held a deliberation with the wife of Ching y[)i]h, and she said:
"The Doctor Chow is certainly right in all that he says; Paou may agree
with him." Paou then asked the Doctor: "Have you any commission about
this matter, or not?" The Doctor answered, "How could I trifle with the
sentiments of government; this would be declared an improper behaviour.
[sd: (17 v.)] Neither can I see through the intentions of the wife of
Ching y[)i]h nor through those of the officers of government; you can
clear up all doubts, if you will collect your vessels about Shao kë[)o],
outside the Bocca Tigris, you may yourself hear the orders."
[Sidenote: 1810.]
Paou consented to this proposal, and the Doctor returned to Yu che
chang. Yu che chang acquainted the Governor-general with this matter.
The general was anxious to meet the pirates and to clear the western
passage, as he had already cleared the eastern passage; he therefore was
very happy at hearing the offer of surrender. The magistrate of Tsze ne,
Yu che chang, took the government proclamation and went to the pirates
to see how things stood. The wife of Ching y[)i]h on seeing Yu che
chang, ordered Chang paou to prepare a banquet. Chang paou explained his
intentions. Yu che chang remained the whole night on board ship, and
stated that government was willing to pardon them, and that they had
nothing to fear after having made their submission. [sd: (18 r.)] Paou
was very much rejoiced at this; and on the next morning he went with Yu
che chang to inspect the vessels, and ordered all the captains to pay
their respects to the government officer. The wife of Ching y[)i]h
stated to Yu che chang that it was her earnest wish to submit to
government; and Chang paou himself assured the officer of his firm
intention to surrender without the least deceit. The governor then
ordered Yu che chang to visit the pirates a second time, accompanied by
Pang noo, in order to settle all with them regarding their submission.
Chang paou requested that those pirates who had been condemned to death
should be placed in ten vessels, in order that he might ransom them. Yu
che chang reported this, and the Governor said: "It shall be so, whether
Chang paou submit himself or not. But being exceedingly desirous that
the pirates may surrender, I will go myself and state my intentions, to
clear up all doubts."
[Sidenote: 1810.]
[sd: (18 v.)]He ordered the Doctor Fei hëung chow to acquaint the
pirates with his design. The Governor-general then embarked in a vessel
with Pang noo and Yu che chang to meet the pirates, where they were
assembled;--their vessels occupied a space of about ten le. On hearing
that the Governor-general was coming, they hoisted their flags, played
on their instruments, and fired their guns, so that the smoke rose in
clouds, and then went to meet him. From the other side the people all
became alarmed, and the Governor-general himself was very much
astonished, being yet uncertain what could be the meaning of all this
alarm. Chang paou, accompanied by the wife of Ching y[)i]h, by Pang
chang ching, Leang po paou, and Soo puh gaou, mounted the governor's
ship, and rushed through the smoke to the place where the governor was
stationed. [sd: (19 r.)] The Governor-general on seeing Paou and his
followers falling on their hands and knees, that they shed tears on
account of their former crimes, and sued penitently for their lives, was
induced by his extreme kindness to declare that he would again point out
to the rebels the road to virtue. Paou and his followers were extremely
affected, knocked their heads on the ground, and swore that they were
ready to suffer death. But the Governor replied: "Since you are ready to
submit yourselves with a true heart, I will lay aside all arms and
disperse the soldiery; to say it in one word, I give you three days to
make up a list of your vessels and all your other possessions. Are you
satisfied with this proposal or not?" Paou and his followers said "_yes,
yes_," and retired accordingly.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
It happened that about the same time some Portuguese vessels were about
to enter the Bocca Tigris, and that some large men-of-war took their
station at the same place. The pirates became exceedingly alarmed at
this fleet, and apprehended that the Governor had made an agreement with
the foreign vessels to destroy them. [sd: (19 v.)] They immediately
weighed their anchors and steered away. On seeing the pirates running
away, Pang noo, Yu che chang, and the others, not knowing what could be
the reason of all this, became afraid that they might have changed their
mind, and that an attack on the Governor was contemplated. All parties
became frightened that the meeting had failed, and made preparations to
go off. The inhabitants of the neighbouring country hearing of this, ran
away, and the Governor-general himself went back to Canton.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
When the pirates ascertained that the foreign vessels were traders going
into the river, and that the Governor-general had no communication with
them, they again became pacified. But considering that the
Governor-general went back to Canton without the business of their
submission being quite settled, they held a consultation together and
Paou said: [sd: (20 r.)] "His Excellency is gone back, and probably in
doubt about our intentions; if we tender our submission again, his
Excellency will not trust us, and if we do not submit we shall insult
the good intentions of government. What is to be done under these
circumstances?"
The wife of Ching y[)i]h said: "His Excellency behaved himself towards
us in a candid manner, and in like manner we must behave towards him. We
being driven about on the ocean, without having any fixed
habitation;--pray let us go to Canton to inform government, to state the
reason of the recoiling waves, to clear up all doubts, and to agree on
what day or in what place we shall make our submission. His Excellency
may then explain to us whether he will come a second time to accept our
submission, or whether he will decline it."
[Sidenote: 1810.]
The whole crew was of opinion, that "the designs of government were
unfathomable, and that it would not be prudent to go so hastily on." But
the wife of Ching y[)i]h replied: [sd: (20 v.)] "If his Excellency, a
man of the highest rank, could come quickly to us quite alone, why
should I a mean woman not go to the officers of government? If there be
any danger in it, I will take it on myself, no person among you will be
required to trouble himself about it."
Leang po paou said: "If the wife of Ching y[)i]h goes, we must fix a
time when she shall return. If this time be past without our obtaining
any certain information, we should collect all our forces and go before
Canton.[100] This is my opinion; if you think otherwise, let us retire;
but let me hear your opinion?" They all answered: "Friend Paou, we have
heard thy opinion, but we think it rather better to wait for the news
here on the water, than to send the wife of Ching y[)i]h alone to be
killed." This was the result of the consultation.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
[sd: (21 r.)] Yu che chang and Fei hëung chow, on seeing that nothing
was settled about the submission to government, became alarmed, and sent
Chao kaou yuen to Chang paou to enquire what was the reason of it. On
learning that they ran away from fear of the foreign vessels, Yu che
chang and Fei hëung chow made another visit to the pirates, in order to
correct this mistake.
"If you let slip this opportunity," said they, "you will not be
accepted, perhaps, should you even be willing to make your submission.
The kindness of his Excellency is immense like the sea, without being
mixed with any falsehood; we will pledge ourselves that the wife of
Ching y[)i]h, if she would go, would be received with kindness."
The wife of Ching y[)i]h said: "You speak well, gentlemen; I will go
myself to Canton with some other ladies, accompanied by Yu che chang."
Chang paou said, laughingly: [sd: (21 v.)] "I am sorry his Excellency
should have any doubt regarding us, for this reason, therefore, we will
send our wives to settle the affair for us."
When the wives and children appeared before him, the Governor-general
said to them: "You did not change your mind, but ran away, being
deceived by a false impression; for this reason I will take no notice of
it. I am commanded by the humanity of his Majesty's government not to
kill but to pardon you; I therefore now pardon Chang paou."
[Sidenote: 1810.]
In consequence of this, Chang paou came with his wives and children, and
with the wife of Ching y[)i]h, at Foo yung shao near the town of Hëang
shan to submit himself to government. Every vessel was provided with
pork and wine, and every man received at the same time a bill for a
certain quantity of money. Those who wished it, could join the military
force of government for pursuing the remaining pirates; and those who
objected, dispersed and withdrew into the country. This is the manner by
which the red squadron of the pirates was pacified.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
[sd: (22r.)] After the submission of Chang paou, the Governor-general
said: "Now that we have cleared, both the eastern and the middle
passage, we are ready to reduce the pirates of the western passage." He
held a consultation about this matter with the deputy-governor Han fung,
and then ordered the principal officer of the public granary, Mwan ching
che, and the military commandant of Luy chow foo, Kang chow foo, and
Këung chow foo, called Chuh url kang g[)i]h,[101] to proceed at the head
of the forces and drive the pirates away. It was presumed that they
would retire more westerly to Annam; a message was therefore sent to the
king of that country to have ready an armed force to repulse the
pirates, whenever they should appear on the rivers or on the
mainland.[102] Chang paou was ordered on the vanguard.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
By the tenth day of the fourth moon the vessels and the crew were quite
ready, and fell in on the twelfth of the same month with the yellow flag
quite alone at Tse sing yang. Our commander valiantly attacked this
squadron, and defeated it entirely. [sd: (22 v.)] The captain Le tsung
chaou, with three hundred and ninety of his people, were taken
prisoners. Meeting a division of the green flag, consisting of ten
pirate vessels, our commander attacked them. The pirates being afraid,
ran away; but our commander pursued after and killed them. Those who
were taken alive were beheaded.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
On the tenth day of the fifth moon the Governor-general went to Kaou
chow to make preparations for fighting. Our commander pursued after the
pirates with a great and strong body of troops; he met Neaou sh[)i]h url
at Tan chow, and they fought a great battle. Neaou sh[)i]h url saw that
he was not strong enough to withstand them, and tried to escape; but the
Major, Fei teaou hwang,[103] gave orders to surround the pirates. [sd:
(23 r.)] They fought from seven o'clock in the morning till one at noon,
burnt ten vessels, and killed an immense number of the pirates. Neaou
sh[)i]h url was so weakened that he could scarcely make any opposition.
On perceiving this through the smoke, Chang paou mounted on a sudden the
vessel of the pirate, and cried out: "I Chang paou am come," and at the
same moment he cut some pirates to pieces; the remainder were then
hardly dealt with. Paou addressed himself in an angry tone to Neaou
sh[)i]h url, and said: "I advise you to submit, will you not follow my
advice, what have you to say?" Neaou sh[)i]h url was struck with
amazement, and his courage left him. Leang po paou advanced and bound
him, and the whole crew were then taken captives.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
[sd: (23 v.)] Seeing that Neaou sh[)i]h url was taken, his elder brother
Yew kwei would have run away in all haste; but the admirals Tung and
Tsuen mow sun pursued, attacked, and took him prisoner. The government
officers Kung gao and Hoo tso chaou took the younger brother of Neaou
sh[)i]h url, called Mih yew keih, and all the others then made their
submission. Not long after this the _Scourge of the eastern ocean_
surrendered voluntarily, on finding himself unable to withstand; the
_Frog's meal_ withdrew to Luzon or Manilla. On the twentieth of the same
month, the Governor-general came to Luy chow, and every officer was
ordered to bring his prizes into the harbour or bay of Man ke. There
were taken fighting five hundred pirates, men and women; three thousand
four hundred and sixty made their submission; there were eighty-six
vessels, two hundred and ninety-one guns, and one thousand three hundred
and seventy-two pieces of various military weapons. [sd: (24 r.)] The
Governor-general ordered one of his officers to kill[104] the pirate
Neaou sh[)i]h url with eight others outside the northern entrance of Hae
k[)a]ng hëen,[105] and to behead Hwang h[)o] with one hundred and
nineteen of his followers. The _Scourge of the eastern sea_ submitting
himself voluntarily was not put to death.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
There was much talk concerning a man at Hae k[)a]ng hëen, whose crime
was of such a nature that it could not be overlooked. When this man was
carried away to suffer death, his wife pressed him in her arms, and said
with great demonstration of sorrow, "Because thou didst not follow my
words, it is even thus. I said before what is now come to pass, that
thou fighting as a pirate against the officers of government would be
taken and put to death. This fills my mind with sorrow. [sd: (24 v.)] If
thou hadst made thy submission like O po tae and Chang paou, thou
wouldst have been pardoned like them; thou art now given up to the law,
not by any power of man, but by the will of fate." Having finished these
words, she cried exceedingly. The Governor-general was moved by these
words, and commuted the punishment of that pirate into imprisonment.
In this manner the western passage was cleared from the green, yellow,
and blue squadrons, and smaller divisions. The rest of the pirates, who
remained about Hae k[)a]ng, at Hae fung, at Suy ke and H[)o] poo, were
gradually destroyed.[106] The Governor-general ordered Chuh url kang
g[)i]h and Mwan ching che to go with an armed force and sweep away those
pirates, who hid themselves in the recesses of Wei chow and Neaou chow.
And thus finished this meritorious act of the _Pacification of the
pirates_.
[Sidenote: 1810.]
[sd: (25 r.)] By an edict of the "Son of Heaven," the Governor-general
of Kwang tung and Kwang se _Pih, ling_ was recompensed for his merits.
He was created a secondary guardian of the Prince, allowed to wear
peacock's-feathers with two eyes, and favoured with an hereditary title.
The services of the different officers and commanders were taken into
consideration, and they received adequate recompenses. Chang paou was
appointed to the rank of Major; Tung hae pa, or, the Scourge of the
eastern sea, and all others, were pardoned, with the permission to
retire wherever they wished. From that period till now ships pass and
repass in tranquillity. All is quiet on the rivers, the four seas are
tranquil, and people live in peace and plenty.
APPENDIX.
The Translator supposing that the readers of the _History of the
Chinese Pirates_ might perhaps find it interesting to compare the
account of the followers of _The wife of Ching y[)i]h_, drawn up by an
European, with the statements of the non-official Chinese historian;
he has therefore thought fit to subjoin a _Narrative of the captivity
and treatment amongst the Ladrones_, written by Mr. Richard
Glasspoole, of the Hon. Company's ship _Marquis of Ely_, and published
in _Wilkinson's Travels to China_. The Translator in vain endeavoured
to obtain another Narrative, regarding the Chinese pirates, which is
said to be printed in an English periodical.
_A brief Narrative of my captivity and treatment amongst the
Ladrones._
On the 17th of September 1809, the Honourable Company's ship Marquis
of Ely anchored under the Island of _Sam Chow_, in China, about twelve
English miles from Macao, where I was ordered to proceed in one of
our cutters to procure a pilot, and also to land the purser with the
packet. I left the ship at 5 P.M. with seven men under my command,
well armed. It blew a fresh gale from the N. E. We arrived at Macao at
9 P.M., where I delivered the packet to Mr. Roberts, and sent the men
with the boat's-sails to sleep under the Company's Factory, and left
the boat in charge of one of the Compradore's men; during the night
the gale increased.--At half-past three in the morning I went to the
beach, and found the boat on shore half-filled with water, in
consequence of the man having left her. I called the people, and baled
her out; found she was considerably damaged, and very leaky. At
half-past 5 A.M., the ebb-tide making, we left Macao with vegetables
for the ship.
One of the Compradore's men who spoke English went with us for the
purpose of piloting the ship to _Lintin_, as the Mandarines, in
consequence of a late disturbance at Macao, would not grant chops for
the regular pilots. I had every reason to expect the ship in the
roads, as she was preparing to get under weigh when we left her; but
on our rounding Cabaretta-Point, we saw her five or six miles to
leeward, under weigh, standing on the starboard-tack: it was then
blowing fresh at N. E. Bore up, and stood towards her; when about a
cable's-length to windward of her, she tacked; we hauled our wind and
stood after her. A hard squall then coming on, with a strong tide and
heavy swell against us, we drifted fast to leeward, and the weather
being hazy, we soon lost sight of the ship. Struck our masts, and
endeavoured to pull; finding our efforts useless, set a reefed
foresail and mizen, and stood towards a country-ship at anchor under
the land to leeward of Cabaretta-Point. When within a quarter of a
mile of her she weighed and made sail, leaving us in a very critical
situation, having no anchor, and drifting bodily on the rocks to
leeward. Struck the masts: after four or five hours hard pulling,
succeeded in clearing them.
At this time not a ship in sight; the weather clearing up, we saw a
ship to leeward, hull down, shipped our masts, and made sail towards
her; she proved to be the Honourable Company's ship Glatton. We made
signals to her with our handkerchiefs at the mast-head, she
unfortunately took no notice of them, but tacked and stood from us.
Our situation was now truly distressing, night closing fast, with a
threatening appearance, blowing fresh, with hard rain and a heavy sea;
our boat very leaky, without a compass, anchor or provisions, and
drifting fast on a lee-shore, surrounded with dangerous rocks, and
inhabited by the most barbarous pirates. I close-reefed my sails, and
kept tack and tack 'till day-light, when we were happy to find we had
drifted very little to leeward of our situation in the evening. The
night was very dark, with constant hard squalls and heavy rain.
Tuesday the 19th no ships in sight. About ten o'clock in the morning
it fell calm, with very hard rain and a heavy swell;--struck our masts
and pulled, not being able to see the land, steered by the swell. When
the weather broke up, found we had drifted several miles to leeward.
During the calm a fresh breeze springing up, made sail, and
endeavoured to reach the weather-shore, and anchor with six muskets we
had lashed together for that purpose. Finding the boat made no way
against the swell and tide, bore up for a bay to leeward, and anchored
about one A.M. close under the land in five or six fathoms water,
blowing fresh, with hard rain.