The Pirates Own Book (35 page)

Paou was puzzled, but after being closeted for some time with his
mistress, Ching-yih's widow, who gave her high permission for him to
make arrangements with Doctor Chow, he said he would repair with his
fleet to the Bocca Tigris, and there communicate personally with the
organs of Government.

After two visits had been paid to the pirate-fleets by two inferior
Mandarins, who carried the Imperial proclamation of free pardon, and
who, at the order of Ching-yih's widow, were treated to a sumptuous
banquet by Paou, the Governor-general of the province went himself in
one vessel to the pirates' ships, that occupied a line of ten
le
off
the mouth of the river.

As the governor approached, the pirates hoisted their flags, played on
their instruments, and fired their guns, so that the smoke rose in
clouds, and then bent sail to meet him. On this the dense population
that were ranged thousands after thousands along the shore, to witness
the important reconciliation, became sorely alarmed, and the
Governor-general seems to have had a strong inclination to run away. But
in brief space of time, the long dreaded widow of Ching-yih, supported
by her Lieutenant Paou, and followed by three other of her principal
commanders, mounted the side of the governor's ship, and rushed through
the smoke to the spot where his excellency was stationed; where they
fell on their hands and knees, shed tears, knocked their heads on the
deck before him, and received his gracious pardon, and promised for
future kind treatment. They then withdrew satisfied, having promised to
give in a list of their ships, and of all else they possessed, within
three days.

But the sudden apparition of some large Portuguese ships, and some
Government war-junks, made the pirates suspect treachery. They
immediately set sail, and the negociations were interrupted for several
days.

They were at last concluded by the boldness of their female leader. "If
the Governor-general," said this heroine, "a man of the highest rank,
could come to us quite alone, why should not I, a mean woman, go to the
officers of Government? If there be danger in it, I take it all on
myself; no person among you need trouble himself about me—my mind is
made up, and I will go to Canton!"

Paou said—"If the widow of Ching-yih goes, we must fix a time for her
return. If this pass without our obtaining any information, we must
collect all our forces, and go before Canton: this is my opinion as to
what ought to be done; comrades, let me hear yours!"

The pirates, then, struck with the intrepidity of their chieftainess,
and loving her more than ever, answered, "Friend Paou, we have heard thy
opinion, but we think it better to wait for the news here, on the water,
than to send the wife of Ching-yih alone to be killed." Nor would they
allow her to leave the fleet.

Matters were in this state of indecision, when the two inferior
Mandarins who had before visited the pirates, ventured out to repeat
their visit. These officers protested no treachery had been intended,
and pledged themselves, that if the widow of Ching-yih would repair to
the Governor, she would be kindly received, and every thing settled to
their hearts' satisfaction.

With this, in the language of our old ballads, upspoke Mrs. Ching. "You
say well, gentlemen! and I will go myself to Canton with some other of
our ladies, accompanied by you!" And accordingly, she and a number of
the pirates' wives with their children, went fearlessly to Canton,
arranged every thing, and found they had not been deceived. The fleet
soon followed. On its arrival every vessel was supplied with pork and
with wine, and every man (in lieu it may be supposed, of his share of
the vessels, and plundered property he resigned) 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 in which the great red squadron of the
pirates was pacified."

The valiant Paou, following the example of his rival O-po-tae, entered
into the service of Government, and proceeded against such of his
former associates and friends as would not accept the pardon offered
them. There was some hard fighting, but the two renegadoes successively
took the chief Shih Url, forced the redoubtable captain, styled "The
scourge of the Eastern Ocean" to surrender himself, drove "Frog's Meal,"
another dreadful pirate, to Manilla, and finally, and within a few
months, destroyed or dissipated the "wasps of the ocean" altogether.

I have already noticed the marked intention of the Chinese historian, to
paint the character of Paou in a poetical or epic manner. When
describing the battle with Shih-Url, he says:—

"They fought from seven o'clock in the morning till one at noon, burnt
ten vessels, and killed an immense number of the pirates. Shih-Url was
so weakened that he could scarcely make any opposition. On perceiving
this through the smoke, 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 Shih-Url, and said: 'I advise
you to submit: will you not follow my advice? what have you to say?'
Shih-Url was struck with amazement, and his courage left him. Paou
advanced and bound him, and the whole crew were then taken captives."

"From that period," says our Chinese historian, in conclusion, "ships
began to pass and repass in tranquillity. All became quiet on the
rivers, and tranquil on the four seas. People lived in peace and plenty.
Men sold their arms and bought oxen to plough their fields; they buried
sacrifices, said prayers on the tops of the hills, and rejoiced
themselves by singing behind screens during day-time"—and (grand climax
to all!) the Governor of the province, in consideration of his valuable
services in the pacification of the pirates, was allowed by an edict of
the "Son of Heaven," to wear peacocks' feathers with two eyes!

Captain Lewis was at an early age associated with pirates. We first find
him a boy in company with the pirate Banister, who was hanged at the
yard arm of a man-of-war, in sight of Port Royal, Jamaica. This Lewis
and another boy were taken with him, and brought into the island hanging
by the middle at the mizen peak. He had a great aptitude for languages,
and spoke perfectly well that of the Mosquil Indians, French, Spanish,
and English. I mention our own, because it is doubted whether he was
French or English, for we cannot trace him back to his origin. He sailed
out of Jamaica till he was a lusty lad, and was then taken by the
Spaniards at the Havana, where he tarried some time; but at length he
and six more ran away with a small canoe, and surprised a Spanish
periagua, out of which two men joined them, so that they were now nine
in company. With this periagua they surprised a turtling sloop, and
forced some of the hands to take on with them; the others they sent away
in the periagua.

He played at this small game, surprising and taking coasters and
turtlers, till with forced men and volunteers he made up a company of 40
men. With these he took a large pink built ship, bound from Jamaica to
the bay of Campeachy, and after her, several others bound to the same
place; and having intelligence that there lay in the bay a fine Bermuda
built brigantine of 10 guns, commanded by Captain Tucker, he sent the
captain of the pink to him with a letter, the purport of which was, that
he wanted such a brigantine, and if he would part with her, he would
pay him 10,000 pieces of eight; if he refused this, he would take care
to lie in his way, for he was resolved, either by fair or foul means to
have the vessel. Captain Tucker, having read the letter, sent for the
masters of vessels then lying in the bay, and told them, after he had
shown the letter, that if they would make him up 54 men, (for there
were about ten Bermuda sloops,) he would go out and fight the pirates.
They said no, they would not hazard their men, they depended on their
sailing, and every one must take care of himself as well as he could.

However, they all put to sea together, and spied a sail under the land,
which had a breeze while they lay becalmed. Some said he was a turtler;
others, the pirate, and so it proved; for it was honest Captain Lewis,
who putting out his oars, got in among them. Some of the sloops had four
guns, some two, some none. Joseph Dill had two, which he brought on one
side, and fired smartly at the pirate, but unfortunately one of them
split, and killed three men. Tucker called to all the sloops to send him
men, and he would fight Lewis, but to no purpose; nobody came on board
him. In the mean while a breeze sprung up, and Tucker, trimming his
sails, left them, who all fell a prey to the pirate; into whom, however,
he fired a broadside at going off. One sloop, whose master I will not
name, was a very good sailer, and was going off; but Lewis firing a
shot, brought her to, and he lay by till all the sloops were visited and
secured. Then Lewis sent on board him, and ordered the master into his
sloop. As soon as he was on board, he asked the reason of his lying by,
and betraying the trust his owners had reposed in him, which was doing
like a knave and coward, and he would punish him accordingly;
for
,
said he,
you might have got off, being so much a better sailer than my
vessel
. After this speech, he fell upon him with a rope's end, and then
snatching up his cane, drove him about the decks without mercy. The
master, thinking to pacify him, told him he had been out trading in that
sloop several months, and had on board a good quantity of money, which
was hid, and which, if he would send on board a black belonging to the
owners, he would discover to him. This had not the desired effect, but
one quite contrary; for Lewis told him he was a rascal and villain for
this discovery, and he would pay him for betraying his owners, and
redoubled his strokes. However, he sent and took the money and negro,
who was an able sailor. He took out of his prizes what he had occasion
for, forty able negro sailors, and a white carpenter. The largest sloop,
which was about ninety tons, he took for his own use, and mounted her
with 12 guns. His crew was now about eighty men, whites and blacks.

After these captures, he cruised in the Gulf of Florida, laying in wait
for the West India homeward bound ships that took the leeward passage,
several of which, falling into his hands, were plundered by him, and
released. From hence he went to the coast of Carolina, where he cleaned
his sloop, and a great many men whom he had forced, ran away from him.
However, the natives traded with him for rum and sugar, and brought him
all he wanted, without the government's having any knowledge of him, for
he had got into a very private creek; though he was very much on his
guard, that he might not be surprised from the shore.

From Carolina he cruised on the coast of Virginia, where he took and
plundered several merchantmen, and forced several men, and then returned
to the coast of Carolina, where he did abundance of mischief. As he had
now an abundance of French on board, who had entered with him, and
Lewis, hearing the English had a design to maroon them, he secured the
men he suspected, and put them in a boat, with all the other English,
ten leagues from shore, with only ten pieces of beef, and sent them
away, keeping none but French and negroes. These men, it is supposed,
all perished in the sea.

From the coast of Carolina he shaped his course for the banks of
Newfoundland, where he overhauled several fishing vessels, and then went
into Trinity Harbor in Conception Bay, where there lay several
merchantmen, and seized a 24 gun galley, called the Herman. The
commander, Captain Beal, told Lewis, if he would send his quarter master
ashore he would furnish him with necessaries. He being sent ashore, a
council was held among the masters, the consequence of which was, the
seizing the quarter master, whom they carried to Captain Woodes Rogers.
He chained him to a sheet anchor which was ashore, and planted guns at
the point, to prevent the pirate getting out, but to little purpose; for
the people at one of these points firing too soon, Lewis quitted the
ship, and, by the help of oars and the favor of the night, got out in
his sloop, though she received many shot in her hull. The last shot that
was fired at the pirate did him considerable damage.

He lay off and on the harbor, swearing he would have his quarter master,
and intercepted two fishing shallops, on board of one of which was the
captain of the galley's brother. He detained them, and sent word, if his
quarter master did not immediately come off, he would put all his
prisoners to death. He was sent on board without hesitation. Lewis and
the crew inquired how he had been used, and he answered, very civilly.
"It's well," said the pirate, "for had you been ill treated, I would
have put all these rascals to the sword." They were dismissed, and the
captain's brother going over the side, the quarter master stopped him,
saying, he must drink the gentlemen's health ashore, particularly
Captain Rogers' and, whispering him in the ear, told him, if they had
known of his being chained all night, he would have been cut in pieces,
with all his men. After this poor man and his shallop's company were
gone, the quarter master told the usage he had met with, which enraged
Lewis, and made him reproach his quarter master, whose answer was, that
he did not think it just the innocent should suffer for the guilty.

The masters of the merchantmen sent to Capt. Tudor Trevor, who lay at
St. John's in the Sheerness man-of-war. He immediately got under sail,
and missed the pirate but four hours. She kept along the coast and made
several prizes, French and English, and put into a harbor where a French
ship lay making fish. She was built at the latter end of the war, for a
privateer, was an excellent sailer, and mounted 24 guns. The commander
hailed him: the pirate answered,
from Jamaica with rum and sugar
. The
Frenchman bid him go about his business; that a pirate sloop was on the
coast, and he might be the rogue; if he did not immediately sheer off,
he would fire a broadside into him. He went off and lay a fortnight out
at sea, so far as not to be descried from shore, with resolution to have
the ship. The Frenchman being on his guard, in the meanwhile raised a
battery on the shore, which commanded the harbor. After a fortnight,
when he was thought to be gone off, he returned, and took two of the
fishing shallops belonging to the Frenchman, and manning them with
pirates, they went in. One shallop attacked the battery; the other
surprised, boarded and carried the ship, just as the morning star
appeared, for which reason he gave her that name. In the engagement the
owner's son was killed, who made the voyage out of curiosity only. The
ship being taken, seven guns were fired, which was the signal, and the
sloop came down and lay alongside the ship. The captain told him he
supposed he only wanted his liquor; but Lewis made answer he wanted his
ship, and accordingly hoisted all his ammunition and provision into her.
When the Frenchman saw they would have his ship, he told her trim, and
Lewis gave him the sloop; and excepting what he took for provision, all
the fish he had made. Several of the French took on with him, who, with
others, English and French, had by force or voluntarily, made him up 200
men.