The Pulaski Citizen

Chinese Pirates and Their Customs.

In attacking a foreign ship a favorite weapon of the pirates is the "stink pot," more elegantly known as the "asphyxiating vase." It is an earthen pot or vase filled with a most villainous and evil-smelling compound; the vase breaks when it is thrown on the deck of a ship, and the stuff scatters about and puts in its fine work immediately. The European nose cannot endure it, but the Chinese nose is not specially disturbed. The Europeans are driven from the neighborhood of this odor-laden shell, and thus the pirates obtain their opportunity of mounting to the deck.

Two or three years ago an English steamer, lying peacefully at anchor in a bay in the Lin-Chow peninsula, was captured in this way. The pirates came alongside unsuspected; a few of them mounted to the deck and threw a stink pot "where it would do the most good," and then the rest followed, and the steamer was captured without the shedding of a single drop of blood. The fact was that the steamer was on a smuggling expedition and in a place where she had no legitimate business. As the crew had made no resistance the pirate captain was kindly disposed and permitted them to retain their heads. He gave them a small junk in exchange for the steamer and started them on their way to Hong Kong. The steamer was plundered, but not burned. Notice was sent to the Chinese authorities at Canton and a gunboat went down and took final possession. There was no attempt to pursue the pirates, as their offense was greatly mitigated by the illegal business of the steamer.-Thos. W. Knox in Cleveland Leader.