hood, which had been afraid to put to sea on
account of the pirates, who had demanded 1200 dollars for the ransom of
each vessel. The following day he captured twelve more, each carrying
10 guns with a crew of 50 men. Proceeding northwards, he reached the
mouth of the Yang'tse Kiang, where he heard that a strong squadron of
pirates had been blockading the island of Potoo, in which place a party
of English ladies had taken refuge. On pursuing them, towed by the
_Poushan_ to Sheepoo, he discovered twenty-two junks lashed head and
stern together across the entrance to the harbour. As the _Bittern_
approached, the pirates commenced a vigorous cannonade, to which she,
however, returned so hot a fire that in little more than an hour she had
knocked the greater number to pieces, one junk alone being in a
condition to carry off. No prisoners were made, but the pirates as they
escaped to the shore were put to death by the inhabitants. Commander
Creswell, in the _Surprise_, and Captain N. Vansittart, in the
_Magician_, were equally successful in other directions. The latter had
under his command the _Inflexible_, Commander Brooker, with the _Plover_
and _Algerine_ gunboats. As he proceeded, reports reached him of the
atrocities committed by the pirates, and the natives were everywhere
ready to give him accurate intelligence of their hiding-places. As they
saw the British squadron, they took refuge when they could on
uninhabited islands; when they escaped to the mainland the people of the
country put them to death without mercy. As he was engaged in burning
some captured junks, a sound of firing from the shore reached him.
Immediately landing with a party of his men, he pushed in the direction
from which the firing proceeded. He did not allow a gun to be
discharged till he was within pistol-shot, so that the enemy were not
aware of his approach. The whole of his party then opened their fire,
and the pirates taken by surprise, scampered off without an attempt at
resistance. The British having clambered over a formidable stockade,
found themselves in a battery of 14 heavy guns, which must have
contained a garrison strong enough to offer a successful resistance had
the pirates fought with any courage.

Six large junks were soon afterwards met with, the whole of which were
captured, and the crews of every one killed or made prisoners, besides
which upwards of twenty prisoners taken by the pirates were released.
Soon after