That the Bias Bay pirates—a gang! which has made many successful tacks on merchant vestele in recent received a staggering blow has been definitely established. Some of those teking part in the attack may have escaped, but the majority of the [gang enn be accounted for.
At present it is impossible to say how many met their death in the fight, but it seems certain that at} least' ten were killed on the ship. At least two were burned to death, probably after receiving gunshot} wounds. It is rumoured that one of these was the pirate chief.
Over a dozen pirates were taken off the Sunning, some of them very] seriously wounded. At least four jumped overboard when it was realized that their control of the ship} could no longer be maintained.
It is definitely known that HM. Bluebell picked up a boat containing, ten others. Of the gang of 40 less than ten are unaccounted for. Taking into consideration those who jumped overboard and presuming! them drowned, and allowing for the unavoidable vagueness with regard] to numbers, it seems that virtually, the whole of a large gang has been wiped out.
The Casualties On the other side, the Chief Engineer sustained a bullet wound in the thigh, fortunately not serious. 'A Chinese passenger was shot and killed and four of the compradore's staff were thrown overboard. the saloon passengers, one, Mr. Lapsley, is unaccounted for.
The only foreign passengers on hosed were Mrs, Prokofier and Mr.
H. W. Lapsley, Loth of whom embarked at Shanghai for Hongkong. Mrs. Prokofier was picked up by the Ravensjell.
Mr. Lapeley, who, it is believed still in the hands of the pirates, lis a Hongkong man, having been born in the Colony and educated at the Diocesan Boys' School. He has been with the E.E.A.C, Telegraph Company for nedly @ quarter of a century and only recently retired on pension. It ix understood that he was en route for Austealia, where he intended making an extended stay, prior to set-ling down in Hongkong.
When the Sunning arrived in Hongkong her superstructure was completely burnt out, her boats were sono, the mere framework of the bridge remained and amidships she was just ons mats of wreslege, Blackened beams and twisted fron: work standing aut grimly amongst piles of other debris,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.