A daring pirating attempt upon a junk operating under the French flag Was carried out at 6 pin. on Tuesday at the mouth of the Yangtze, it was learned yesterday. Two pirate junks suddenly have in sight on the port side of the French craft. With-Out warning, the pirates opened fire en the junk, and ordered her to heave to, and surrender. It so hop-pened that the German steamer Hertha, belonging to the German Far East Steamship Ca. was passing by at the time, on her return voyage from Haimen. The master of the German ship, noticing distress signals sent out by the junk, immediately swung his ship round in her direction, and went to her assistance.
When the Hertha arrived alongside, it was found that there was one foreigner aboard, a Mr. Poniecki, a Polish citizen. He asked for assistance, which was readily granted, the French junk being taken in tow by the German steamer. The pirates saw that there was no further chance of obtaining any loot off the junk, and sailed away in the opposite direction. The French junk was towed up as far as Woosung by her rescuer, who-arrived just in time to save her.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.