The lucky escape of a trio of local sportsmen from an attack!by pirates in the Yangtze Estuary, 25 miles outside Woosung on Friday night, will serve as a*warning to other enthusists who have in mind excursions im this vicinity. The auxiliary cutter, Kerr, formerly Eunice, with her skipper and owner W. D. M. Neil on board, accompanied by W. J. Richmond and H. G. Fabian, was en route for the Saddle Islands on Friday night, when at 830 p.m. within a mile of the Kiutoan Lightship, she waz attacked by pirate junks who fired on the cutter.
The yachtsmen's intention was to Tuuke the best of the ebb tide to cary them well out towards their objective before they idnchored to "wait till the flood had completed its flow. Although it was a beat down the Estuary they were able to make good time, and were within a mile of Kiutoan Lightship when a shot long out followed by a succession "f others from some quick-firing gun. A junk was seen coming up the Estuary, running before the wind.
Fortunately the yacht was on the port tack and heading away from the pursuers and before the pirates had realized it, they had fallen down to lee of the local vessel. Althougts more shots were fired, the yacht was kept on its course and gradually outdistanced the junk, the starting of 1he auxiliary engine helping considerably.
On board the yacht it was decided that as the junk could not hold up to windward as well as the cutter could, it would be safer to continue beating downriver, making for Kiutoan lightship where the Yachtsmen might find some assistance. But after putting about on the other tack to make up to windward, another junk was seen coming across to inter-toft them. li was assumed this was an accomplice and the immediate course of action decided was to run across to the North side of the channel—the earlier manœuvre having brought all three boats to the South side.
Race For Safety While doing this, the junk which had fired on them also came across to cut them off from getting back, and it was a race to see whether the yacht's speed would tell. With the engine running and the sails drawing full the yacht was able to gain a 400-yard lead over the pirate, before the latter started on the run upriver, chasing them back to Woosung.
The pursuers started firing again, and as no impression seemed to be made on them, the yachtsmen decided to set the spinnaker. This w: done under fire and proved the decisive factor of the day, as they gradually drew away and the] pirate eventually gave up in disgust. Kerr was sailed on right back to Woosung, the yachtsmen arriving there at 1 a.m.
The Kerr carried no arms; the three yachtsmen fortunately came through the erratic hail of bullets unscathed, although onè bullet hit the stern of the yacht,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.