e last mail contain full accounts of an
attempt made to seize and plunder the Eastern and Australian Mail Steam
Company's steamer _Bowen_ by a party of Chinese who had embarked on
board the vessel at Singapore as passengers. The following is extracted
from the ship's report:--

"On the 8th of June, at 1:30 PM, in latitude 13 degrees 09 minutes north
and longitude 111 degrees 20 minutes east, Cheang Sioy, Chinese
interpreter, reported that the Singapore passengers, forty-two in
number, were pirates, and intended setting fire to and plundering the
ship, as they had been overheard talking to this effect. An examination
was then made below, but the Singapore Chinese passengers were so
scattered among 313 Australian Chinese passengers that they could not be
readily identified. The interpreter was then ordered to pick them out
and muster them and their effects on the poop-house. He first brought
up eight or ten choppers, a house-breaking tool, and a box, for all of
which no owners could be found. On opening the box it was found to
contain twenty-five packages of powder, about one pound weight each, all
with a fuse attached. As the matter seemed serious, all hands were
mustered and armed, and the Singapore Chinese brought up and secured. A
further search disclosed another box containing eleven loaded revolvers
of different sorts and sizes, also a large quantity of ammunition to fit
the same, a bundle of touch-paper, and a Chinese ship's compass. On
examining the Singapore Chinese passengers, seventeen gave a
satisfactory account of themselves; but twenty-five, who could not do
so, and had neither money nor luggage, were put into a place of safety
with an armed guard over them night and day until arrival, when they
were handed over to the authorities in Hong Kong."

"Is that all?" asked Jem, whose scepticism regarding Chinese pirates
this printed account appeared somewhat to shake.

"That's all the steamer's log-book say, bo," replied the boatswain; "but
the newspaper tells further on as how the beggars was brought up for
trial."

"Let us have it, then," said Jem, bending forward to listen to what the
other went on to read in a deep sepulchral voice--

"Twenty-six Chinamen were brought before the sitting magistrate at the
Hong Kong police-court on the 11th of June, when Captain Miller of the
_Bowen_ gave evidence. He stated that the vessel carried the Queensland
mail to Singapore and Hong Kong, and _vice versa_.