North Star affair

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North Star affair
Part of Piracy in Asia

Chinese pirates attacking a merchant ship.
Date13–14 May 1861
Location
Result Merchant ship robbed then released.
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
Pirates
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Voight unknown
Strength
1 brig 1 junk
Casualties and losses
8 killed
1 wounded
none

The North Star affair occurred in May 1861 when

North Star. Several men were killed in the incident, including a Royal Navy officer. The pirates escaped capture with 4,000 dollars' worth of gold.[1]

Affair

HMS Pearl, circa 1856

The affair began on 13 May 1861, when the British

compradore at Hong Kong, named Ty-kee, was in league with the pirates as he placed a young Chinese boy and a steward on the ship who acted suspiciously during the event. At 3:00 pm, North Star was about thirty miles from the port of Hong Kong, near Ling Ting, when a two-masted junk was spotted. It then quickly maneuvered alongside of North Star and her crew began throwing "stinkpots" as Henry Marks described. The pots contained a smelly, flammable liquid and were used commonly by the Chinese pirates for taking over merchantmen. North Star's helmsman was the first casualty; he was apparently burned to death by the pots.[2]

Twenty to thirty pirates then boarded the vessel with spears and swords and went after the remaining crewmen and any of the passengers who resisted. Captain Voight was overpowered and wounded by six of the pirates in his cabin before he could load his guns. One seaman fought the Chinese with a handspike before being wounded; he later died on 16 May along with the captain. The chief officer also died on 14 May of his stab wounds and a passenger was stabbed and thrown overboard where he apparently drowned. In all eight men were killed and one other was wounded. Marks late wrote that the Chinese boy helped the pirates find the 4,000 dollars on board and after they removed the two treasure chests they reboarded their junk and sailed away with the boy and the steward. Of the crew there were only three survivors; two young British men survived the encounter by hiding in the ship and when the pirates were gone they steered her back for Hong Kong. Henry Marks survived as well, having swum for several hours, with the help of some floating spears, from the scene of the crime until being thrown onto a group of large rocks 400 yards (370 m) off the coast. Marks was able to see the activities of the pirates after the attack; they anchored in a small bay nearby and didn't leave right away.[3]

On the next morning, the mate sighted a

Siamese barque named Four Stars and then by the boat crews of Pearl.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "NEWS AND NOTES by a Sydney Man CLXIV". The Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1861–1864). 23 July 1861. p. 3 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  2. ^ Sellick, p. 155
  3. ^ Sellick, pg. 156–157
  4. ^ Sellick, pp. 158–160
  • Sellick, Douglas R. G. (2010). Pirate Outrages: True Stories of Terror on the China Seas. Fremantle Press. .