1809.
There passed many other angry words between them, till they at length prepared to fight and destroy each other. Chang paou was the first to begin the battle; but having fired his guns, and being deficient in strength, Tae went against him with all his well prepared forces. Paou was not able to make any effectual resistance to his enemy; he received a severe defeat, he lost sixteen vessels, and three hundred men(9 v.) were taken prisoners. The prisoners were all killed from mutual hatred.
O po tae remained then at the head of his forces without any opposition, since Paou withdrew. There was now a meeting held under these banditti; when Chang jih kao arose and said:
1809.
"If Paou and we should again measure our strength against each other, our force will not be found sufficient; we are only one to ten. It is to be feared that they will collect all their forces together to exterminate us. They may on a sudden come against us and make an attack,—our small body must certainly be in fear of their vast number. There is Leang po paou, an experienced pirate on the sea; if he should on a sudden turn his vessels against us, there is not one among us who would be able to resist him. He is a very zealous worshipper of the spirit of the three Po or Mothers, and protected by them; nay, and protected by them in a supernatural manner. But if we perform sacrifices,(10 r.) they remain without shadow and echo.[88] And then it may also be added that we are no more able to withstand with our short arms their long ones, than dogs are able to chase fierce tigers. But do we not every where see government placards inviting us to submit, why do we not then send somebody to make the offer? The government will pardon and not destroy us sea-monsters,[89] and we may then reform our previous conduct. Why should we not therefore come to a determination to that effect?"
Fung yung fa said: "How then if government should not trust our word?"
1809.
Chang jih kao answered: "If government should learn that we recently fought Chang(10 v.) paou, and destroyed the banditti,—it would be hard indeed if that were not enough to make them trust us?"
Go tsew he said: "If government should not act towards us, as it is stated in the placard, after having made our submission, we may then again use violence. But they will hear, that we attacked the others, like fishes their food; that we alone made a beginning in destroying the pirates, and then tendered our submission,—they will feel that they can employ us to destroy the other pirates. He who is not of the same opinion as mine may let his hand hang down."
O po tae was of the same opinion, and the purser was ordered to frame the offer of submission to government. The petition concerning the offer was couched in the following terms: