On the twelfth moon Chang paou went with his different squadrons into the river and attacked Ke chow. It was near the end of the year, and the pirates assembled along the mountain ridge Laou ya[96] to make a festival: they made a great noise during the night with crackers, and their gongs were heard at a great distance.[97] At daybreak the flags were spread out, and the drums sounded; they were cheerful the whole day; they eat and drank and made a great noise, which was heard many les off.
1810.
On the second day of the same month they attacked the village, and on the third day about ten men went on shore. The villagers made their escape, so that the pirates could not take them. Having some time before made preparations to fortify Ma king yun.[98] they now retired to it. The pirates knowing that the villagers were well provided for defence, waited until(14 v.) they had every thing ready. On the fourth the pirates landed; it was in vain that the villagers opposed them, they had two men wounded, and were finally defeated. The Governor-general ordered Ching chuy loo to proceed at the head of a large body of soldiers to the town Shun tih, and prepare for an attack. Meeting the pirates at Ke chow, the Major attacking them on a sudden, the pirates sustained a great loss, and returned to their vessels. The Major also was struck by a shot from a musket. There were daily skirmishes at the neighbouring places; the inhabitants were generally defeated and ran away. The Major Loo came with his forces and placed them on the sea-coast behind the intrenchments of Sin ne, to protect them against the fire of the enemy. The guns of the pirates were directed against the place, the bullets fell in Sin ne, but without hurting any one, which again calmed and encouraged the inhabitants. The pirates(15 r.) coming a second time before Ke chow and Ta leang, and not being able to accomplish their designs, thought fit to retire.
1810.
The wife of Ching yĭh, on seeing that O po tae was made a government officer after his submission, and that he did well, thought also of making her submission. "I am," said she, "ten times stronger than O po tae, and government would perhaps, if I submit, act towards me as they did with O po tae." But remembering their former crimes, and the opposition they made to many officers, these pirates were apprehensive and felt undetermined in their resolutions. A rumour(15 v.) went about, that the red squadron wished to tender their submission, and, in consequence, the vigilant magistrates hearing of this, invited them to do so. The magistrate of Tsze ne, Yu che chang, ordered a certain Fei hëung chow to make enquiries about the matter. Fei hëung chow was a physician of Macao, and being well acquainted with the pirates, he was not in need of any introduction to obtain access to them. This was the ground on which Yu chi chang particularly selected him, when he tried to bring the pirates to submission.
When Fei hëung chow came to Paou, he said: "Friend Paou, do you know why I come to you?"
Paou.—"Thou hast committed some crime and comest to me for protection?"
Chow.—"By no means."
1810.