The newspaper of Smyrna Echo de
l'Orient published 8 September an item dealing with piracy in Greek waters.
In the afternoon of the 1st of that month was the Dutch brig Hendrica Elisabeth
master A. Riedijk while coming from Trieste with calm weather west of the
island Scio when they met s mistiek or row vessel with just two men on board
asking for water. Just after she came alongside of the brig 10 bandits in Greek
cloths and heavily armed came on board while shooting at the Dutch crew. Three
of the last were wounded and with the others thrown into the hold. All the
stores of sugar loaves and 'karotten' were brought on board of the mistiek and
one of the Dutch boats. Just after the Dutch captain in the cabin and the
sailors in the hold were tied, were the hatches with nails closed and several
holes in the ship pierced with the attention to sink the ship. When she was
making water they left in the night the brig. Despite being tied the Dutch
master came on board. His crewmembers managed in the mean time to free them
self and join the master on board. In the hold was all ready 8 feet of water standing.
After some failed efforts to save the ship they went on board of the large boat
towards Smyrna.
From a distance they saw soon afterwards their ship sinking North of Scio on a
distance of 2 hours sailing from the coast. The 3rd they arrived 07.00 o'clock
at Smyrna. The
Dutch consul-general asked the French admiral Gallois and the Austrian
commodore Bandiera which were lying anchored in the port for help and send his
chancellor to the Captain pasha which was with his fleet at Ourlac. The same
day the French brig le Bougainville and the Austrian brig Montecuculi departed
for the waters of Ipsara where the pirates went on land as became known. The
Captain Pasha sent one of his frigates to the island to search for the pirates.
According to other tidings the brig Hendrica Elisabeth sailed all ready for 15
years in the trade Rotterdam-Smyrna.
