[lit-ideas] Re: Who actually did invent the suicide bomber?
- From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 18:04:44 -0800
On Mar 19, 2006, at 11:07 AM, Eric wrote:
Wikipedia suggest that Samson was one of the first suicide attackers,
although such attacks no doubt predate reliable history.
It also suggests that suicide bombing was first practiced by a Dutch
naval officer in 1831.
destroyed one of their own ships, killing 140 Christians in order to
kill ten times as many Muslims."
and
"Another early example of suicide bombing occurred during the Belgian
Revolution, when the Dutch Lieutenant Jan van Speijk detonated his own
ship in the harbour of Antwerp to prevent being captured by the
Belgians." [1831 -EY]
They have forgotten Weekes on the Tonquin. John Jacob Astor sends the
Tonquin to begin a fur trading colony at the mouth of the Columbia.
The settlers land. In June of 1811, in accord with Mr. Astor's plan,
the Tonquin sails towards Vancouver Island, looking to trade for furs
that would then be sold in China. Thirty miles above Nootka Sound, at
an inlet named Neweetie, the Tonquin anchors. Locals come aboard. The
negotiations do not go well. The next day the locals spring a surprise
attack. All but four of the Tonquin's crew are killed, but the
survivors drive off the locals with muskets and grape shot. Three
remaining men lower a boat and set off for Astoria. They are captured
and tortured to death. Weekes, dying from loss of blood, drags himself
to the powder store and waits for the First Peoples to return. When
everyone is aboard, Weekes blows the ship up. One man--an
interpreter--survives because he is high in the rigging when the ship
goes up and he is blown clear. It is through his account that we know
of this "suicide bombing."
I should think that if anyone searched, other examples of powder
magazines being blown by determined suicides would turn up.
David Ritchie
Portland, Oregon
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