Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-11-30
Brief Biographical Memoir of Most Re
.ff markable Woman.

DSUtI W uUSs Iutt xJotU0 III
Pfeiffer, the great traveller, died at Vienna ol
the 9th nit, after her return from the Mauritiu
which she had visited last spring. She was borl
in Vienna, 1897, and married to DR.. J. Pfeitfer
of Lernberg, in 1920, but her husband and TIVE
sons dying, she set out on a journey to Jerusa
| lem, after which she published an account OF he
pilgrimage. She next explored Northern Eu
rope, clear up to Iceland; then she went to Bra
sil, round Cape Horn, to Otaheite, China Japar
and much OF Asia. Resting awhile, she publish
ed another book and left for the Cape of GOOD
Hope and the Hottentot country. She carried
her explorations some two hundred miles into the
interior, living among the savages on terms Of
atnity and enjoying excellent opportunities fol
observation. RETURNING to the Oape she sailed
for Singapore; went thence to Borneo, where
she resided for month among the fierce tribes
Of the Dyaks; then went over the mountains to
visit Sungau and Lendek, and, after several Wis
its to the settlements, bent her steps towards
Java, where shereceived hospitable entertainment
went thence to Sumatra, lived another month
among tribe of Cannibals, and came away en-
tire, although they proposed to eat her, and were
only dissuaded theretrom, she AYERS, by her rep.
resentation that she was old, and, necessarily,
tough.
Tie islands the Archipelago were all visited
by her, and the Sultan of Ternate afforded her
all possible facilities for exploring his particular
Island The lady rode through his dominions in
Il conveyance drawn by twenty man power,
as she describes it, for His Majesty owned no
beasts of burden, except men. Afterwards she
went to Celebes, and, having finished her sight
seeing there returned t.. Java, and embarked at
Batavia for San Francisco The voyage was
| ,leasant, and Madame Pfeitfer reached Califor-
MIA in September, 1853. She visited the wet
"diggings," examined the quartz formations,
went up to the Crescent City, lived among the
Indians IN Oregon, ran down to Acapulco and
viewed the mines, OF quicksilver at San Jose, and
then went down the coast to Lima, and made the
sour of the Peruvian mines Thence she went to
Guayaquii, and thence to Quito, and in this stage
of journey suffered numerous perils and hard
hips the rainy season having set in, and the
coads rendered nearly impassable. Once she
fell overheard from canoe, and owed her life 10
her skill in swimming. Quito offered no tempta-
lions to detan her, and after short visit she re-
armed to Guayaquil, and departed thence for
Panama.
Crossing the Isthmus to Aspinwall, she took
steamer passage for New Orleans, and then be.
gan her trip through the q. S. which ended in
his city in November, 1854, exactly four years
igo. From New Orleans she went to Arkansas,
tnen up the Mississippi to St. Louis, thence to the
Falls of ST. Anthony; thence by way of Gaena,
chicago, Milwaukee, and Saut st. Marie to Lake
Superior; thence by way OF Quebec and Mon
treal to New York, arriving here September,
1854. Returning to London at the close OF 1854,
,le prepared her notes of this extended tour for
publication, aud the narrative is simple and in
eresting. He, last journey was undertaken a.
bout year age She revisited Africa and at
tempted to explore Madagascar, bat was pre-
vented from the fulflment of that part OF her
plan by the watchful jeaiously of the Queen, who
subjected her to sundry indignities, and finally
expelled her from the territory.
Madame Pfeitfer, with all her roaming pro-
pensties, was not q coarse or bold woman. In
person, she was below the middle size, had dark
nair and brilliant eyes, was always clad with ex
treme plainness, and in manner was quiet and
reserved. In letter written to friend, few
years ago. she described herself: II smile," she
says, "when think OF the many who, knowing
me thro my travels fancy that my character,
manners, even my figure and movements, are
more like those of man than q woman, How
falsely DO they charge me But you, who know
me, know that those who expect to find Inc six
feet high, with bold, imposing gait, and dag
ger and pistol in my belt dscoyerin me the very
reverse; and that in every day life am palmer,
quieter and more reserved than thousands of my
own sex, who have never left the seclusion of
their native villages. "-Ne,O York Courier.