The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-05-08
NUMBER Is.
Women as Sailors.

Il is no new thing for women to become
sailors. We are informed in anciert history
that ArtemeSia, Queen of Halicarnassus,
commanded FIVE ships at the defeat of the
Persians at Salamas, and made brave re-
sistance, Distinguishing herself by undaunted
courage and activity, and perfect knowl-
edge Of strategy. Toward the end of the
battle, seeing herself in great danger of be-
ing taken, she lowered her flag, and at
tackled a Persian war vessel with terrible
fury. Her stratagem had the desired effect,
for the cOnquerors, believing her vessel to
be one of their own, failed to pursue her.
There aTe severstl instances on record Of
American women, wives of deceased cap
tains, navigating their vessels into port after
the death Of their husbands.
In the reign of George ILL.,, of Great
Britain, an Irish woman, named Hannah
Whitney, served for FIVE years in the Royal
British Navy, and kept her secret 50 well
that she was not known to be woman un-
til she retired from the service. A few years
later a young Yorkshire girl walked from
Hull to London in search of her lover She
found him enlisted on his Majesty's man-of.
war Oxford, and thereupon she donned q
sailors suit, assumed the name Charlie
Waddell, and enlisted on the same ship.
Her lover, not being as faithful to her IA
she to him, deserted the ship, and in at
tempting to follow his example, she was
arrested, and her sex detected The officers
raised a contribution for her, and she was
dismissed the service and sent home. In
1872, Mrs. Cola became somewhat famous
by serving on board a man-of-war as a com
mon sailor. She alterward resumed her
proper attire, and opened coffee-house
for sailors. In 1900, girl Of fifteen tried
to ship at London on board a South Sea
whaler, and being refused, she put on boys
clothes, hired herself to a waterman, and
became very skilltul in rowing. She did
not learn to swim, however, and, one day,
tho boat capsizing, she was nearly drowned.
In this crisis her sex was discovered, and
she ceased to be - a jolly young waterman -
and became n domestic servant in her
proper apparel. Another girl aged fourteen,
named Elizabeth Bowden, being left an
orphan, went up to London in 1907, from q
village in Cornwall in search of employment
She did not succeed in finding such work as
she desired, and, putting on male attire,
| she walked to Falmouth, and there enlisted
as . boy on board his Majesty's ship-of-
| war Ha=ard, and did good service alofI
and below. Her sex was finally discovered,
however, and by the kindness Of the officers
the poor girl was placed in n proper posi-,
! ton. Still another, named Rebeeca Ann
| Johnston, had cruel father, who dressed
| her as boy when she was thirteen years
old and apprenticed her to a collier ship, on
which she served four years, and then left
the service because a brutal mate gave her a
severe beating for being slow when called on
watch. In 1878, when the British war ves-
sci Queen Charlotte was being paid of,
negro woman was found among the crew,
who had served eleven years at sea under
the name of William Brown, and had be-
| come 50 expert a sailor that she was pro-
NOTED to be captain of the foretop She had
J all the peculiarities Of a good sailor, and had
kept her secret SO well that no one suspect
ell her real sex. This woman had been mar
ried, and had adopted sailor life to escape
the abuse of a cruel husband