Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-01
THE WONDERFUL STORY OF ELIZA
BETH M0UAT

4 recent number of the Edinburgh
scotsman contains a four-column account of
the terrible experience of Elizabeth Mouat.
who was carried in small boat across the
north sea from Shetland to the Norwegian
coast. That truth is stranger than fiction.
is an oft repeated truism. Since all fiction
is born of truths experienced, it must
be that the latter often exceeds, in all that
awakens wonder, the widest flights of fancy.
No story Of adventure alone at sea, we have
read surpasses in dramatic intensity the
narrative of Elizabeth Mouat. The pro-
llfic sea has given us thrilling tales of
truth that challenge the belief of even the
most credulous; it has put of record stories
OF suffering and privation and woe that we
had believed could not be oyershadowed
by more woeful recitals; but here is the
touching story Of a woman that proves
how short Of possibility was this convic-
ton. William Black, Miss Thack-
cry, F. Marion Crawford, Robert
Louis Stevenson and Jules Verne
would find in this remarkable narrative
texts for more marvellous construction of
plot and romantic detail, than the most
vivid Imagination and boundless fancy
could furnish. The Columbine is a boat of
twenty-one tons burden. Her master set
sail from Gruitness for Lerwick Saturday
morning, January 30th Elizabeth Mouat
was his only passenger Her father was a
shoemaker in Levenwick When she was
an infant he was lost at sea. She has been
all her life toiling woman of simple
habits, like most of the people of the Shet-
land Isles. She sailed on the Columbine for
Lerwiek to get medical advice. The other
women of the village commissioned
her to buy for them various little articles
and market the goods they had made
for sale, chiefly knit work, and for which
these women are famous. The Captain
had two sailors to aid him. Elizabeth be-
came seasick and went below Shortly
after sailing the sea began to run high
and the boat rolled heavily. The main
sheet broke presently, and Elizabeth heard
cries of fear and the command to "get
away the boat" She tried to climb out of
the cabin, but fell back and tainted Rally
ing in few moments, she got on deck and
found the crew had gone, and that she had
apparently been deserted at sea on a drift
ing fishing smack, tossing at the mercy of
the waves. She did not know that when
the main-sheet broke the heavy boom in
its swing had knocked the skipper over
board, and that the two sailors had gone
with the boat to his rescue. She did not
learn until long after, of the dismay with
which these sailors saw the boat get under
way and sail from them Nearly dead
with fatigue, they reached the shore and
gave the alarm, but the people could then
but just see the Columbine speeding to
sea with the aged invalid as its sole occu-
pant The steam trawler Gypsy that even
ing started in pursuit, and on Monday the
steamer Earl, of Zetland, followed in
search. But they both returned, after
some days, with no tidings of the boat and
its lone yoyager, then rolling at the mercy
of the tempestuous waters of the North
Sea. She soon realized she was not to be
rescued that day, and fell back helpless
into the little cabin. The storm increased
in fury, and the woman was reused by the
bruising of her casting about. She could
only save herself from being dashed to
death by clnging to bit of rope hanging
from the ceiling. By this means she was
enabled to sit or stand in comparative
safety. The furniture broke loose and was
dashed about; the companion-way ladder
was cast loose and she was prisoner, in
deed. There was a bunk but she dared
not repose in it, as she could not hold upon
the narrow shelf. All the nine~days she
was on the boat she did not lay down, and
declares she never slept in all that time;