The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-04-22
A FEARFUL VOYAGE.
An Old Lady Blown Across the
North Sea in a Boat.


Elizabeth Mouat, the heroine of the
almost miraculous trip of the Colum-
bine from the coast of the Shetlands to
Norway, arrived in Edinburgh lately
and has been interviewed. She lived
on one of the Shetland Isles for sixty
years. She was the daughter of a poor
shoemaker. Her first husband was a
sailor engaged in the Greenland whale
fishery. The last ship on which he was
employed was never again heard of
after it sailed from port. Her second
husband was fisherman. For thirty
years she led the simple life of toilsome
industry which is the lot of so many Shet.
land women, working among stock and
with the peat-gatherers by day and at
the famous hosiery in the evenings. She
has long been regarded as bearing a
charmed life in the district of Scatness,
where she lived. Eighteen years ago
she was accidentally shot in the crown
OF the head by a sportsman who had
not observed her being in range of his
game. Ten years later, while driving
a peat-cart, the pony became restive
and she was thrown out. One of the
wheels crushed her foot, injuring also
j her hip. She has never been fully well
since-hence her trip to Lerwick to see
q doctor there. She was intrusted
with forty knitted shawls by her neigh
bors to SELL These she returns with,
thus keeping her trust sacred. The
! skipper of the Columbine, fishing
{ craft of twenty-one tons, offered her a
passage. The Columbine had left Ler-
wick and the trip should have extend
ed to Dunrossness and Fair Isle, to
which places it carried the sample mail
bag, but the rough weather compelled
it ito return to Lerwick when it was only
! twenty-four miles away. Proceeding
! to sea with the usual complement of
three men, the little vessel had not long
been under way before the weather be-
came boisterous. ss ss
Elizabeth Mouat was below seasick,
and was seated near the foot of the
cabin steps. She heard the skipper
cry out: The mainsheets are brokeni"
Looking up through the open hatchway
she saw him run to the fore part of the
I boat, and the next heard another
voice cry: ''Clear away the boat!'
rearing something alarming had oc-
enrred, she endeayored to climb up the
] steps to look out. In doing SO she fell
back on the floor. In about ten min
iltes she rallie.l and on again ascend
ing the stems, to her amazement she
discovered the crew had left She felt
no doubt thai when the skipper went
Forward the swinging boom had
Knocked him overheard, and that with
IN ten minutes of her fall the two men
had put out in the boat to rescue him.
The sad fate of the Captain and the
dlsmay with which the men discovered
the Columbine again under way and
nund 1t impossible to overtake herlare
already known, as also the exhausted
condition in which the men reached
iand; the alarm spread as the Colum-
olne was seen from shore driving sea-
ward with a solitary invalid woman on
board; the starting in pursuit of the
sseam trawlers Gypsy and the Earl of
letland, and their return without find-
mg any traces of the .ill-fated craft.
The vessel was rolling at the mercy
OF the waves in the stormy. North Sea,
ana as the well-known outlines of the
islands were quickly left behind. the
ruth OF the terrible situation in which
she was placed presented itself to the
4 oid woman. Being under no sort of
control, the helm shifted at every lurch.
Inc waves washed over the deck first
nom one side and then from the other.
4eavy showers of spray were blown
oown the hatchway. The loosened sail
9opplng with the wind, was gradually
elng reduced to tatters.. The boom
Vas swinging, and the ropes, with the
docks attached, were flying danger
ously about from the rigging.
leould only maintain sitting pos
sare, said the woman, 'by keeping a
urn hold OF rope fastened to the roof,
sad was in danger every moment of be-
ds thrown violently on, the floor. The
aea OF being alone in q little craft on a
sssofmy sea. with darkness of night
MMg on, horrified me- A feeling OF
soltor came over me and, i commenced
g scream. Then became calm.
ing my voice could reach no hui
nan ear and then there came to me
- ~ tnought OF the impossibility of peo-
e t.. On s. shore ever being aware of my
& inls was one Saturday night.
sne tlen told how the long hours till
agnt were passed in tiresome efforts