Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-05-12
YARN PROM THE SEA.
A Wonderful Adventure or woman
who Was n Remark able Person.

ne kelIeu tDe RlaSS anu ran up luc lure
rigging. There was a sort of steam
rising from the water, but the mate had
not climbed thirty feet when he came
down again, and in one breath ordered
the ship into the wind. the captain
aroused, and boat lowered. We Of the
watch had no doubt that the ship had
been hailed by castaways, but the boat
was down before any of us made ont
lone woman in n sort OF canoe craft
about two cables length away on our
port bow. She had neither paddle nor
oar. and her craft was drifting with the
wind and sea, while she sat covering
/ in the stern. Our boat was soon
alongside of her craft, and woman
and canoe were soon aboard Of
/ the Admiral Nelson. The watch below
had turned up, and everybody was on
deck to see what was going on. The
woman was white, and, as We soon as
certained, American. ] say white, but
bronze would be the better term, for it
was evident that she had long been ex-
posed to tropical weather. She was OF a
medium size. regular features, and about
forty years Of age, and at one time had
/ been gOOd-looking.
"Who is the captain?" she snapped,
as she reached the deck.
"Here, ma'am," replied our old man,
ms he stepped forward.
d" want to talk to You in your cabin"
she continued, her fingers working ner-
vously and her eyes swapping fire.
They had not been gone q quarter OF
an hour when both reappearsd on deck.
| was at the wheel, and therefore heard
all that WAS said. 1t appeared that the
woman, whose name was Mrs. Thomas,
owned and sailed n trading schooner.
which had been left her at her husbands
death. 1t was a strange vocation for
woman. but it seemed she liked il, and
also had good business head on her.
She had a crew of SIX. her mate being
an Englishman, and the others Lascars.
and she had been sailing between nearly
all the towns on the Cult
Three days before we picked her up
her schooner had left Sumatra bound FOR
the Indian coast. The crew seemed TO
be perfectly quiet and content, but at 10
o'clock of the previous night. headed 10y
the mate, they had suddenly laid violent
hands on her and sent her adrift without
water food or a paddle The intention
was to run away with the schooner and
cargo and sell them, and this plan might
have been carried out but for her rescue
She was the spunkiest little woman |
ever saw. She was so mad she couldn't
stand still for three seconds at time.
What she wanted was for our ship to 60
in pursuit Her schooner was armed
with two brass six-pounders, while we
had four twelyes, and she expressed her
entire willingness TO see her craft semitic
the bottom before the mutinous crew
should benefit by their acts.
Captain Wheeler was pretty well along
in years, and very careful on the ques-
ton OF insurance, and his mind was not
made up until after breakfast. Then he
decided to luif mp toward the Andaman
islands in search Of the schooner, and he
almost promised to give her a taste of
our metal if she should be sighted and
would not surrender.
The little woman managed to eat n
dozen mouthfuls of breakfast, and then
returned 10 the deck 10 almost assume
control. She ordered man aloft, boss
ed the Job Of casting loose the guns and
getting up powder and shot, and every
ten minutes she was hailing the lookout
to know if anything was in sight. Luck
was in her favor. While We had been
Jogging along all night the schooner, be-
ing farther 10 the east, had been almost
/ /. l.
ahead about noon. and as luck would
have it again we had plentyof wind while
she had none until the vessels were
not over two miles apart. The schooner
could have no suspicion that the woman
was aboard OF us, and we flew a signal
that VIC wanted to speak 20 her. She at
once lay TO- and as we ran down to her |
saw Mrs. Thomas grit her teeth, clcnch
her hands. and show other evidences OF
her feelings. She had borrowed the
mates six-shooter, donned hat and
coat to disguise herself. and as we
lay to about a cables length away no
eye could have made ont her sex.
Schooner ahoy " called the captain.
cave, aye. sir This is the Nancy
Lee, bound from Sumatra to the main
land"
Are Won the captain"
"No, sir he's very sick in his berth"
"Run ont those guns " whispered !
the old man to rs. and down went the /
port shutters and ont went the big |
barkers, and such OF the crew as were
not at the guns rested their muskets |
along the rail.
1--WE got your captain here. and she'll |
be put aboard OF you " shouted orr |
captain. If you attempt any resist
ance III sink you
The Epglishman ordered his crew to |
man one OF the guns, but they refused TO |
obey, every man of them skulking for.
ward and disappearing down the hatch. |
The fellow left the deck long enough to !
arm himself with n cutlass, aud as We /
lowered a boat he called out that he /
would split the head OF thefrst man who |
attempted to board the schooner.
Our first mate. the boatswain, and two
Of rs foremost hauds went in the boat |
with Mrs. Thomas, and rs we hooked to
the schOoner's chains the boatsEain
pulled a revolver and climbed over in
the bow. The mutineer retreated aft,
and then we all boarded. The woman
had not spoken a word since leaving the
ship. She was as pale as death, and her
eyes glared like tigers. As she dropped
from the rail TO the deck she cooked the
weapon in her hand, walked aft aud
right up to the mate, and as he
hourished his cutlass and commanded
her to keep of, she shot him dead in his
tracks
Z" It's the law Of the sea-" she quietly
remarked, as she turned TO us. "Now
10 rout out those Lascars.
But you won't kill them, said our
mate.
"No, not quite" was her grim an
swer, as she handed him the smokingre
volver.
Casting look at the dead mutineer,
to be sure that he was dead, she went
took Delaying pin out of the
port rail, aud approaching the hatch,
she called down:
"On deck here, every man OF you,
and be quick about il