The Grenada gazette., 1888-06-02
A YARN FROM THE SEA.
The Wonderful Adventure OF q
Remarkable Woman.


gal bound for Madras, when one
morning. just as night was fading into
dawn, l thought heard voice hail
ing us from the surface of the sea-
There are sea birds which cry out
almost like human beings. and
although l was startled by the hail.
dismissed it after few seconds as the
cry of bird Scarcely had done SO
when it came again. and this time l
knew it was the voice of woman.
There was no need to h all the mate on
watch. for he had heard the cry as
well. We were j,gging along under
easy sail, and he seized the glass and
ran up the forerigging. 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 be-
fore any of US made out lone woman
in a sort Of canoe craft about two
cables length away on our port bow.
She had neither paddle nor oar, and
her craft was driving with the wind
and sea, while she sat covering IN the
stern. Oar boat was soon alongside
of her craft, and woman and canoe
were soon aboard of the Admiral Nell
son. The watch below had turned up.
and every body was on deck to see
what was going on. The woman was
white, and, as we soon ascertained.
American. l 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 medium size. regular features and
about forty years of age, and at one
time had been good-ooking.
Who is the captsin3' she snapped,
as she reached the deck.
Here, ma am" replied our old man,
as he stepped forward.
Il want to talk to you in your cab
in, she continued her fingers work
ing nervously and her eyes swapping
fire.
They had not been gone a quarter OF
An hour when both reappeared on
deck. | was at the wheel, and there
fore heard all that was said. 1t ap-
peared that the woman. whose name
was Mrs. Thomas, owned and sailed a
trading schooner, which had been left
her at her husbands death. 1t was a
strange vocation for a woman. but it
seemed she liked it. and also had a
good business head on her. She had
a crew of six. her mate being an En-
glishman and the others Lascars, and
she had been sailing between nearly
all the towns on the gulf
Three davs before we picked her W
her schooner had left Sumatra bound
for the Indian coast. The crew seemed
to be perfectly quiet and content but
al ten o clock of the previous night
headed by the mate, they had sudden
]y laid violent hands on her and sen,
her adrift without water, food or a
paddle. the intention was to rnr
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 a time. What she warted was fol
our ship to 60 in pursuit. He
schooner was armed with Two bras!
six Founders, while we had foul
twelves. and she expressed her entir'
willingness to see her craft sent to th'
bottom before the mutinous crew
should benefit by their acts Captain
Wheeler was pretty well along /,
years. very careful on the question o
insurance. and his mind was not mad
up until after breakfast. Then ne de
cided to Iuff up towards the Andsma'
Islands in search of the schooner, ant
he almost promised to give her tast
of our metal If she should be sighte'
and would not surrender.
The little woman man aged to eat
dozen mouthfuls of breakfast and thel
returned to the deck to almost assum
control. She ordered man aloft
bosscd The job Of casting loose tn
guns and getting up powder and shot
and every ten minutes she was hailin
the lookout to know If any thing wa
in sight. Luck was in her favor
While we had been jogging along a
night the schooner. being farther t
the east, had been almost becalmed
W. raised her almost dead ahea
about noon. and as luck would hav
it again we had plenty Of wind. Will
she had none until the vessels were nc
over two miles apart The schoone