Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-04
A TRUE OCEAN HEROINE.
How the Captains Wife Ran the Ship
While He Was Too Sick for Duty.

|
While He Was Too Sick for Duty.
In the year 1860 l shipped aboard of a Brit
ish ship called the Swallow TO make a voyage
| from Bombay up the Persian gulf and back
She was an old craft and poor sailer. and
her crew of twelve men was made up Of four
or i've nationalities. | remember there were
two Kanakas, or Sandwich Islanders, one
Lasear, negro or two, and the others were
| American, English and Dutch We had
scarcely left Bombay when the captain was
| taken sick with fever. His name was AL
drich, and his wife. who was a woman OF 80,
| always sailed with him. She now took com
mand in general way, and this 20 she salts
faction of the mates. though both were thor
ough sailors | heard one of them say that
she could take an observation or work dead
reckoning. and | saw from the orders she gave
that she knew all about ship.
We had good weather and made good prog
ress until we were above Muscat Ia the Bay
Of Ormuz. Then. one forenoon, we got a
squall. which did not last ten minutes but
which brought down our fore and main
to'gallant masts and carried away a sail or
two. There was only a light breeze after the
squall had passed, and we were lying to ana
hard at work when an Arabian dhow Of
about 800 tons burden came stealing down
the coast. We were within four miles of the
rocky and mountainous shore. but she was
two miles inside Of us She WAS no sooner
made out than the first mate became very
anxious, and Mrs Aidrich was sent for 70
come on deck. She took good look at the
stranger through the glass. and, As sno turned
away, she Queried Of the mate:
''Can we depend on the crew 20 nghtf'
4 "
Have them come aft"
All moved aft. and can remember through
all the long years Jass bow she looked and
every word she said. Shs bad q worried.
an1s,us look and no wonder, and there was
q trembling in her voice as se. said:
Men, you know that yerr captain Ia very
dck- Tonder comes pirate, II there ever
was one. II be captures Us. thosr who Hrs
through the fight wiz 70 into tie interior ss
slaves and worse. II ~e are eli agreed We
can beat him OF VIVA, % ysu sayr-
We'll fight 10 the lAstf' shouted enc, and
the cry was taken up BY all
Thank Ged~ shs fsrventIy exclaimed
''Givs hin . brave eight, and 70 one can BE-
blamed If Ne are dsfsssse. Seopey th&a fall
into his bands VIII blow the ship say nigh
and all Of rs with her
We had no caEEo1- Bur re ka4 sseSer
mrsksts, lot oi cavalry nab<-s. aud
the captain had aof eoag>d about these
waters with his eyes sAr. He had. tive CO
taree years before. parchsss-a . dexss h&Ss
Grrasdes. CT sssnkpots, sscn are s-4 By
the Gaines. These were breGrst Up via /
the res; snd found 70 ts fused and Ia good |
condition
They Weighed ahoas: two pozaas sp<scs. |
and each ~as .acl1@ed 70 . mss, - Tat Il |
could BE- tossee quite dlsssnos. We lss1st |
err nusxs.s. TOOK CIR stations. and vsrs ~ /
ready Is ~s cozsd b<L Tie captains wife !;
sl.srra.ed betvsea :As deck ssd sns czbsa- /
he was out 81 his bad, Which vas ;ks b<fs>v /
fos kira- asd sAs lad BIS rercsyer scr zss.
The dhs~ sveax>d slesg urssl ns<ray cp- 1
possss "a Al ~ofs kAd tes1 ssspez3sd .
aieti, and ske nus: ksrs kzs~n ~ tas iaa:
re were ready for beg: sst 80 e.z5s ca sssss
tie sazas AID 40 ~u15sg. Oos & sss nssn /
vent slots VITA tsss gsa@s s-d be zzz-Ss eos
two gssus "a bs~ deck AID . p~rfsrz swarm -
sns1- sse Vas going 70 Do tod isssx-rsz
n aboard N broad daylight Sac vcsld sss
iass h=- gas. fearing saey -os33 - ssx<d
ard h~Isx "a szss.s5ce. tes II tat Fnoe srsr
gzlce9 ctr dor<s ~s ~cr. xozs se lar
VITA car bad 70 sse fss-ra~ex-, &C SO .osss1
pass or rc-1 1aaTz<x a-sS- Hsrr s~0 * sss
ssxoessss raeu ~~rs placed wifA ga gr~ssssx,
and two & - vita rnezs~ss ~rrs s>s~~sa
ssern- Ts@ oth-ss we're psscrd 20 A.. oveg
tzss s:eru
D~Ea csane fks aAo~ foos ~ foe. STA
s~Te< eEess fsp<a tie crowd Il essser.s.s