The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-08-09
THE NANCY LEE.


just as night was fading into dawn, 1
thought heard voice hailing us from
the surface of the sea. There are sea
birds who cry out almost like human
beings, and although l was startled by
the hail l dismissed it after few sec
onds as the cry Of bird. Scarcely had
1 done 80 when it came again, and this
time 1 knew it was the voice of wo-
man. There was no need to hail the
mate ON watch, for he heard the cry as
well. We were jogging along under
easy sail, and he seized the glass and ran
up the foreiigging There was a sort Of
steam rising from the water, but the
mate had not climbed thirty feet when
down he came again, aud in one breath
ordered the ship into the wind, the cap
tain aroused and a 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 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 driv-
ing with the wind and sea, while she sat
covering in the stern. Our boat was
soon alongside of her craft, and the
woman and canoe were soon aboard of
the Admiral Nelson. The watch below
had been turned up, and everybody was
on deck to see what was going on The
woman was white, and, as we soon ascer-
tanned, 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
medium size, regular features and about
40 years of age, and had at one time been
good looking.
"Who and where is the captain of this
ship?" she suddenly snapped, as she
reached the deck.
"Here, ma'am," CALAMITY replied our
old man, as he stepped brisltly forward.
81 want to talk TO you in your cabin,
she continued, her fingers working nerv-
ously and her eyes afire.
They had not been gone n quarter of
an hour when both reappeared OF, deck.
l was at the wheel and therefore heard
all that was said. 1t appeared 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 vo-
cation for woman, but it seemed she
! liked it and also had n good business
head ON her. She had crew of six, her
mate being an Englishman and the
others Lasclrs, and she had been sailing
between nearly all the towns ON the
Gulf. 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
by the mate, had suddenly laid violent
hands ON her and sent her adrift without
water, food or 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 spunl,iest little woman I
ever saw. She was SO mad she couldn't
stand still for three seconds at time.
What she wanted was for our ship to go
in pursuit. Her schooner was armed
with two brass six FOUNDERS, while we
had four twelvcs, and she expressed her
entire willingness to see her craft sent
to the bottom before the mutinous crew
should benefit by their acts Capt.
Wheeler was pretty well along in
years, very careful ON the question OF
insurance, and his mind was not made
: up until after breakfast Then he de.
,'ided to huff up toward the AndamaI
Islands in search of the schooner, and he
almost promised to give her taste OF
our metal if she would not surrender.
dozen mouthfuls of breakfast, and theI
returned to the deck to almost assum,
| control She ordered aman aloft, bosset
the job of casting loose the guns and get
I ting up powder and shot, and every ten
) minutes she was hailing the lookout t
know if anything was in sight. Lucl
was in her favor. While we had beer
+ Jogging along all night the schooner, be
! ing further TO the east, had been almos
: becalmed. We raised her almost deaC
ahead about noon, and as luck woulC
have it again we had plenty of wind
while she had none until the vessels wer,
not over two miles apart. The schoone
could have no suspicion that the woman
} was aboard of lls, and we flew sigma
{ that we wanted to speak her. She a
/ once lay to- and as we ran down 10 her
l. saw Mrs. Thomas gl1t her teeth clincl
= her hands and show other evidences o
Z her feelings. She had borrowed tn
q mates six shooter, donned n hat an,
Il coat to disguise herself, and as we lay {,
e about a cables length away no eye coull
n have made out her sex. "Schoone
le ahoyl" called our captain.
- I
II bound from Sumatra to the mainland. "
q care you the captain
le "No, sir He's very sick in his berth
N "Run out those gunsl" whispered tn
y old man TO us, and down went the por
shutters, and ont went the big barlers
D. and such Of the crew as were not ut tn
ie guns rested their lnuskets along the rail
n "rye got your captain here, and she'l
le be put aboard of your shouted the caI
~ tain. "If you attempt any resistanc
'' I'll sink your
y The Nancys mate ordered his crew {
d, one of the guns, but they refused ?
~ obey, every man Of them sull1ing foi
. ward and disappearing down the hatcl
81 The fellow left the deck long enough {
~ arm himself with cu,llass, and as W
," lowered a boat he cd led out that /
"a would split the head OF the nrss 1nt
i, VINO attempted TO board the schoone
Ie Our first mate, the boatswain and tv
nm of us foremost hands went in the bo
M with Mrs. Thomas, and as we hooked
ed TO the schooner's chains the boatswa
N, pulled n revolver and climbed in ov
,ot the bows. The mutineer retreated al
lie and then we all boarded The wom,
nd had not spoken a word since leaving Il
ship. She was pale as death, and h
eyes glared like a tigers. As she drupp
as from the rail 10 the deck she cooked d
ne weapon in her hand, walked aft al
at right up 10 the mate, and as he flou
H. ished his cutlass and commanded her
~ keep off she shot him dead in his traol