The Press., 1891-01-29
A FEMALE CRUSOE.


 the trading schooner Little King sailed out of the port of Singapore, bound for the Kinderoon islands, to the north, and only one of her crew was ever again met with. For five years before the schooner had be- longed to and been commanded by Capt. Ezra Williams, an American from San Francisco. He traded between Singapore and Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the small CT islands of the Java sea, and in May, 1871, died at Singapore of fever. He had then been married for three years to an English woman, whose maiden name was Danforth, who had been domestic in an English family in Singapore. She had &C., companied him in all his voyages, and had secured much experience and information. As she could not readily dispose of the schooner, she determined to continue in the business, acting as her own super cargo.
 Mrs. Williams secured an Englishman named Parker as captain, another named Hope as mate and with three Malays be- fore the mast and a Chinese cook, and with about $7,0OO in specie in the cabin, she sailed away on her first voyage, and it was four years later before she was again heard of. The purpose of this narrative is to chronicle her adventures in the interim, aS Qdu lC LFOIu ucF OW Il IpS
 While it was a bit queer to start on voyage with woman virtually in com mand of the craft, Mrs. Williams had nothing to fear from her crew. The off, cers were good navigators and the men willing, and all were anxious for a profita- ble voyage. She had no complaints to make until the islands had been reached. The group lies between the Malay Penin- shla and the island of Borneo, about 100 miles off the coast of the former, and from 250 to 300 miles from Borneo. There are nineteen islands in the group, covering a length of 120 miles by about 40 broad. There are only seven or eight which are in- habited, and at the time of which I write the people were lawless set, and a share of them out and out pirates.
 The products were dried fish, sea shells, cocoanuts, dye stuffs, various herbs and roots for medicinal purposes and several sorts of spices The schooner had been there once before and made profitable trip of it. She had clothing, powder, shoes, axes and a great variety of notions, and where none of these was wanted she paid cash.
 On this trip the schooner worked to the northward and made her stop at the island of Quewang, being the third one from the northernmost island of the group She met with cordial reception, and at once began bartering for and receiving cargo. She was anchored in sheltered bay, with in 800 feet of the beach, and had been there five days before anything occurred to arouse Mrs. Williams suspicious that all was not right. She then observed that the entire crew were drinking deeply of na- tive liquor which the natives were supply ing in 8 liberal manner, and that some of the fellows were becoming impudently far miliar.
 When the captain was spoken to he laughed at her idea of trouble and promised better things; but the drinking continued. On the afternoon of the seventh day several women came off in the canoes. One of them, who could speak English pretty fair ly, was presented with some ornaments by Mrs. Williams, and in return she hinted to her that it was the intention of the natives to capture and loot the schooner that night. They had discovered that there was large sum of money on board, and they had found the crew an easy one to handle The native woman hadn't time nor opportunity to say much, but no sooner had the crowd of natives left the schooner at dusk, as was their custom, than Mrs. Williams set out to sound the alarm. Imagine her feelings when she dis covered that every single man on board, from captain to cook, was so much under the influence of liquor as to be unable to comprehend her words. She doused them with sea water and pounded them with be- laying pins, but all to no purpose. The en- tire lot were stupidly drunk, just as the natives had planned for.
 It was 8 perilous situation for the wom- an to be placed in. If the natives captured the schooner they would murder every one If hn of11yso +, first step toward capturing her had al-. ready been taken. The step she took showed sound judgment. The schooner's yawl was down, having been in almost hourly use. The native village was about forty rods back from the beach, and as the schooner swung to the ebb tide she pre- sented her broadside to the village. When the yawl was pulled around to the port side she was out of sight. Mrs. Williams first act was to step the mast her next to supply the craft with provisions and water. There were an unusual number of lights burning in the village, showing that some thing was on foot, but she had no fear of an attack until later hour The natives would wait until certain that all the peo- pie were helpless.
 Mrs. Williams had determined to slip away from the doomed craft in the yawl, although she had no experience in the management of small boat. After water and provisions she brought up all her money, which was in boxes she could handle. Not penny of it was left behind. There were a rife, revolver and double barreled shotgun belonging to her hus- band. These she took, together with powder, shot and fixed ammunition. Then she gathered up all her bedding and cloth ing, took three or four spare blankets, two suits of clothes belonging to the officers, and when these were in the boat she took pots, pans, dishes and cutlery, bundled up lot of carpenters tools, secured two axes, lot of small rope, several pieces of canvas, and, in brief, loaded the yawl with what ever was portable and handy, including the clock, compass, quadrant, sextant and 8 lamp and four gallons of oil. She worked In every iowa where sAvENA is introduced the sale g larger than In other washing compounds. 17j1yy