Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-01-30

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 something was on foot, but she had
no fear of an attack until a later hour.
The natives would wait until certain that
all the people 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 a small boat. After
water and provisions she brought up all
her money, which was in boxes she could
handle. Not penny of itswas- left be-
hind. There was a rife, revolver and
double-barreled shotgun belonging to
her husband. These she took, together
with powder, shot and fixed ammunition.
Then she gathered up all her bedding
and clothing, 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
whatever was portable and handy, in
cluding the clock, Compass, quadrant,
sextnnt and a lamp and four gallons of
oil. She worked for upward of two
hours getting these things into the
boat. and the last articles taken aboard
were meat, -four, beans, tea aud other
provisions from the lazarette.
It was about ten O'Clock when Mrs.
Williams took her seat in the yawl and
cast off from the schooner, and the tide
at once drifted her out of the bay and
20 the north. The only thing Of conse-
quence she had forgotten was chart OF
the Java Sea, which she could have put
her hand on at a Minutes notice, and 1t
was the want of this which made Cru
soc of her for several years. As the
yawl went to sea after its own fashion,
Mrs. Williams lost the points Of the
compass at once. Indeed, had she kept
them in mind, it would have been of no
benefit lust then, as she had not studied
the chart and could not have told which
way to steer to reach another group or
the main land. She heard nothing
whatever from the natives, but several
wears later it was ascertaiued that they
did not board the schooner until mid
uipht. The men, all Of whom were still
drunk and asleep, were stripped and
tossed overheard to drown, and then the
absence of the woman and her money
was discovered. Five or six native
crafts were at once sent in pursuit, while
the people who remained looted the
schooner Of everything Of value to
them, and then towed her out to deep
water and scuttled her to hide the evil
dences of their crime.
After drifting three Or four miles out
to sea the yawl got light breeze, and
after few trials the woman learned
how to manage the sail and lay course.
She had no idea which way she was
heading, but ran off before the breeze,
and kept going all night and until mid
afternocA l ext day. Sne must have passed
the isl md cf Upnong IN the early morn
inc. out SC far to the westward that she
could not see it. The wind hauling at
midfore- Don altered her course by sew
eral points. and the northernmost island
OF the group named Polio was thus
brought in line. The island is sever
miles long by three in width at it:
widest part, and well wooded and
watered. the woman landed on the
east side, at the mouth of a creek which
forms d snug little harbor. She wa;
convinced that this was one of the is
lands OF the Kinderoon group, but she
did not know that it was the most north
erly one. BY consulting the compass
she got the cardinal points, but not hav
ing studie1 the chart she could not say
in what direction any other land lay
She had seen the sails of two traders thai
morning, but as they were native crafts
she had every wish to avoid t1em. ThC
boats which were sent in pursuit of he
must have taken another cousre, as sht
saw nothing of them.
When Mrs. Williams landed on th'
island she had no idea of stopping ther
for more than day or two, Or until sh
could decide on some plan. She haC
scarcely gone ashore when gale cam
up which lasted about thirty hours, dur
ing which the yawl was so damaged tha
she must undergo repairs. She unloadeC
her goods on the shore, covered then
from the weather, and then set out to eX
plore the island, pretty well satlsh
that it was inhabited, and hoping, IL
was, that her money might secure as
sistance. Before night she wa
satisfied that she was all alone, and 81
made shelter out Of the blankets, an'
slept the night away as peacefully as
in her cabin on the schooner. Next Ga
she exchanged her apparel for man
suit and began the erection OF hut.
a grove about 200 feet from the beac