The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-31
A FEMALE CRUSOE.

On the Goth day of October, A. D. 1871,
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
/ er islands of the Java sea, and in Nav,
| 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 a domestic in an
/ English family in Singapore. She had ac-
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 Chinese cook, and
with about So 600 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 had it from her own lips
While it was bit queer to start on a
voyage with a woman virtually in COM
maud of the craft, Mrs. Williams had
nothing to fear from her crew. The Off
GERS were good navigators and the men
willing, and all were anxious for profita-
bic voyage. She had no complaints to
make until the islands had been reached.
The group lies between the Malay PENN
sula and the island of Borneo. about 100
miles off the coast of the former, and from
$50 to 300 miles from Borneo. There are
nineteen islands in the group, covering a
length of 100 miles by about 40 broad
There are only seven or eight which are in
habited, and at the time of which l write
the people were a lawless set. and a share
OF them ont 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 a profitable
trip of it. She had clothing, powder,
shoes, axes and great variety of notions,
and where none of these was wanted she
paid cash
On this trip the schooner worked 70 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 a cordial reception, and at once
began bartering for and receiving cargo
She was anchored in sheltered bav, with
in 500 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 ma
tive liquor which the natives were supply
ing in liberal manner, and that some of
the fellows were becoming impudently ia
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. Ore of
them, who could speak English pretty fair
IL, was presented with some ornaments by
Mrs. Williams, and in return she limited
TO her that it was the intention of the
natives TO capture and loot the schooner
that night They had discovered that
"a
and they had found the crew an easy one
10 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 SCI 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 20 be unable 10
comprehend her words. She doused them
with sea water and pounded them with be-
laying pins, but all 70 no purpose. The en-
tire lot were stupidity drunk, just as the
natives bad planned for.
Il was a perilous situation for the WON
an 20 be placed in. II the natives captured
the schooner thev would murder every one
of the crew as a natural sequence, and the
first step toward capturing her had al
ready been taken. The step she took
showed sound judgment. The schooners
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
lie yawl was pulled around 20 the port
side she was out Of sight Mrs. Williams
first act was 20 step the mast, her next 20
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 10 fear OF
an attack until later hour. TIE natives
would wait until certain that all the peo-
pie were helpless
Mrs. Williams had determined 20 slip
away from the doomed craft in the yawI,
although she had no experience IN the
management OF small boat. After water
and provisions she brought up all her
money. whi.h was in boxes she could
handle, Not penny Of it was left behind
There were a rlhe, revolver and double
harre!ed shotgun belonging 70 her hus-
band These she took, together with
powder. shot and fixed ammunition Then
she gathered NJ all her bedding and cloth
ing. took three or four spare blankets, two
suits OF clothes belonging % the officers,
and vixen these were in the boat she took
pots, pans. dishes and cutlery. bundled mp
= Lnt OF carpeDtszs tools scared tyo Aee2