Evening journal., 1891-04-02
A FEMALE CRUSOE.


On the 2Gth 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 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 n 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 $1,000 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 a bit queer to start on a
voyage with a woman virtually in com.
mand of the craft, Mrs. Williams had
nothing to fear from her crew The off.
GERS We're good nayigators and the men
willing, and all were anxious for prohta.
BILE 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, aud from
$50 to 800 miles from Borneo There are
nineteen islands in the group, covering a
length of 190 miles by about 40 broad.
There are only seven or eight which are in
habited, and at the time Of which write
the people were a 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 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 a cordial reception, and at once
began bartering for and receiving cargo
She was anchored in a sheltered bay, 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 a ma
tive liquor which the natives were supply
ing in a liberal manner, and that some OF
the fellows were becoming impudently fa.
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
~, 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
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 nc
sooner had the crowd Of natives left the
schooner at dusk, as was their custom
than Mrs. Williams set ont 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 tC
comprehend her words. She doused then
with sea water and pounded them with be
laying pins, but all to no purpose. The en-
tire lot were stupidity drunk, just as th'
natives had planned for.
II was a perilous situation for the wom
an to be placed in. If the natives captured
the schooner they would murder every on
Of the crew as a natural sequence, and tn
first step toward capturing her had al
ready been taken. The step she tool
showed sound judgment The schooner
| yawl was down, having been in almos
hourly use. The native village was abou
| forty rods back from the beach, and as tn
schooner swung to the ebb tide she pre-
sented her broadside to the village. Whei
/ the yawl was pulled around to the por
side she was out of sight. Mrs. Williams
l first act was to step the mast her next Z
/ supply the craft with provisions and water
| There were an unusual number Of light
burning in the village, showing that some
thing was on foot, but she had no fear 9
an attack until a later hour. The native
would wait until certain that all the pei
pie were helpless.
Mrs. Williams had determined to sli
away from the doomed craft in the yaw
although she had no experience IN th
management Of small boat. After waite
and provisions she brought up all he
money, whish was in boxes she coul
handle. Not a penny OF it was left benin,
There were a rife, revolver and doub
barreled shotgun belonging TO her hui
band These she took, together wit
powder, shot and fixed ammunition. The
She gathered up all her bedding and clotl
ing, took three or four spare blankets, Tvs
suits of clothes belonging to the officer
and when these were in the boat she too
pots, pans, dishes and cutlery, bundled u
a lot OF carpenters tools, secured two axe
a lot of small rope, several pieces ofeanva
and, in brief, loaded the yawl with wha
ever was portable and handy, includln
the clock, compass, quadrant, sextant an
lamp and four gallons Of OIL She work'