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


bound for the Kinderoon Islands, to the
north, aHd only one Of her crew was ever
again met with. For five years before
the schooner had belonged to aud been
commanded by Captain Ezra Williams,
an American from San FraNisco. He
traded between Singapore and Sumatra,
Java, Borneo and the smaller 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 Dan
forth, who had been a domestic in an
an English family in Singapore. She had
accompanied him in all his voyages, and
had secured much experience and infor-
nation. As she could not readily dis
pose Of the schooner, she determined to
continue in the business, acting as her
own supercargo.
Mrs. Williams secured an Englishman
named Parker as captain, another named
Hope as mate, and with three NIalays 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 adven-
lures in the interim, as l had it from her
own lips.
While it was bit queer to start on a
voyage with q woman virtually in COM
mand of the craft, Mrs Williams had
nothing to fear from her crew. The
officers were good navigators, and the
men willing, and all were anxious for
profitable voyage She had no complaints
20 make until the islands had been
reached. The group lies between the
Malay Peninsula and the island OF Bor-
neo, about 100 miles of the coast Of the
former, and from $50 to 300 miles from
Borueo. There are nineteen islands in the
group, covering a length Of 120 miles by
about forty broad. There are only seven
OF eight which are inhabited. aud at the
time of which l write the people were a
lawless SET, and a share of them out-and-
pirates. The products were dried fish,
sea shells, cocoanuts, dye stulfs, various
herbs and roots for medicinal purposes,
and several sorts oispices. The schooner
had been there once before and made a
profitable trip of it. She had clothing,
powder, shoes, axes, and a great variety
Of notions, and where more Of these were
wanted she paid cash.
On the trip the schooner worked &c
the northward and made her stop at tn,
Island of Quewang, being the third one
from the northernmost island of thc
group. She met with cordial reception
and at once began bartering for and re
ceiving cargo She was anchored in
sheltered bay, within 500 feet Of tn,
beach, and had been there five days be
fore anything occurred to arouse Mrs
Williams's suspicious that all was no
right. She then observed that the entir
crew we're drinking deeply of a natiy,
liquor which the natives were supplying
in a liberal manner, and that some of tn,
fellows were becoming impudentll
familiar. When the Captain was spokel
to he laughed at her idea of trouble anC
promised better things, but the drinkin.
continued. On the afternoon Of th
seventh day several women came of il
the canoes. One Of them, who coulC
speak English pretty fairly, was pre-
sented with some ornaments by Mrs
Williams, and in return she hinted TO he
that it was the intention Of the natives t,
capture and loot the schooner that night
They had discovered that there was
large sum of money on board, and the
had found the crew an easy one t.
handle. The native woman hadn't tim
nor opportunity to say much, but NJ
sooner had the crowd Of natives left tn
schooner at dusk, as was their custom
than Mrs. Williams set out to sound tn,
alarm. Imagine her feelings when sh
discovered that every single man Ol
board, from Captain to cook, was 5
much under the influence of liquor as +
be unable to comprehend her words Sh
doused them with sea water and pounde
them with Delaying pins, but all to n
purpose. The entire lot were stupid
drunk, just as the natives had planned
for.
1t was perilous situation fos th
woman to be placed in. If the native
captured the schooner they woul
murder every one of the crew as patur'
sequence, and the first step towar
capturing her had already been taker
The step she took showed sound judt
ment. The schconerS yawl was dowr
having been in almost hourly use Th
native village was about forty rods bac
from the beach, aud as the schoon'
swung to the ebb tide she presented h
broadside to tho village. When Il
yawl was pulled around to the port sic
she was out Of sight. Mrs. Williams